Coast Guard rescues 4 men from sinking boat and injured woman near Tampa Bay

CLEARWATER, Fla. - Officials say a Coast Guard Station St. Petersburg crew rescued five mariners in under 3 hours on Saturday.

The crew responded after a distress call came through VHF radio channel 16 around 11:13 a.m. According to authorities, four men were aboard a sinking 24-foot boat near Gandy Bridge.

The crew says they rescued all four men that were found next to their partially submerged and aground vessel and took them to the Gandy Boat Ramp.

Courtesy: Coast Guard Station St. Petersburg

No injuries were reported, and the owner is working on recovering the boat, according to officials.

Around 1 p.m., authorities say the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office dispatch contacted Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg watchstanders and reported that a woman sustained a head injury while driving a personal watercraft near Shell Key.

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A St. Petersburg Fire Rescue crew retrieved the injured woman and transferred her to the Station St. Petersburg and Tierra Verde Fire Rescue crews, where they provided first aid and took the woman to EMS at Fort De Soto Boat Ramp, according to officials.

Courtesy: Coast Guard Station St. Petersburg

"Coordination between partner agencies led to the successful rescue of five boaters in approximately 3 hours," said Chief Petty Officer Jean Latimer, a Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg Command Duty Officer in a press release. "We are honored to work alongside such professional and efficient local partners and want to take this time to remind boaters to have a U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket readily available at all times." 

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