The U.S. Coast Guard successfully located a sailor who spent the night adrift in the open sea under extreme weather conditions. He was clinging to a refrigerator and ended up 48 km from the Florida shore after experiencing problems with his vessel.
The owner of the boat reported to the Coast Guard on Wednesday afternoon that his captain had gone out early in the morning to make some repairs but had not returned.
The Coast Guard managed to communicate with him and learned that the boat’s steering had failed while he was returning to port.
The first rescue team was dispatched around 5:30 AM, but the captain was only located after eight hours. He was found by the rescue team 12 hours after the area was struck by Hurricane Milton.
The Coast Guard reported that the sailor survived the night amid winds reaching speeds of 144 km/h and waves that could reach around 8 meters. According to them, he survived thanks to a life jacket, a flashlight for signaling, and the refrigerator he was clinging to.
