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Three people – including a child – were rescued by the Florida Coast Guard earlier this week after their sailing vessel became partially submerged near the Bahamas, according to authorities.
A good Samaritan called the Coast Guard Seventh District watchstanders around midnight on Monday to report a “family in distress” in the waters of Plana Cays, located approximately 350 nautical miles from the southeastern coast of the Sunshine State.
The two adults and an 8-year-old child were located aboard a life raft at approximately 7 a.m. by the guardsmen of the Air Station Clearwater MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter aircrew.
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“Our aircrews train very hard for moments like this, and we are thankful to have played a role in the safe rescue of this family of three,” Lt. Andrew Boyle, a Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater Jayhawk aircraft commander, said in a statement.
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Dramatic video footage released by the guardsmen shows the crew lifting each individual family member to safety using helicopter rescue baskets seven hours after authorities received the initial call for help.
The family was subsequently transported to Bahamian authorities in Great Inagua, according to the Coast Guard. No injuries were reported and the boat’s owner is coordinating with commercial salvage to organize the vessel’s recovery.
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“We urge mariners to carry a radio and an emergency distress beacon in case they find themselves in a similar situation,” Boyle added. “It could help save their lives.”
The U.S. Coast Guard did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
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