Coast Guard rescues 2 missing boaters

U.S. Coast Guard sent this bulletin at 09/18/2017 12:19 PM EDT

united states coast guard 

News Release  

Sept. 18, 2017
U.S. Coast Guard 7th District PA Detachment Tampa Bay
Contact: Coast Guard PA Detachment Tampa Bay
(305) 965-4672

Coast Guard rescues 2 missing boaters

A 45-foot Response Boat-Medium boat crew from Station Fort Myers Beach, Florida, rescues two missing boaters approximately 40 miles west of St. James City, Florida, Monday, Sept. 18, 2017. An HC-144 Ocean Sentry airplane crew from Air Station Miami located the missing men on top of their 23-foot capsized boat. (U.S. Coast Guard photo) A 45-foot Response Boat-Medium boat crew from Station Fort Myers Beach, Florida, stands with two rescued boaters at the station Monday, Sept. 18, 2017. Coast Guard crews located the two men on top of their 23-foot capsized boat approximately 40 miles west of St. James City, Florida. (U.S. Coast Guard photo)


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FORT MYERS BEACH, Fla. – The Coast Guard rescued two missing boaters Monday after their 23-foot boat capsized 37 miles west of St. James City.

Rescued were Cape Coral residents Renier Denis, 37 and Osmiel Vasquez, 35. 

At 10:50 p.m. Sunday, watchstanders from Station Fort Myers Beach received a call from Denis' wife stating Denis and Vasquez left St. James City at 7 a.m. aboard their 23-foot boat. The men were due back before dark, but had not returned. 

Sector St. Petersburg's command center crew devised and coordinated a search-and-rescue plan, and an HC-144 Ocean Sentry airplane crew from Air Station Miami was launched to commence the search. 

At 4:40 a.m. Monday the air crew spotted a flare within the search area and located the two men on top of the hull of their capsized boat. A 45-foot Response Boat-Medium from Station Fort Myers Beach received the men's position from the air crew, arrived on scene and rescued the two men from the capsized boat.

"This rescue perfectly showcases the excellent collaborative effort from multiple Coast Guard units including our search and rescue planners, air crewmembers and boat crewmembers," said Senior Chief Petty Officer Angel Ramos, a command duty officer at Sector St. Petersburg. "Without any one component, we would not be able to execute our search and rescue mission."

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-USCG-