Agencies work together to rescue three from overturned vessel

The Sheriff’s Office, Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the U.S. Coast Guard worked together Thursday evening to rescue three men from an overturned vessel.

Sheriff’s dispatchers received a call from one of the men on the vessel at 6 p.m. He reported their vessel had overturned and they were using life vests to stay afloat. He estimated their location as 20 to 30 miles offshore of Marathon on the gulf side but could not provide coordinates.

As dispatchers tried to transfer the call to the Coast Guard, the cell connection began to fail and then the line disconnected.

Marine Deputy Wilfredo Guerra met with FWC Officers at the Coast Guard station and they all began heading out on a Coast Guard vessel to attempt to locate the stranded men. Sheriff’s dispatchers were able to get the men back on the phone and this time dispatch was able to provide coordinates to responding officers.

At 6:40 p.m., Deputy Guerra reported all three men were safely on board the Coast Guard vessel. The three men were from Hialeah and told officers they had been fishing for snapper when they began taking on water and could not get their engine started. Their vessel was an 18 foot open fisherman.  Sea Tow was notified and will be recovering the vessel this morning.

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