In a breathtaking rescue mission, a stranded sailor was saved from near-certain death after clinging to a cooler in the Gulf of Mexico, some 30 miles off the coast of Florida. The dramatic footage, released by the U.S. Coast Guard, shows the moment a rescue helicopter crew located the man, who had endured the powerful onslaught of Hurricane Milton that left his vessel sunk and him stranded at sea.
The unidentified fisherman’s nightmare ordeal began when his boat was overtaken by the Category 4 hurricane, forcing him to cling to a cooler as his last lifeline. For hours, he drifted in the Gulf until the rescue chopper located him and lowered a rescuer to pluck him from the water.
The United States Coast Guard rescued a man clinging to a cooler 30 miles off the coast of Florida following Hurricane Milton. | Story: https://t.co/DpD0IhwDN4 pic.twitter.com/4RUzd55Xf8
— Atlanta News First (@ATLNewsFirst) October 11, 2024
The hurricane, which struck Florida late on Wednesday, has so far claimed 16 lives and inflicted significant destruction. Emergency response teams are still grappling with the aftermath, assessing the toll on lives and property. The footage of the sailor’s harrowing rescue has already captured the public’s attention, a striking testament to the danger and devastation left in Milton’s wake.