Two overdue boaters were rescued by a good Samaritan approximately 90 miles northwest of Tarpon Springs, Fla., at about 6:30 p.m. Thursday.
Vance Bryan, 48, and Gerald Chessher, 58, were located in their inflatable raft by a good Samaritan aboard the tug barge Rikki S. The men reported heir barge sank in the Gulf of Mexico while on their way to Cancun, Mexico.
Watchstanders at the 7th Coast Guard District command center in Miami received notification from the good Samaritan stating that he was on scene with two dehydrated males in a raft off Tarpon Springs. Coast Guard Cutter Bonito from Pensacola, Fla., was diverted and arrived on scene. The Bonito’s crew transferred the survivors to the cutter and will transport them to Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg, Fla., to awaiting EMS crews.
Sector St. Petersburg watchstanders received a call at approximately 11 a.m. Sunday from a friend of one of the men stating the two men left from Captiva Island, Fla., on June 18, 2012 and were scheduled to arrive in Cancun on Saturday. It was reported the men had not arrived in Cancun on their scheduled date and had not made contact with anyone to update their position.
The Coast Guard launched a C-130 aircraft from Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater, Fla., at approximately 1 p.m. Sunday to search the Gulf of Mexico and continued searching by air until the two survivors found.
[mappress] Naval Today Staff, June 29, 2012; Image: USCG