Everyone goes on a bad date here and there, but having to get rescued by the U.S. Coast Guard has to take the cake.
The Coast Guard and Manatee County Sheriff’s Office April 26 rescued to would-be sailors from the 8-foot deep waters a mile east of the Anna Maria City Pier.
Petty Officer 2nd Class Richard Hodgson, a guardsman stationed at Coast Guard Station Cortez, reported a call about a capsized boat and two people floating along, trying to get the boat upright.
“It seemed like the two, a 20-year-old man and 19-year-old woman, were out on a date, trying out his 16-foot Hobie Cat,” Hodgson said. “The wind pushed them over, leaving them stranded and it the water was too deep for them to flip the craft upright.”
Hodgson said there was a small craft advisory that morning — winds of 20-25 knots were expected. In a small boat such as the Hobie cat, which is a style of catamaran made of two small hulls connected by a basic frame with an attached sail, winds can be dangerous.
“When we got there, the two weren’t any danger,” Hodgson said. “They were sitting on the overturned boat waiting for help.”
The couple didn’t bring life jackets with them and Hodgson said they got a warning when they were brought aboard the sheriff’s boat.
Hodgson said he didn’t think the woman was too impressed with her date’s seamanship. “You have to be careful out there and always check for warnings and the weather,” he said.
The Coast Guard flipped the boat and towed it to Galati Yacht Basin, 900 S. Bay Blvd., Anna Maria.
Neither of the sailors needed medical assistance and were released once they reached land.
— Tal Reeve