Four people were tossed from their pontoon boat Aug. 26 as they motored near the Rod & Reel Pier toward Bean Point at the northern tip of Anna Maria.
The Manatee County Sheriff’s Marine Unit and patrol deputies assigned to the Anna Maria substation worked with a U.S. Coast Guard rescue team to pluck the boaters from the surf, Mayor Dan Murphy told The Islander Aug. 26.
Of the four aboard the pontoon boat, one was able to swim to shore, according to a U.S. Coast Guard Station Cortez report.
The boaters were treated for minor injuries at the scene, MCSO Sgt. Brett Getman said. All were wearing life jackets.
When the boat reached the northern tip of the island, the water in Tampa Bay was like a “washing machine.” It tossed the vessel sideways, ejecting the boaters into the water, Getman said.
According to the Coast Guard, the boat was towed.
The Coast Guard conducted a second marine rescue Aug. 27 after a catamaran was disabled 8 nautical miles from shore in the same area, Chief Petty Officer William Flores told The Islander Aug. 30.
The boat suffered damage, began taking on water and made a call for help.
A Coast Guard crew towed the boat and its occupant into the bay “for safe anchor,” Flores said.
— Amy V.T. Moriarty