Coast Guard to the rescue

The U.S. Coast Guard Cortez Station rescue crews were dispatched May 17 on the water, while a helicopter crew from U.S. Coast Guard Clearwater Station responded to a boat collision in the Gulf of Mexico. The chopper flew a boater who suffered a head injury to Tampa General Hospital for medical care. The Coast Guard rescued one person and transported another six people to safety. The St. Petersburg Coast Guard command center had been notified about 5:40 a.m. that a 34-foot commercial fishing vessel with two people aboard and a 23-foot recreational vessel with six boaters collided and both boats were damaged. The cause of the collision was under investigation as of May 18. Islander Photo: Courtesy U.S. Coast Guard Station Cortez