Saved by an ice box: Astonishing moment man is rescued by helicopter after being left stranded in Gulf of Mexico
11 October 2024, 11:31 | Updated: 11 October 2024, 11:37
A US Coast Guard helicopter crew rescued a man who was left clinging to an ice box in the Gulf of Mexico after his boat became stranded before Hurricane Milton made landfall.
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The man was aboard a fishing vessel that became disabled on Wednesday off Madeira Beach, Florida, hours before the hurricane made landfall, said coast guard press officer Nicole Groll.
The man, who was not identified, was able to radio the coast guard station in nearby St Petersburg before contact was lost about 6.45pm.
But on Thursday searchers located the man about 30 miles (48km) off Longboat Key, Florida, clinging to an open cooler chest, a video clip provided by the coast guard shows.
In the video, a coast guard diver was lowered from a helicopter and swam to the man to pick him up.
U.S Coast Guard rescue man clinging to cooler after Hurricane Milton
“This man survived in a nightmare scenario for even the most experienced mariner,” coast guard official Dana Grady said.
He added: "To understand the severity of the hurricane conditions, we estimate he experienced approximately 75-90mph winds, 20-25ft seas, for an extended period of time to include overnight.
"He survived because of a life jacket, his emergency position indicating locator beacon, and a cooler."
At least 16 people are confirmed dead after after Hurricane Milton passed through Florida, though the total number of deaths could rise as rescue workers continue to make their way through floodwaters and debris.
More than two million homes and businesses are without power and thousands of people have been rescued from flooded areas.
The storm brought misery to a coast still ravaged by Helene as it ploughed into Florida as a Category 3 storm, pounding cities with winds of over 100 mph (160 kph) after producing a barrage of tornadoes.
The storm made landfall near Siesta Key, Florida, at around 8.30pm local time (1.30am UK time) and had maximum sustained winds of 120mph, the US National Hurricane Centre said.
Hundreds of people trapped in an apartment complex in Clearwater, 20 miles west of Tampa, were rescued overnight.
The 449 adults and 116 children and teenagers were rescued from 178 apartments in the area, as floodwaters remained neck deep in places.
It comes hours after Joe Biden hit out at Donald Trump over misinformation claims, telling his political rival to "get a life" and try to help people impacted by hurricanes Milton and Helene.
Speaking on Thursday, the president condemned the "reckless, irresponsible and relentless disinformation and outright lies that continue to flow".
