The U.S. Coast Guard rescued two missing boaters on Monday, May 20, after their vessel became disabled off the coast of The Bahamas.
On Sunday, the Royal Bahamas Defence Force notified the Coast Guard that two men were reported overdue after departing Samana Cay in an 18-foot recreational vessel on May 15.
An HC-144 Ocean Sentry air crew from Coast Guard Air Station Miami was deployed to assist in the search, along with an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter forward-deployed from Air Station Clearwater to Operation Bahamas Turks and Caicos.
The crew aboard the HC-144 Ocean Sentry spotted the disabled vessel 55 miles from shore and dropped a parachute emergency supply kit with food, water, and a radio but the men were unable to recover it, the Coast Guard said.
After multiple failed attempts to establish communications with the two men, the Air Station Clearwater helicopter crew deployed a rescue swimmer.
A video shared by the Coast Guard shows the men being hoisted to the helicopter. They were then transported to Spring Point Airport in The Bahamas.
The Coast Guard said the men were uninjured and no medical concerns were reported.
"Our success for this case highlights our crews’ teamwork and skills,” Lt. Scott Kellerman, Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater MH-60T pilot, said in a statement. “Everyone maintained a tight focus and nailed their roles. I'm super proud of how we came together to bring those guys back to safety. It's moments like these that remind us why we train so hard and why we joined the Coast Guard in the first place."
—TMX contributed to this report.