A family of four including a 90-year-old man survived more than 20 hours clinging to their overturned boat before being rescued miles off the Florida coast.
Clarence Woods, 90, his nephew Dennis Woods, 70, Cris Harding Sr., 42, and Cris Harding Jr., 18, all set out on the waters off the coast of Clearwater on Monday morning for a birthday fishing trip.
But the 25-foot boat, fittingly named Money Well Wasted, began flooding before suddenly flipping over just hours later.
After spending more than 20 exhausting hours in open ocean, much of it spent battling pounding night waves, the family was finally hauled to safety by the US Coast Guard.
‘They honestly didn’t think they were going to make it,’ Teresa Rucker, Dennis’ sister, told Fox 13 News.
‘It’s a miracle,’ she added. ‘I mean, for them to be out there… it’s a miracle.’
The trip started off like any other around 9:30am, when the family launched from the Seminole Street Boat Ramp on their green-and-white catamaran, eager to celebrate Dennis’s 70th birthday.
It took a dramatic turn just after noon, when water began rapidly pouring into one side of the boat.
Clarence Woods, 90, his nephew Dennis Woods, 70, Cris Harding Sr., 42, and Cris Harding Jr., 18, survived more than 20 hours clinging to their overturned boat before being rescued miles off the Florida coast (pictured)
After spending more than 20 hours in open ocean – much of it spent battling pounding night waves – the family was finally hauled to safety by the US Coast Guard (pictured)
The four men set out on the waters off the coast of Clearwater on Monday morning on their boat fittingly named Money Well Wasted (pictured) for a birthday fishing trip
‘It was probably less than five minutes before it rolled,’ Dennis told Clearwater Police in an interview after the rescue.
‘I didn’t have time to contact the Coast Guard,’ he added. ‘We were more concerned about getting a life jacket on the 90-year-old and the 18-year-old. he one I was going to wear got hung up and I had to just leave it.’
By 8:30pm, when the family still hadn’t come home, worried relatives called police, aware that they were long overdue, according to Fox.
Dennis had brought a flare gun and strobe light, but they were lost with all other essentials when the boat suddenly capsized.
As darkness fell, the family saw a Coast Guard helicopter sweeping overhead but had no way to get its attention.
‘The night was real tough because the waves picked up and we were having to get on top of the rigging of it,’ Dennis said.
Through the night, they clung desperately to the overturned boat, stranded over 20 miles from shore.
Dennis recalled the waves becoming so fierce that they spent most of the night bracing their 90-year-old relative, who kept getting slammed off his feet by the ocean.
As darkness fell, the family saw a Coast Guard helicopter sweeping overhead – but with no way to signal it, they couldn’t get the crew’s attention
The family recalled the waves becoming so fierce that they spent most of the night bracing Clarence Woods, who kept getting slammed off his feet by the ocean
Dramatic footage showed the moment the family was spotted: only a sliver of the boat remained above water as they stood in the rising seas, waving desperately for help
In another shot, one of the boaters could be seen giving the rescue crews a double thumbs-up
At about 7:15am Tuesday, an Air Station Miami HC-144 Ocean Sentry crew spotted the four boaters and their overturned vessel battling 2–3-foot seas and 5–10-knot winds, according to a Coast Guard news release.
With the family stranded roughly 26 miles west of Clearwater Passage, rescuers launched a life raft and an Mk-58 marine location marker to pinpoint their position and aid in the rescue.
Dramatic footage shared by the Coast Guard showed the moment the family was spotted.
Only a sliver of the boat remained above water as they stood in the rising seas, waving desperately for help.
In another shot, one of the boaters could be seen giving the rescue crews a double thumbs-up.
The coordinates guided the Coast Guard crew straight to the family, who pulled alongside the capsized boat and rescued all four men.
‘The 90-year-old man, he was on the outside. We were worried about him,’ US Coast Guard’s Savannah O’Dell, who was on the rescue boat, told Fox.
‘We’re very happy that everyone was still doing okay,’ she added. ‘The catamaran was pretty much fully underwater, so the fact that it was still above water was pretty great.’
The men battled dehydration and hypothermia, with the 90-year-old sustaining additional cuts
The rescued boaters were wrapped in warm towels and given water and electrolytes, while emergency medical personnel and family waited at the Coast Guard station for their arrival
Finally, the family disembarked from the rescue boat – one man on a stretcher – and, once back on solid ground, some embraced their loved ones
The men battled dehydration and hypothermia, with Clarence sustaining additional cuts.
‘I think their first words were thank you to all of us, and obviously just in the moment, we’re not really thinking about like what people are saying. We are just trying to get them on the boat,’ O’Dell added.
‘But, it is really cool having people actually say thank you and be grateful. This is a great day.’
The rescued boaters were wrapped in warm towels and given water and electrolytes, while emergency medical personnel waited at the Coast Guard station for their arrival, according to Fox.
Finally, the family disembarked from the rescue boat with one man on a stretcher and embraced their loved ones.
‘It was a good birthday, now that we’re back on land,’ Dennis joked to Fox.
Three of the men were hospitalized overnight, according to People.
‘We don’t usually get to do this, but this is our main part of our job,’ O’Dell added following the rescue. ‘We train all the time, but being able to actually do the job is our favorite part.’