ST AUGUSTINE, FLORIDA: A missing Florida man was successfully rescued from a partially submerged Jon boat after spending more than 24 hours at sea off the coast of Florida, according to the US Coast Guard. Charles Gregory, 25, was last seen on Thursday, August 3 riding a 12-foot jon boat out of the Lighthouse Boat Ramp in St Augustine, Florida.
The US Coast Guard's (USCG) Southeast district said they began searching for Gregory on Friday evening after his family contacted the Jacksonville watch-standers to report that the experienced boater had not returned to the boat ramp. The USCG, St Augustine Police Department, and other partner agencies employed an HC-130 Hercules airplane, an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter, and two response boats to locate the missing Florida man in the ocean. After a night-long search, an HC-130 Hercules airplane aircrew eventually spotted Gregory on Saturday morning "sitting in his partially submerged jon boat" 12 miles offshore of St Augustine.
How was the Florida man rescued?
In a video released by USCG, the Florida man was seen sitting in the center of the small boat with his feet submerged in the water, as the ship bobbed up and down in the waves. After the aircrew spotted him, a small was seen approaching Gregory and helping him from his stranded boat. He was then transferred to the shore where he finally reunited with his family. No medical concerns were reported at the time of the rescue, the Coast Guard said. After reuniting with her son, Gregory’s mother expressed her gratitude to the rescuers saying "We just want to say thank you so much," "I should never give up hope. Don't give up on the big guy," his father, Raymond Gregory, told WJXX.
Coast Guard Sector Jacksonville search and rescue mission coordinator Cmdr Nick Barrow said that the "odds were starting to be against us" in the search since Gregory's sailboat wasn't appropriate for an offshore environment. "We are pleased about the outcome in this case and I would like to thank all of our local and state partners who were heavily involved in searching for Charles and bringing him home to his family," Barrow said, in a statement, adding "While this case resulted in rescuing Charles from a life-threatening situation, it highlights the importance of having safety gear onboard and being prepared for the worst.” Agencies involved in the search included the US Coast Guard Station Mayport, the US Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater, the US Coast Guard Cutter Coho, the St Johns County Sheriff's Office, the St Johns County Fire Rescue, the St Augustine Police Department, the St Augustine Fire Department, and Florida Fish and Wildlife.
