Two people and their dog were rescued over the weekend after the wake from a passing cruise vessel overturned their boat as they were sailing in Tampa Bay near Gadsden Point.
The cruise passengers onboard noticed the two survivors in the water and immediately notified crew members. Dan Hemmer, a Tampa Bay Harbor Pilot, was escorting the vessel from the port with Michael Stutevoss. Hemmer told FOX 13 that they were already moving too quickly to stop and reach the pair in time.
“Our ship was going very fast when we sighted these people,” Hemmer narrated to the news network. “So by the time we were able to communicate to the crew of the cruise ship and get the ship stopped, we were a good way past the victims in the water.”
On the vessel, crew members deployed one of the lifeboats. Meanwhile, Hemmer and Stutevoss notified the US Coast Guard.
Stutevess reiterated why a quick rescue was essential. “The water is 64 degrees here… Even though we are in Florida, hypothermia can set in,” he explained.
The operation became more challenging as darkness settled around them. “The sun had already set. It was twilight. They were basically like shadows in the water,” Matthew Riley described.
Riley, who was manning a nearby cargo vessel when the boat capsized, spotted the two individuals a few minutes after 6 pm just as the Coast Guard, Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, and Hillsborough County Fire Rescue arrived.
The two were caught on video clinging to a buoy about 200 yards from their overturned craft. Together with their dog, they were eventually moved to one of the rescue vessels. The survivors were reportedly injured and sent to Tampa General Hospital.
Sheriff Chaff Chronister credited the successful rescue to his office’s partnership with other agencies. “Our team’s coordinated response with other agencies led to the successful rescue of two people who desperately needed help,” he was quoted on Facebook. “We will continue to work together to protect lives on our waterways.”
Two Royal Caribbean ships were outbound during the time of the incident.
Last December, another boat capsized off the coast of Cuba, prompting Celebrity Reflection to change its course and rescue its passenger.
