The individual was aboard a fishing vessel that lost power on Wednesday near Madeira Beach, Florida, just hours before Hurricane Milton made landfall, according to Coast Guard spokesperson Nicole Groll. The unnamed man managed to send out a distress signal to the Coast Guard station in St. Petersburg before co
“This individual endured an incredibly challenging situation that would test even seasoned sailors,” remarked Dana Grady, an official with the Coast Guard.
Aftermath of Hurricane Milton
Rescue operations continued throughout Thursday as teams worked tirelessly to assist Florida residents affected by Hurricane Milton. The storm wreaked havoc on coastal areas, demolishing homes and inundating streets with debris while also generating several deadly tornadoes; tragically, at least six fatalities have been reported.
Dramatic Rescues Amid Chaos
In one notable rescue effort in Hillsborough County, officers discovered a 14-year-old boy floating on debris from a fence and safely brought him aboard their boat.
A Silver Lining Amidst Destruction
Despite widespread devastation caused by Milton, many locals expressed gratitude that conditions were not worse than anticipated. Fortunately for Tampa residents, they avoided a direct strike from the hurricane and were spared from the feared catastrophic storm surge.
Status of Ongoing Rescue Efforts
As of Thursday afternoon, Governor Ron DeSantis reported that over 340 individuals and 49 pets had been rescued during ongoing operations across affected regions.
The Impact of Recent Storms
This latest hurricane struck just two weeks after Hurricane Helene caused significant damage in Florida. In addition to flooding barrier islands and damaging infrastructure—including tearing roofs off buildings and toppling construction cranes—Hurricane Milton left more than three million people without power across various areas.
mmunication ceased around 6:45 PM.
