5 rescued after boat sinks off coast near Egmont Key: USCG

5 rescued after boat sinks off Florida coast

Five people were saved after a boat sank Friday morning off the Florida coast.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Five people were saved after a boat sank early Friday morning, approximately 28 miles west of Egmont Key, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.

The backstory:

The boaters were rescued in stable condition and received medical care at Tierra Verde Marina.

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At around 3:34 a.m., the Coast Guard in St. Petersburg received multiple mayday calls from a caller reporting that their boat with five people on board was taking on water, preparing them to abandon the vessel in life jackets.

USCG aircrews and rescue swimmers were able to locate the stranded boaters near the sunken boat at 4:19 a.m. 

What they're saying:

"The boaters' quick decision in donning life jackets and issuing a mayday call gave our crews the critical information and best chances of rescuing them," Ensign Gaige Garrett, an operations unit controller at Sector St. Petersburg command center, said. "With water temperatures dropping across most of Florida, we urge boaters to dress appropriately for the weather and carry the required safety equipment for their vessel when going out to sea."