Search underway for missing fisherman last seen off Anclote, friend found by fishing charter boat

ANCLOTE, Fla. - Pete Hans had been treading water for nearly eight hours when the Double Eagle fishing charter boat found and rescued him Wednesday afternoon.

The charter was coming back to fish after meeting the Coast Guard to help a passenger who was having heart issues. That passenger is in the hospital recovering.

"We almost called the trip then," Captain Chad Haggert, the owner and operator of Double Eagle Deep Sea Fishing, said. "We were going to head back in, but we said, ‘no, let's go try and get a few fish while we're out here.’ So, we turned back around and God put us in the right spot to find Pete, and we were able to save somebody."

They had passed by him earlier, but no one was on the vessel’s deck, because they were tending to the passenger’s medical emergency. The charter was a memorial trip for Haggert’s dad, who’d passed away a couple of years ago.

"We all said a little prayer to look out for Steve, and I said a prayer again, kind of laughing with my dad, saying, ‘boy, this is a heck of a trip, Dad.’ And about 20 minutes later, as we're headed back to where our fishing grounds were, we come across Pete in the water. Somebody spotted him looking at a frigate bird, a lady on the boat named Sarah, very keen on wildlife and looked underneath the bird to see if there was a turtle or any fish in the area and caught a glimpse of something she thought was the fin of a dolphin, and it turned out to be Pete," Haggert said.

Hans and his friend, 43-year-old Brandon Taylor, left Anclote River Park around 3:30 a.m. on Wednesday on their way to the Middle Grounds to fish, Hans said. It’s about 95 miles from the boat ramp. They made it about 45 miles. 

"A wave came out of the north and hit the side of the boat and the boat nose dove, made a hard left-hand turn and threw us out of it," Hans said from his hospital bed. "That was at 5:20 in the morning when we went into the water."

"The winds just picked up. The waves got bigger and him and I got separated. We were talking and just tried to stay together the best we could," Hans said.

Hans says he has severe burns from the sun and severe muscle cramps and is still in the hospital. 

"He just kept saying ‘my friend is out there’ and we trying to make circles as we were calling the Coast Guard, looking for anybody, and unfortunately, Brandon, we did not see him, and left the search to the Coast Guard as we brought Pete back in for medical attention," Haggert said.

Taylor is still missing. Thursday, the Coast Guard and family and friends of the father of two teen boys were out searching for him by air and by water. Many traveled from Melbourne, where Taylor is from.

What we know:

The U.S. Coast Guard says he was last seen around 6:30 a.m. Wednesday about 46 miles west of Anclote, which sits along the border of Pasco and Pinellas counties. According to the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office, Taylor is 5'10", around 180 pounds, with dark blonde hair and blue eyes. Taylor was last seen wearing tan shorts.

"Brandon was an avid fisherman," Karrie Taylor, the mother of Taylor’s children, said. "He is an avid hunter. He was born to be on the water. He knew the waters like the back of his hand. He is the kind of person that would drop anything and everything to get to somebody to help them, and we just want people to continue to search and pray for him so that we can find him and bring him home."

"There are people all over that are coming, from near and far. He has friends coming from the East Coast, because that is where we are from," she said. "They are still trying to get out charters of their own. Multiple people have brought vessels of their own, but the conditions out there today are still a little rough and windy, and it is a pretty decent journey out. Anybody helps, anything helps."

Taylor’s family and friends said they won’t stop until they find him.

"I hope he's still out there fighting and, you know, he was doing his best the last time we talked," Hans said.

"Miracles do happen. I mean, this is a miracle right here," Haggert said.

Hans said the boat was in autopilot and just kept going. The Pasco County Sheriff’s Office said the boat is also still missing. 

Hans said God got him through those eight hours.

"You could feel God being with you the whole time," Hans said. "I just kept telling myself, ‘control your breathing. Control your breathing and just keep floating.’ You'd close your eyes and Jesus was in your vision, like just standing there talking to you. It was the most surreal seven or eight hours, and I was at peace the whole time."

"The whole time I kept telling myself that ‘I'm still alive, that there's no way I'm not going to be rescued," Hans said. "I hope people see this and realize never to give up. Just have faith."

Hans said the people on the charter boat called the Coast Guard to come check Hans out, gave him food, water and fresh clothes.

"They were first class. I could never thank them enough," Hans said.

What you can do:

Anyone with information on Brandon Taylor is urged to call 866-881-1392. You can also call the Pasco Sheriff's non-Emergency line at 727-847-8102 and choose option seven.