Kayaker clinging to piling off Gandy Beach rescued by Coast Guard
The Coast Guard rescued a kayaker in distress off Gandy Beach. Images are courtesy of the U.S. Coast Guard.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - A Coast Guard rescue crew was in the right place at the right time to rescue a kayaker in St. Petersburg on Tuesday evening.
According to the officials, a boat crew from the Coast Guard Station St. Petersburg had been diverted from a case when they rescued a kayaker clinging to a piling near Gandy Beach.
The man, who the Coast Guard says was in medical distress, was taken to a nearby restaurant where he was left in the care of St. Petersburg Fire Rescue.
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The Coast Guard says Pinellas County 911 notified them of the distressed kayaker around 5:50 p.m. and he was rescued 10 minutes later.
"The rescue crew diverted from a previous case they were searching on," said Lt. J.G. Connor Sullivan, Sector St. Petersburg command duty officer. "If they hadn’t been in the area, the man probably wouldn’t have made it because there were no other marine units in the area."