Thrilling Rescue: Man Found Clinging to Ice Box 30 Miles Off Florida Coast After Hurricane Milton!

A helicopter crew from the ⁢US Coast Guard successfully saved a man who was found clinging to a cooler in the Gulf of Mexico after his⁤ fishing boat‍ became stranded overnight due to Hurricane Milton’s turbulent conditions.

Stranded at Sea
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 communication ceased around 6:45 PM.

Daring ‍Rescue Operation
On ‌Thursday morning, search teams located him approximately 30 miles (48 kilometers) off Longboat Key, where he was seen clinging desperately to an open ​ice chest. A video released by the Coast Guard captured the moment when a diver descended from a helicopter and swam towards him for‍ rescue.

“This individual endured an incredibly challenging⁣ situation that would test even seasoned sailors,” remarked Dana Grady, an official with the Coast Guard.