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Egmont Key, FL - A pre-dawn emergency in the Gulf of Mexico resulted in the rescue of five boaters Friday after their 32-foot vessel sank roughly 28 miles west of Egmont Key.
The incident began at about 3:30 a.m. when Coast Guard watchstanders in St. Petersburg received several mayday calls from someone aboard a boat taking on water.
The caller reported that five people were on the vessel, that they were putting on life jackets, and that they were preparing to abandon the sinking craft.
A Coast Guard aircrew and rescue swimmers were deployed to the area after the distress calls were received.
Officials said crews located the boaters at approximately 4:20 a.m. near the position where the vessel had gone underwater.
All five were recovered from the water and transported to Tierra Verde Marina, where medical personnel evaluated them.
According to the Coast Guard, the individuals were stable when they were brought ashore.
Ensign Gaige Garrett, an operations unit controller at Sector St. Petersburg, said the boaters helped their chances by quickly issuing a mayday call and wearing life jackets before abandoning the vessel.
Garrett noted that colder water temperatures across Florida make proper clothing and safety equipment increasingly important for anyone operating offshore.
Authorities have not released information on what caused the vessel to sink.
No criminal activity is suspected in connection with the incident, and the names of the rescued boaters have not been released.
