Coast Guard Saves 3 Sailors in 20-Foot Seas Off Florida

When a distress signal activated Sunday afternoon from a sailboat 450 miles east of Daytona Beach, it set in motion a dramatic overnight rescue that would save three lives in some of the roughest conditions imaginable.

The Coast Guard received the emergency beacon and immediately launched an aircrew from Air Station Elizabeth City to search the vast Atlantic. By 8:30 p.m., they spotted the tiny vessel being tossed by 20-foot waves, its sails tattered and whipping in the wind as water poured into the hull.

But the sailboat was too far out and conditions too dangerous for a standard rescue. The aircrew made a distress broadcast asking any nearby vessels for help, and the tanker Radiant Pride answered the call.

Video footage shows the enormous tanker carefully approaching the small sailboat in the churning darkness. The tiny vessel rocks violently against the waves as crews work to secure it with tethers.

At 2:20 a.m. Monday, all three sailors were safely brought aboard Radiant Pride. None were injured, and all remained stable despite their hours-long ordeal in life-threatening conditions.

Why This Inspires

This rescue happened because strangers chose to help. The crew of Radiant Pride didn't have to respond to that distress call, but they turned their massive ship around and joined the mission anyway.

Lt. j.g. Jordan Shaw, who piloted the Coast Guard aircraft, praised the teamwork that made the rescue possible. The coordination between professional rescuers and civilian sailors shows what's possible when people work together with skill and courage.

The sailors spent hours in the dark, watching their boat take on water hundreds of miles from land. But they weren't alone because someone was listening, someone came searching, and someone showed up to help.

Three people went home to their families because courage showed up when it mattered most.