PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – Two men were rescued 64 miles off the coast of Ponte Vedra Beach Thursday after their 22-foot boat became disabled.
The two men went boating around 3 a.m. Wednesday on the Halifax River in Daytona Beach, a news release reported. They were expected to return before 5 p.m., but after they had not returned, the wife of one of the men contacted a Coast Guard Stations Ponce watchstanders around 4:55 p.m. Wednesday.
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She said that her husband and friend had not returned from their fishing trip and were unable to be reached through radio communication.
An Air Station Miami aircrew was dispatched and located the two men at 2 a.m. A Station Mayport boat crew was used to recover the men, the release said. Crews covered an area of approximately 1,442 miles over the course of 12 hours.
The two men were transferred to Morning Star Marina with no reported medical concerns.
According to the coast guards, they did not have an emergency position indicator radio beacon onboard.
“The Coast Guard would like to remind mariners to have an emergency position indicator radio beacon onboard in case of an emergency,” said Petty Officer 1st Class Jorge, Sector Jacksonville operations specialist. “Having an EPIRB (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon) onboard can help the Coast Guard locate you more efficiently and in a timely manner.”