MAYPORT, Fla. – A crew of six good Samaritans saved three boaters after their boat capsized Saturday about 17 miles offshore in the Mayport area.
The crew heard a distress call and found the boaters before the Coast Guard arrived.
Derek Wiggins said he and his crew could hear the boaters trying to communicate with the Coast Guard, but they were unable to find their location.
The distressed boaters started to shoot off several flares, leading Wiggins and his crew toward them, but they saved the last flare.
When they spotted the boat about a mile away, the boaters shot off the last flare, and Wiggins’ nephew spotted it hit the water.
As the crew was heading to save them, the boat flipped, tossing the distressed boaters into the water.
“We pulled up on the boat, and three gentlemen were in the water. We got a quick headcount to make sure nobody was stuck under the boat. We guided them to the boat and pulled them in,” Wiggins said. “We were all shaken. We were nearly crying at the same time. We had our eyes on them and we saw the boat capsized and were just praying that nobody got stuck under the boat because it rolled over so fast.”
Wiggins said he is glad they are safe and encourages anyone going out on the water to at least have an emergency position-indicating radio beacon in case an emergency like this happens.