Puerto Rican Coast Guard crews rescued four men from a life raft in the Atlantic Ocean after their 29-foot row boat capsized Saturday.
The men, who work for the Canadian Wildlife Foundation, were on the 73rd day of a 100-day voyage which would eventually end in Miami.
Rescued were U.S. citizens Jordan Hanssen, 29, and Patrick Flemming, 31, along with Canadian citizens Adam Kreck, 31, and Marcus Pukonen, 30.
“The great coordination and swift response between our Coast Guard rescue crews and international mariners aboard the [rescue ships] saved four lives from the perils of the sea,” said Capt. Drew W. Pearson, Sector San Juan Commander.
1 Person Killed After Boat Capsizes Off Miami Beach
Coast Guard watchstanders first received the distress signal at 6:30 a.m. Saturday from the boat, named the James Robert Hanssen. They immediately launched two planes from air stations in Miami and Clearwater to search for the survivors.
The crew arrived on scene at 11 a.m. and dropped food rations for the boaters, along with radios they used to verify the boaters were safe, before recovering them from the life boat.
"Those saved were well prepared with proper survival and distress signaling equipment as well as having a support team onshore," Pearson said. All boaters should be as well prepared even for short voyages, it could save their lives."
The boaters were taken to Puerto Rico on Saturday shortly before sunset.
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