By Chris Tisch
Tampa Bay Times, St. Petersburg, Fla.
PASCO COUNTY, Fla. — The Pasco County Sheriff’s Office has released body cam video that shows a marine deputy rescuing five people after a boat capsized in the Gulf of Mexico Saturday.
The 20-foot boat capsized Saturday about 15 miles northwest of Anclote Key. The video shows Cpl. Mitch Bollenbacher pulling up to the capsized boat, throwing a rope to the five people and helping pull them aboard the sheriff’s office’s boat.
No one was injured. The U.S. Coast Guard also assisted in the rescue.
The vessel sent out a mayday report on channel 16 — which is used by boaters to send distress signals — before it capsized, the Coast Guard said.
Sector St. Petersburg received the distress call and had a 45-foot Response Boat launched from Coast Guard Station Sand Key to help.
Information about what caused the boat to capsize was not released.
“It’s so important to ensure safety equipment is working prior to leaving the dock,” said Coast Guard Capt. Mathew Thompson in a statement. “In cases like this, the use of life jackets and using channel 16 through a VHF-FM radio made a critical difference for the rescue units being able to provide support when the boaters were in distress.”
The Coast Guard reminds all boaters to file a float plan, issue proper life jackets to everyone onboard and have a working VHF-FM radio and a back-up communications device, like a satellite phone. For more boating tips, visit the Coast Guard’s safe boating page.
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