Man Rescued Floating on Cooler Miles Offshore After Hurricane Milton

The U.S. Coast Guard rescued a man stranded off the Gulf Coast of Florida after surviving Hurricane Milton, the military branch said.

Shocking footage published by the Coast Guard on Thursday showed a rescuer grab the man from the water while dangling from a helicopter. The daring rescue took place about 30 miles off the coast of Longboat Key—a town located northwest of Siesta Key, where Milton made landfall on Wednesday night.

The survivor was identified as the captain of a fishing boat. On Monday, the captain and a single crewmember had to be rescued by a Coast Guard helicopter after their vessel became disabled about 20 miles off the Gulf Coast.

The captain returned to the boat early on Wednesday morning to make repairs as Milton rapidly approached the coastline. However, he became stuck at sea again.

Milton Leaves Boats Inland and Gators Patrolling StreetsCHAOS

Josh Fiallo

At this point, it was too late for rescuers to get back out to him, as wind speeds began picking up to over 30 miles per hour. The Coast Guard told him to wear a life jacket, keep an emergency radio beacon on him at all times, and ride out the storm.

Milton made landfall around 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday night, initially sustaining wind speeds up to 120 miles per hour and devastating parts of the Sunshine State.

The captain survived what a Coast Guard lieutenant commander called “a nightmare scenario for even the most experienced mariner.” They estimated he survived 75-90 mile per hour winds and 20-25 foot seas. He was found clinging to a cooler, wearing a life jacket, and clutching an emergency radio beacon.