Photo: CBS 12
A fishing boat that ran aground yesterday afternoon with no one on board triggered a brief search to locate whoever was piloting it.
Emergency crews learned about the stranded boat shortly before 1 p.m. and multiple agencies teamed up to comb the waters off Juno Beach to find the missing boater.
Palm Beach County Fire Rescue and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission hit the waters, while the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office deployed its Eagle helicopter.
Within 15 minutes, the Coast Guard put out word that a Good Samaritan had spotted and rescued the boat’s captain who was brought to shore and told medical crews that he did not need to go to the hospital.
The agency’s statement added that the captain’s situation highlighted why it is so important to use a motor kill switch and to wear a proper personal floatation device when operating a boat.