Coast Guard rescue man, dog after sailboat catches fire

The Coast Guard rescued a man and his dog from a dinghy floating more than 60 miles off the Pasco County coast, authorities reported Friday.

The Coast Guard says that the sailor was on his way from New Orleans to Tampa.

At around 4:30 p.m., the man told crews his boat had caught fire.

A helicopter crew found the man and his dog about 69 miles off the coast of Hudson, Florida, where they were rescued.

“There was a lot of smoke and not much left of the boat”, said Erick Lieb, a helicopter rescue swimmer. He contacted the Coast Guard. “I wish him well in the rest of his endeavors”.

Both the man and dog were taken to the hospital for smoke inhalation. It is not clear why the man waited three days before calling for help.

The man and his canine companion abandoned ship and boarded the sailboat’s dinghy after the boat caught fire, the Coast Guard said.

“I am glad that we were able to safely pick him up”, said Lt. Chanel Lee of the Coast Guard. Gabe Somma, a Coast Guard public affairs officer.

‘This case really highlights just how critically important it is to have the proper lifesaving equipment onboard.

Somma said boaters should have lifejackets, flares, a VHF radio and an electronic position indicating radio beacon.