SARASOTA, Fla. — The U.S. Coast Guard rescued one man and helped seven other passengers to safety after two boats collided Wednesday in Sarasota.
The crash between a 34-foot commercial fishing boat with two people aboard and a 23-foot boat with six people aboard happened at around 5:40 a.m., the Coast Guard reports.
The injured man was taken to Tampa General Hospital by a Coast Guard helicopter for a head injury.
"Through the activation of an emergency positioning indicating radio beacon, Coast Guard units were able to locate and assist the other seven people from the vessels in distress," Kevin Coyne of Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg said in a statement. "This rescue is a testament to the teamwork it takes to save lives."
The owners of the two boats are working with commercial salvage for the vessels. The collision remains under investigation, the Coast Guard said.