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Longboat Key, FL - A Florida man was rescued from the Gulf of Mexico after his boat became disabled during Hurricane Milton.
The man, whose identity has not been released, was clinging to a cooler when found by Coast Guard searchers approximately 30 miles off Longboat Key.
The man's fishing vessel lost power on Wednesday off Madeira Beach as Hurricane Milton approached.
Despite attempting to contact the Coast Guard, communication was lost around 6:45 p.m.
A Coast Guard helicopter crew located the man on Thursday and deployed a diver to rescue him.
The man was transported to Tampa General Hospital for medical evaluation.
The fate of his boat remains unknown.
Lt. Cmdr. Dana Grady, Sector St. Petersburg's command center chief, tells Local 10 News “This man survived in a nightmare scenario for even the most experienced mariner. To understand the severity of the hurricane conditions, we estimate he experienced approximately 75-90 mph winds, 20-25 foot seas, for an extended period of time to include overnight. He survived because of a life jacket, his emergency position indicating locator beacon, and a cooler."