5 People Hung On To Bean Bags Before They Were Rescued In The Keys

Two bean bags kept five people afloat in Florida Key waters Monday (October 5) after their boat sank three miles off Key Largo, FL Key News reported on Tuesday (October 6).

The boat's captain said the 25-foot vessel sank in less than a minute around 11 a.m., calling 911 as the event unfolded. He also activated a tracking device that signals rescuers to a location in the water. The device is called EPIRB, or emergency position indicating radio beacon.

Officers with the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and a U.S. Coast Guard crew found the people near Molasses Reef. FWC Officer Bobby Dube said the five people were holding on to two bean bags that they used as seats on the boat. He added a FWC boat took them to Pilot House Marina in Key Largo.

“All the passengers were a little shook up, but were uninjured and we're glad to be safe ashore,” he said. The officer added that people should be wearing life jackets at all times while on a boat.

“Because, in this case, the vessel sank so suddenly that nobody had the chance to even grab a life jacket,” Dube said. “Luck was on their side today. The captain remained calm and immediately got that important 911 call and before the vessel sank, they had an EPIRB on board the vessel to assist with the search and rescue.”

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