The U.S. Coast Guard rescued two boaters Saturday from a capsized boat in the Gulf of Mexico.
- Three boaters went missing off the coast of Gulf of Mexico
- Two of the boaters were found
Garrick Valdes, 50, of Locust Grove, Virginia and Bruce Smith, from Alachua were found around 7:25 a.m., just six miles off Sea Horse Key.
A third boater, Elders Bird, 54, of Maryland has not been located.
Eight hours earlier, watchstanders from the Coast Guard were altered to the missing boaters.
The three men set off Friday morning from Alachua via a truck and trailer but never returned. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission confirmed that the boat’s trailer and truck were at the Cedar Key boat ramp around 3 a.m.
Valdes and Smith were transported by helicopter to awaiting paramedics at Cedar Key Airport.