The Coast Guard rescued a man days after he went missing off the Florida coast, according to the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG).
An HC-130 Hercules aircraft crew noticed Charles Gregory in the middle of the ocean in a partially submerged 12-foot jon boat August 5, according to a USCG release.
Gregory was last seen ashore August 3, when he left the Lighthouse Park Boat Ramp in St. Augustine, the agency wrote on Twitter. Gregory’s family reported him missing Friday evening, per the USCG release. (RELATED: Boaters Rescued Amid Struggle With Sharks Off Louisiana Coast)
The boater’s multi-day ordeal ended when a Coast Guard Cutter Coho brought him aboard, the agency wrote in the release.
#FinalUpdate @USCG crews rescued 25YO Charles Gregory, Saturday, after he went missing on a 12-foot jon boat, 12 miles offshore of #StAugustine, #Florida.
Press release: https://t.co/OGaPL6S6nS#USCG #CoastGuard #SAR pic.twitter.com/WezyZHEXB8
— USCGSoutheast (@USCGSoutheast) August 5, 2023
Gregory arrived ashore at the Vilano Beach Fishing Pier where an EMS crew attended to him and reported no medical concerns, the USCG release noted.
The rescue “highlights the importance of having safety gear onboard and being prepared for the worst,” Cmdr. Nick Barrow, Coast Guard Sector Jacksonville search and rescue mission coordinator, said in the release.
“If you plan to head out on the water, remember to have a life jacket, VHF marine grade radio, signaling devices and an emergency personal locator beacon,” Barrow added.