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14 boaters rescued off Florida gulf coast in 1 week, Coast Guard says

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14 boaters rescued off Florida gulf coast in 1 week, Coast Guard says


It was a busy week for the U.S. Coast Guard in St. Petersburg.

Seventeen distress and marine safety calls led to the rescue of 14 boaters since April 12, Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg said in a news release Friday.

It started around 11 p.m. April 12, when Coast Guard watchstanders received a mayday call from three people reporting that their 47-foot commercial fishing boat was sinking 1 mile southwest of John’s Pass. The three people were found floating next to their boat, which was partially submerged and run aground, about 11:10 p.m. They were taken to John’s Pass Marina for care from emergency medical services.

The boaters worked with commercial salvage to coordinate the recovery of their vessel, and 605 gallons of diesel were pumped from the fuel tank Monday. The vessel was towed to Snug Harbor Boatworks on Tuesday, and no pollution was reported, the news release states.

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Also on Monday, watchstanders received a distress call from three people aboard a disabled 20-foot vessel about 22 miles west of Egmont Key around 3:30 p.m. A boat crew from Coast Guard Station Cortez found the vessel around 7:45 p.m. and towed it to Egmont Channel. A search-and-rescue boat crew from Eckerd College towed the vessel from Egmont Channel to the Fort De Soto Boat Ramp.

On Tuesday, dispatchers from the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office reported a person aboard a “disabled personal watercraft” near the Courtney Campbell Causeway around 3:30 p.m. A boat crew from Coast Guard Station St. Petersburg retrieved the person and towed their vessel to the Courtney Campbell Boat Ramp.

On Thursday, Pinellas sheriff’s office dispatchers again contacted the Coast Guard — this time for three people whose boat ran out of fuel about 14 miles west of Egmont Key around 1:45 p.m. A Coast Guard crew from St. Petersburg found the three people aboard the 21-foot vessel around 3:15 p.m. and towed it to Egmont Channel. An Eckerd College search-and-rescue boat crew towed the vessel from Egmont Channel to Fort De Soto Boat Ramp.

Around 2 p.m. Thursday, Coast Guard watchstanders received an Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon alert and mayday call from four people aboard a 30-foot vessel 30 miles west of Venice. An aircrew from Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater found the four people around 3 p.m. A boat crew from Coast Guard Station Cortez fixed the steering and escorted the vessel to Station Cortez.

No injuries were reported in any of the incidents, the Coast Guard said. In a statement, Capt. Michael P. Kahle, commander of Sector St. Petersburg, stressed the importance of having a communication device on your boat.

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“Having a working marine VHF radio, a well-charged cellphone in a waterproof case and a properly registered EPIRB and PLB, can and will help save your life in a time of distress,” Kahle said in the statement.



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Florida man ‘purposely walked’ onto tracks before being hit by train

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Florida man ‘purposely walked’ onto tracks before being hit by train


A 63-year-old man who died after being struck by a freight train March 29 “purposely walked onto the tracks,” an Indian River County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson said March 30.

Sheriff’s officials at 7:20 a.m. March 29 went to the scene at the 77th Street railroad crossing just west of Old Dixie Highway.

Lt. Kevin Jaworski, sheriff’s spokesperson, said the deceased lived in the area where the incident happened, though his name was not immediately being released until additional family members were notified.

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Jaworski said the man may have tried to die by suicide.

“Investigators are still looking into it, but I can tell you that he was on the railroad tracks improperly,” Jaworski said. “This wasn’t a malfunction of the gates … he purposely walked onto the tracks.”

Jaworski said investigators spoke to personnel on the Florida East Coast Railway freight train, which was southbound at the time, who provided statements.

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“Most trains, if not all trains, have video, so usually the first thing we do is request the video from the train officials and usually pretty quick we’re able to determine what happened,” Jaworski said. “So between the video and then speaking with the … staff we were able to determine that pretty quickly.”

Jaworski said the train in the incident was about 2 miles long, noting trains of that type typically are 1- to 1.5-miles long.

“That’s why you saw a lot of the traffic issues,” Jaworski said. “This one was so long that you had multiple crossings, and that’s why you saw the traffic issues yesterday (March 29) morning.”

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Will Greenlee is a breaking news reporter for TCPalm. Follow Will on X @OffTheBeatTweet or reach him by phone at 772-267-7926. E-mail him at will.greenlee@tcpalm.com.





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77-year-old Florida man arrested after allegedly threatening woman with gun on U.S. 1

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77-year-old Florida man arrested after allegedly threatening woman with gun on U.S. 1


A 77-year-old man is facing charges after deputies say he threatened a woman with a firearm during a domestic incident in the Florida Keys.

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According to the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, the incident happened around 2:50 p.m. on March 28 near Mile Marker 38 on U.S. 1.

Authorities say Charles Durand Wilkinson, of Okeechobee, retrieved a revolver and told the victim, “I aught to shoot you.”

The woman was able to pull over, disarm Wilkinson, and throw the firearm into nearby bushes, deputies said. The weapon was later recovered by responding officers.

Wilkinson was arrested and charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. 

No serious injuries were reported. 

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Man killed in Florida train crash railroad crossing in Indian River

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Man killed in Florida train crash railroad crossing in Indian River



The train hit a pedestrian about 7:20 a.m. March 29 at the 77th Street railroad crossing, just west of Old Dixie Highway.

A man died in a freight train crash on the morning of March 29 in Indian River County, according to sheriff’s officials.

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The Florida East Coast Railway train hit the man, identified as a pedestrian, about 7:20 a.m. at the 77th Street railroad crossing, just west of Old Dixie Highway, according to officials.

The man was pronounced deceased at the scene, according to officials. His name was withheld pending notification of his next of kin.

Because of the length of the train, several crossings in the area remain closed until the train can be moved. Drive alternate routes if traveling in the area.

County Road 510 at the crossing and 77th Street at 58th Avenue are currently closed.

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A Brightline train was seen stopped just south of 69th Street unable to travel north.

Sheriff’s deputies and railroad officials remain at the scene investigating the cause of the crash.

No further information was immediately available.

Laurie K. Blandford is a breaking news reporter with TCPalm. Email her at laurie.blandford@tcpalm.com.



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