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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 No Kings protests planned for Stuart, Fort Pierce

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Florida No Kings protests planned for Stuart, Fort Pierce



There are two No Kings protests planned for the Treasure Coast; one in Stuart and one in Fort Pierce.

No Kings Day protests are scheduled for March 28, with over a thousand protests planned across the United States.

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Organizers say the No Kings events will challenge President Donald Trump as he escalates “his attempts to control us.” Dozens of protests are planned across Florida, including two on the Treasure Coast.

Here’s what to know about the protests.

What is a No Kings protest?

No Kings is a nationwide protest organized in response to President Donald Trump and his administration.

“It is on us, the people, to show that we will fight to protect one another and our country,” according to the nokings.org website. “If he believes we will roll over and allow him to take our freedoms, he is mistaken.”

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One core principle of No Kings is a commitment to nonviolent action. The organization’s website states participants should seek to de-escalate any potential confrontation with dissenters and act lawfully.

No Kings protest in Stuart

No Kings protest in Fort Pierce

No Kings protests in Florida

There are dozens of protests planned across Florida, including two on the Treasure Coast, with one in Stuart and one in Fort Pierce. Find a protest near you.

Olivia Franklin is TCPalm’s trending reporter. You can contact her at olivia.franklin@tcpalm.com317-627-8048 or follow her on X @Livvvvv_5.



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Severe storms, near-record heat: Big weather swings ahead for South Florida

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Severe storms, near-record heat: Big weather swings ahead for South Florida


From tornado threats in the Central U.S. to a surge of unseasonable warmth in South Florida, meteorologist Dave Warren breaks down the week’s weather changes. Expect near-record high temperatures by Thursday, followed by a slight cool-down and a chance for scattered showers. Track all the latest with NEXT Weather.



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Our leaders look to the past, but it's not a pretty picture

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Our leaders look to the past, but it's not a pretty picture


Tired of Black people thinking their lives matter? Sick of hearing Spanish every time you’re in a Miami restaurant? Annoyed by uppity women asserting their so-called rights, gay types flaunting themselves by getting married and taking out mortgages, unwashed tree-huggers trying to stop righteous sprawl, and Marxist high school teachers making kids study pornographic Shakespeare […]



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