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Fishermen describe rescue of teens who spent 16 hours adrift overnight off Gulf coast

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Fishermen describe rescue of teens who spent 16 hours adrift overnight off Gulf coast


Cutting through the waters and chilly temperatures off Florida’s Gulf coast just after sunrise early Tuesday, a trio of fishermen aboard a small boat experienced the catch of a lifetime: They spotted two 16-year-old friends who had spent the night adrift on a paddleboard waving down their rescuers from atop an oyster bar miles from shore.

The teens, identified by family and friends on social media as Eva Aponte and Avery Bryan, survived 16 hours on the water in temperatures that dipped into the low 40s. Rescuers described them as shivering cold with cuts to their hands and feet from razor-sharp oyster shells but otherwise OK.

The teens were blown off course Monday about 4:30 p.m. near the fishing village of Cedar Key by strong winds while wearing just shorts and sweatshirts with no life jackets.

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As darkness fell – and temperatures dropped – so did the odds of survival. A massive search of the Gulf waters by the Coast Guard, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, sheriffs’ offices and a fleet of volunteer civilian boats continued all night without success.

Capt. Will Pauling of Inglis, Florida, and his fellow anglers Alex Jefferies of nearby Yankeetown and Russell Coon of Clermont, near Orlando, scrapped their plans early Tuesday for a morning of snook fishing to join the search. They were on the water looking for the teens by 8:30 a.m., just after sunrise, and found them within 30 minutes.

“We tried getting out there as soon as we could, and it paid off,” Pauling said in a phone interview.

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Jeffries said he told the teens after their rescue, “You laugh about this one day, just not today.”

The teens and their families didn’t immediately respond to phone messages Tuesday to discuss their ordeal.

Winds pushed the teens off course returning from Atsena Otie Key, an historic and uninhabited island town of abandoned buildings about a half mile from Cedar Key, across a shipping channel. The paddle is popular and usually safe when tides are favorable and winds are mild, generally below 5 mph. Monday’s winds were gusting more than twice as strong.

It wasn’t clear initially where the teens may have drifted. Tides and current could have pushed the teens into the Gulf, further from shore. It turned out, their inflatable paddleboard had acted like a sail and was pushed by winds southeast across Waccasassa Bay toward Mangrove Point, off the coast of Yankeetown, about 15 miles away. 

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“It was an inflatable object. It’s treated more like a balloon,” said Cap. Gary Bartell Jr. of Crystal River, who spent the night searching for the teens. He picked them up in his airboat from Pauling’s small boat. 

A photo shows the rescuers carrying the wayward teens – who were too weak to stand – over their shoulders across an oyster bar toward the airboat. On board, Bartell and his 8-year-old son, Brody, gave the girls snacks and the coats off their backs. Bartell then delivered them to their families and officials at Waccasassa Bay Preserve State Park.

“They had a great spirit for two young ladies that were stranded in the middle of the night, that 

had drifted 15 miles from their original location, especially in those high winds that we had last night,” Bartell said.

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Sue Colson, the mayor of picturesque Cedar Key, said the Gulf waters can be more dangerous than they look. 

“We look so picture card perfect, and just slick and pretty,” Colson said. “You just don’t feel in danger here, which is a great thing to feel by the way.”

This story was produced by Fresh Take Florida, a news service of the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications. The reporter can be reached at diego.perdomo@ufl.edu. You can donate to support our students here.



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Florida

2 Florida men arrested after scamming $20K from man in California

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2 Florida men arrested after scamming K from man in California


Two Florida men were arrested in Port St. Lucie after being accused of conducting a bank scam on a man in California, police said.

Trey Romans, 21, is facing several charges, including one count of grand theft and one count of scheme to defraud, while Jean Dorcena, 25, was charged with one count of grand theft, one count of Scheme to defraud, and one count of unlawful use of a two-way communication device to facilitate a felony.

According to Port St. Lucie Police, on Oct. 30, the man in California reported that he was scammed out of $20,000 after he received a call from someone who claimed they were a Chase Bank representative.

The victim told authorities that the caller said his account was compromised and told him to physically transfer his funds to another Chase Bank in Port St. Lucie.

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After listening to the caller, the victim withdrew his money from the bank, put it in a yellow envelope and then mailed it through FedEx.

Police said that the victim became suspicious after sending the money, searched the address and found out it was a residential address and not a bank.

After the victim couldn’t reach anyone at FedEx because they were closed, he called local law enforcement, who told him to call PSLPD.

In Florida, officers were able to find the local FedEx distribution and take the package before it was delivered, and detectives set up a plan to lure Romans and Dorcena to the delivery location.

With the help of FedEx employees, the package was delivered to the Port St. Lucie address, and detectives saw the two suspects arrive in a Hyundai SUV.

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Romans was seen getting out of the car, while Dorcena, who was the driver, stayed behind.

Body camera footage captured the two being arrested by police.

Police said they also spoke to the resident of the drop-off address, who told them he knew the suspects, and that Dorcena asked him if he could have a package delivered to his home, but not to open it.

The resident was not suspected of knowing what was being delivered to his home.

During a search of their vehicle, officers found around 17 grams of marijuana.

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The two remain at the St. Lucie County Jail with no bond.

A check with the victim’s money will be sent to him.



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Central Florida sees surge in food aid requests as WIC delays hit vulnerable households

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Central Florida sees surge in food aid requests as WIC delays hit vulnerable households


ORLANDO, Fla. – More than 420,000 Floridians use WIC, according to a 2024 USDA report — the fourth highest number in the country.

However, those benefits are delayed for many in Central Florida due to the government shutdown, leaving families without a way to pay for baby formula and nutritional food for their children.

Destiny Perez-Prado is trying to figure out how she’s going to feed her seven children this month since her WIC and SNAP benefits are delayed.

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“It’s still just heartbreaking, you know, to think that for Thanksgiving, we might not be able to celebrate Thanksgiving — you know, have the food that we need, food that would be typically accessible to us,” Perez-Prado said.

Her benefits pay for around $800 in groceries each month, and WIC specifically covers her more expensive items like baby formula, Pediasure, and other nutritional foods.

“It’s so expensive. Just a can of formula — the cheapest is $28, I believe. And it’s crazy. Some kids need specialized formulas,” she said.

Between being a single mother, college student, and self-employed, Perez-Prado says getting a second job to afford groceries is nearly impossible.

“I have two children with autism — a little girl and a little boy — and then my third with ADHD. So for that, you know, it’s hard for me to keep a consistent job, even with my degree,” she explained.

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One Heart for Women and Children is stepping in to help Perez-Prado. Founder Stephanie Bowman says about 30,000 people in Orange County use WIC — and many of them now need extra help.

“We’ve had 500 calls just this week from individuals we’ve never seen or heard from before,” Bowman said.

One Heart typically helps around 20,000 people per month, but that demand is rising due to the shutdown.

“What we’ve had to do is give families less food — and we never want to do that. But we want to make sure that every individual who comes to us can get food,” Bowman added.

Perez-Prado says she’s working to become financially stable one day, but right now her priority is feeding her kids.

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“You know, they still deserve to eat. They’re babies — they didn’t ask to be here. And even if we as parents didn’t go about it the way certain people think we should to avoid problems like this, it’s still a problem. We’re still here, and we still need help,” she said.

If you’d like to donate to help out, click here.

Copyright 2025 by WKMG ClickOrlando – All rights reserved.



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‘It’s unfair:’ SNAP cuts leave Central Florida seniors struggling for food

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‘It’s unfair:’ SNAP cuts leave Central Florida seniors struggling for food


OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. – SNAP benefits for thousands of families here in Central Florida are cut off, leaving many scrambling to afford the food they need, including local seniors. Many have medical needs that require special diets, and they say food banks just can’t always meet them.

“Being a citizen and being on the income that I’m on—it is hard. To tell you the truth, it’s unfair,” said senior Shirley Williford, who is among those impacted by the delay.

On Saturday, Williford and another local senior, Kim Augenstein, received notifications that their SNAP benefits for November would be pushed back. For Williford, who lives on a fixed income and doesn’t have transportation, it’s a nightmare.

“I only have high blood pressure. I kind of went on a diet myself. The food that I need for my diet—I’m not going to be able to get it,” Williford said.

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Augenstein, who was recently diagnosed with diabetes, said losing those benefits could put her health at risk. “When you’re almost a diabetic or you are a diabetic, you have to have that food for your insulin. If you go without food, that’s a big problem,” she said.

[VIDEO: Central Florida food programs face challenges as federal SNAP support stops]

Now, the seniors are relying on local organizations in Osceola County, such as Clarita’s House Outreach Ministries and the Black Empowerment and Community Council, which are already seeing a rising demand.

“Families are already so tight with money and resources. For us to be at this critical time, it’s important that we rally together,” said Tiffany Jeffers with the Black Empowerment and Community Council.

But those groups say the ongoing government shutdown is also limiting the resources they can offer. “The grant writers keep saying we can’t do this one or that one. So many programs are being cut. Some of the grants we would normally get—recurring grants—we’re no longer getting, and that’s definitely because of government funding,” said Doreen Barker, founder of Clarita’s House Outreach Ministries.

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In the meantime, seniors are helping each other by sharing rides and picking up groceries—but they’re still hoping the shutdown ends soon.

“I don’t think it needs to be cut down. It doesn’t need to be cut off—because I depend on those food stamps,” Williford said.

The Black Empowerment and Community Council is partnering with Solid Rock Community Church in Kissimmee and AARP next week to distribute food and resources to those impacted by the SNAP delays.

Copyright 2025 by WKMG ClickOrlando – All rights reserved.

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