Coast Guard rescues 4 boaters from Gulf of Mexico

CLEARWATER, Fla. - The Coast Guard 4 men whose boat had capsized were rescued in the Gulf of Mexico early this morning, about 25 miles west of St John's Pass.

Coast Guard officials said they received a distress call from the boat's owner, Joseph DiGiovani of Seminole, via VHF radio around 7:05 a.m after the vesel overturned. He told watch commanders at the Coast Guard station in St. Petersburg that the three otther men were with him, and that his boat was taking on water.

He was able to give the ship's general location, but communication was quickly cut off.

However a signal from a Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon or, EPIRB,  was able to giver rescuers the exact location of the men, said Petty Officer 1st Class Mariana O'Leary.

A Coast Guard HH-60 Jayhawk helicoper was dispatched to the area, and rescuers found the found the men clinging to debris near their overturned boat about 7:50 a.m.

DiGiovanni and his paasengers,  Phillip Vozza 50, Bryan Smock 31, Sean Vozza 17, were safely lifted to the helicopter. None were hurt.

"We just got a chance to make that one call, but the little EPIRB that's in the pocket of my inflatable lifevest went off, and they found us," said Phillip Vozza.