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U.S. Coast Guard rescues 3 Tampa Bay area men after boat sinks near Naples

Posted at 2:53 PM, Apr 08, 2019
and last updated 2019-04-08 22:16:57-04

CLEARWATER, Fla. -- Three Tampa Bay-area men are thanking the U.S. Coast Guard for saving their lives after their 32-foot fishing boat sank outside of Naples.

The Coast Guard received a mayday call a little before 2 a.m. on April 8. They said 58-year-old Terry Britton, 43-year-old Patrick Leoni and 29-year-old Kyle Haskins were on the boat when it sank.

Lt. Tyler Dewechter was one of the pilots boarding the MH-60 Jayhawk at the time of the rescue.

US Coast Guard rescues 3 from life raft after fishing boat sinks

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"They did everything correctly," Lt. Bradley Davis said, speaking about the three men. "The men were familiar with their safety equipment. They knew where the equipment was located and which allowed for quick response."

The men had been in the water for two hours before help arrived. None of them were injured.