Coast Guard rescues sailor and his dog after 36-foot sailboat disabled off Florida coast as Helene barreled toward land

The United States Coast Guard rescued a sailor and his dog stranded in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Florida as Hurricane Helene barreled its way toward land Thursday.

The man and his pooch were aboard a 36-foot sailboat that “became disabled and began taking on water” Thursday afternoon, the USCG Air Station Clearwater said on Facebook.

Coast Guard crews responded to the boater’s distress call and rushed to the man’s location, approximately 25 miles offshore from Sanibel Island near Fort Myers.

The United States Coast Guard rescued a sailor and his dog stranded in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Florida as Hurricane Helene barreled its way toward land Thursday.
The US Coast Guard rescued a sailor and his dog stranded in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Florida as Hurricane Helene barreled its way toward land Thursday.via REUTERS
The US Coast Guard spotted the distressed vessel in the Gulf of Mexico.
The US Coast Guard spotted the distressed vessel in the Gulf of Mexico.X / @USCGSoutheast

Dramatic footage captured the heart-pounding rescue as rough waters rocked the inoperable sailboat during the rescue attempt.

One rescuer rappeled down from the helicopter as the man and his dog jumped off the boat, into the arms of their savior.

The pair were brought into the helicopter before the grateful sailor shook the Coast Guardsman’s hand, abandoning his vessel in the open water.

It was unclear where the sailor was traveling to or from, but small craft advisories and hurricane warnings had been in effect in the area as Helene hovered nearby.

Coast Guard rescuers first helped save the dog from the boat.
Coast Guard rescuers first helped save the dog from the boat.X / @USCGSoutheast
The dog and his owner were saved in the dramatic rescue mission before Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida.
The dog and his owner were saved in the dramatic rescue before Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida.X / @USCGSoutheast
Hurricane Helene made landfall as a Category 4 storm at around 11:10 p.m. Thursday evening.
Hurricane Helene made landfall as a Category 4 storm around 11:10 p.m. Thursday.Provided by CIRA/NOAA / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
North Anna Maria Island is flooded from water affected by Hurricane Helene on Sept. 26, 2024.
North Anna Maria Island was flooded by Hurricane Helene on Sept. 26, 2024.Thomas Bender/ Sarasota Herald-Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

A small craft advisory means that wind speeds of 21 to 33 knots and/or seas of 10 feet or higher are expected to produce hazardous conditions for small boats.

Hurricane Helene made landfall as a Category 4 storm around 11:10 p.m. Thursday.

The eyewall moved over the Big Bend area and Florida Panhandle with maximum sustained winds estimated at 140 mph.

The storm is forecast to blast the region with hurricane-force winds, potentially “unsurvivable” 20-foot storm surge and flooding rain.

At least one person was killed Thursday when a driver was struck by a sign while driving on Interstate 4 in the Tampa Bay area, according to WTSP.

Waves crash onto Naples Pier in Naples, FL. ahead of Hurricane Helene on Sept. 26, 2024.
Waves crash onto Naples Pier in Florida ahead of Hurricane Helene on Sept. 26, 2024.Jonah Hinebaugh/Naples Daily News/USA Today Network-Florida / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The deadly crash occurred just before 8 p.m. near mile marker 1.

The Pasco County Sheriff’s Office reported receiving over 20 calls for water rescues as the US 19 corridor in west Pasco began to flood by midnight Friday.