While Hurricane Helene continues to wreak havoc across the West Coast of the United States, first responders have acted accordingly. That is the case with the United States Coast Guard which has rescued a sailor and his dog off the shores of Florida.
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The Coast Guard issued a short statement about the rescue on Facebook. "USCG Air Station Clearwater saved a man & his dog, Thurs., during Hurricane Helene after his 36-ft sailboat became disabled & started taking on water," reads the statement.
Following the boat's distress coast, a Coast Guard helicopter flew to the site, located about 25 miles off the shores of Sanibel Island. In the waters of the Gulf of Mexico, the sailor and his dog were standing on top of the boat, visibly shaken by the waves caused by Hurricane Helene.
One Coast Guard rescuer quickly rappeled down to the water below and approached the boat where the sailor and dog were waiting. Once he arrived, the dog and the sailor jumped into the water and left their vessel behind, to the mercy of the sea.
Finally, after securing the dog and his owner - and after giving a mutual thumbs up - the sailor and his pooch were brought up to the helicopter using a USCG Rescue Basket.
While there was a small craft advisory at the time - meaning, wind speeds of 21 to 33 knots, enough to be dangerous to small boats - and hurricane warnings were in effect, it is unclear why the sailor and his vessel were at sea.
Hurricane Helene Makes Landfall
Classified as a Category 4 Hurricane, Hurricane Helene made landfall in the Big Bend region of Florida on Thursday night. Several reports have confirmed that at least five deaths have occurred during the storm, with one person dying in Florida after a sign fell on top of their car.
Other casualties include two deaths as a result of a tornado in Georgia, and several others after trees fell on top of houses in North and South Carolina.
Moreover, millions of West Coast Americans have suffered from power outages, mainly affecting the states of Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina.
