A U.S. Coastline Guard crew rescued seven boaters following lightning struck and disabled their vessel off the coastline of Florida on Saturday, officers reported.  

The 7 boaters have been having portion in a fishing event when their 39-foot own vessel got caught in a storm about 100 miles off the shore of Clearwater, the U.S. Coast Guard stated. A person member of the team was recording video clip of the storm with his cellphone when lightning struck the boat.

"There was just the biggest flash like light bulbs suitable in your encounter," boat passenger Sherrie Kelley explained to FOX13 Tampa.

Kelly’s brother, Glenn Rumer, explained how the lightning briefly knocked out their good friend Josh, who was applying his cellphone to record video clip of the storm.

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"The electric power from the lightning in fact went by him and brought on him to black out and go to the floor," Rumer explained to the station, including that their pal "arrived to promptly" following falling over.

No accidents have been documented soon after lightning struck and disabled a boat with 7 folks on board 100 miles off the coast of Clearwater, Florida, the U.S. Coast Guard claimed. (U.S. Coast Guard District 7)

Whilst the Coast Guard said no a person was severely hurt for the duration of the incident, the lightning strike broken the boat’s engine, stranding the boaters at sea. Kelley reported the lightning strike had also traveled up the outrigger, which broke in fifty percent and caught fireplace.

Rumer was ready for an emergency on the h2o and activated the vessel’s crisis position-indicating radio beacon (EPIRB), which transmitted a continual radio sign so that rescuers have been equipped to pinpoint their site. 

"Fortuitously, the boaters in this circumstance had been nicely-well prepared with all needed safety products such as an EPIRB, flares, and a marine VHF radio to make sure a swift and effective rescue," Coast Guard pilot Lt. David McKinley explained.

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Coastline Guard Air Station Clearwater deployed a MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter aircrew to their locale and hoisted the five gals and two adult men safely from the disabled boat. The crew returned them to the air station exactly where loved ones greeted them.

McKinley mentioned that lightning storms are routinely encountered in the waters of Florida and can pose a danger to boaters.