The Levy County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the rescue of two 16-year-old girls who were adrift for more than 16 hours off the Florida coast. They were found on Tuesday afternoon (18).
Two 16-year-old teenage girls were found on a small black-and-white board after drifting for over 16 hours off the Florida coast. The two were rescued on Tuesday (18).
The teens were last seen paddling on the board toward Cedar Key. Search operations began after they were reported missing.
The Levy County Sheriff’s Office announced on the department’s Facebook page that “the girls have been located. Cold, but safe!”
Rescue officers Will Pauling, Alex Jeffries, and Russell Coon reported that the teens were shivering, had cuts, and were dehydrated.
“They were hugging each other, trembling, with cuts on their feet and hands,” Pauling told WOFL.
“The girls even said some helicopters flew over them with spotlights during the night, but they ended up being missed by just a few meters,” he added.
Jeffries explained that they saw the teens from far out at sea. “We turned the boat in their direction and they just started waving their arms,” he said.
Photos: Facebook Michael Presley Bobbitt Gary JR Bartell. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
