Five Boaters Rescued from Gulf Waters

Updated: Tue 4:54 PM, Jun 29, 2004

The men set out from Wakulla County Sunday morning in a 24-foot sport fishing boat. They were supposed to head back into port Sunday night, but the boat's battery died about 40 miles off the Panhandle coast.

The Coast Guard launched a search Sunday night and a Coast Guard jet found them about 10:30 Monday morning and stayed on the scene until the sheriff's deputies and wildlife officials showed up.

Apparently all of this could have been avoided. The men had to jump the battery before they left port Sunday.

The five men are all okay. They did have a scare overnight during rough weather.

They say a waterspout came just a few feet away from their boat, but did not cause any damages.

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