Walter Marino, 46, of Winter Park and his son, Chris, 12, were swimming in Ponce Inlet Saturday night when the current pulled them out to sea, Tampa's News 10 reported. A family member called 911 for help and the U.S. Coast Guard searched into the night.

It wasn't until 7:30 a.m. Sunday that a passing vessel, the Open Range, found Walter Marino about eight miles from where he had started swimming. A Coast Guard helicopter spotted his son, who is autistic, two hours later about a mile away, the Orlando Sentinel reported.

Coast Guard Petty Officer Jorel Wester passed on the good news about the boy being found to the father.

"When I told him they found his son alive he was ecstatic," Wester said.

They were taken to a Dayton hospital where they were in good condition.

"We're very lucky today," Coast Guard Petty Officer Michael Hulme told the newspaper.