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Coast Guard rescues 4 snorkelers who disappeared off Florida Keys

By Doug G. Ware
Four boaters who left on a snorkeling trip abord this 25-foot vessel in the Florida Keys disappeared on Tuesday, prompting a search and rescue effort by the U.S. Coast Guard and Florida wildlife officials. Wednesday, a search team found the boaters safe about 40 miles off Key West. Photo courtesy U.S. Coast Guard
Four boaters who left on a snorkeling trip abord this 25-foot vessel in the Florida Keys disappeared on Tuesday, prompting a search and rescue effort by the U.S. Coast Guard and Florida wildlife officials. Wednesday, a search team found the boaters safe about 40 miles off Key West. Photo courtesy U.S. Coast Guard

KEY WEST, Fla., July 27 (UPI) -- The U.S. Coast Guard said it has located four missing boaters who disappeared after leaving for a snorkeling trip on Tuesday.

Two young boys and two adults left the Banana Bay resort for the trip off Key West, but a worried relative called authorities when they did not return at their scheduled time Tuesday afternoon, the Coast Guard said.

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Wednesday afternoon, officials said the four were found 40 miles northwest of Key West at around 3:40 p.m. local time, all in good condition.

Rescued were David Thompson, 48, Adam Kelley, 28, Joshua Thompson, 15, and Evan Thompson, 11.

The boaters left aboard a 25-foot vessel to go snorkeling about six miles north of Key West.

At least three helicopter crews surveyed the entire coastline on Wednesday, officials said, including an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter, an HC-144 Ocean Sentry chopper and an MH-60 Jayhawk.

The Coast Guard said the HC-144 crew found the missing boaters.

"The important take away is this family filed a float plan," Cmdr. Clint Prindle, chief of response for Coast Guard Sector Key West, said in a statement. "They told family members where they were going and when they would be back."

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"We always recommend boaters carry an electronic position indicating radio beacon, also known as an EPIRB," he added. "When activated, an EPIRB alerts us immediately of distress and provides us with an exact location of a boater. It removes the search from a search and rescue effort."

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