Missing Boater Fires Emergency Flares as Coast Guard Helicopter Arrives in Dramatic Rescue
An overdue boater spotted a Coast Guard helicopter approaching over the waters near Georgia and fired two emergency flares, signaling to the crew that had been searching for them.
Luckily for the boater, the helicopter crew had already located the 14-foot vessel near Cumberland Sound, along the Georgia-Florida border. The encounter set off a coordinated rescue involving a Coast Guard rescue swimmer and personnel responding by boat.
The search began after Coast Guard watchstanders in Jacksonville received a report that the boater was overdue, meaning they hadn’t returned from their trip when expected. The Coast Guard launched a search, sending crews from Georgia and Florida to find the boater
The U.S. Coast Guard Southeast shared footage and an account of the rescue on Facebook on Oct. 25. The agency reported no medical concerns after the boater was brought to safety.
Missing Boater Fires Flares as Coast Guard Helicopter Approaches
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The search involved an MH-65 helicopter crew from Air Station Savannah in Georgia and a rescue boat crew from Station Mayport in Florida, operating under the coordination of Coast Guard Sector Jacksonville.
After finding the overdue boater near Cumberland Sound, the helicopter crew deployed a rescue swimmer when the individual fired two flares. The swimmer entered the water to assist the boater while the rescue boat approached.
The Station Mayport crew arrived shortly afterward and took over the rescue, bringing the boater aboard their vessel and drawing the rescue to a successful close.
The Coast Guard has not publicly identified the boater or explained why the person was overdue. The agency also did not specify how much time had passed between the initial report and the rescue.
Boater Returns Safely to Shore Following Rescue
After the Mayport crew rescued the boater, Coast Guard personnel transferred the individual to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources.
State personnel brought the boater ashore for further assessment by emergency medical workers. No medical concerns were reported.
Following the rescue, the Coast Guard encouraged boaters to check weather forecasts and sea conditions before heading out and to carry appropriate safety equipment and reliable means of communication.
The agency also credited coordination among its watchstanders, helicopter crews, boat crews and maritime partners for the successful rescue.
Rescues like this are a regular part of the Coast Guard’s work. According to the U.S. Coast Guard, its crews handled 6,705 search-and-rescue cases nationwide in 2025, saving 5,220 lives. That works out to more than 18 search-and-rescue cases every day, on average.
