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Coast Guard Rescues Fishermen After Boat Sinks In Gulf

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TBO.com

Published: September 24, 2008

CLEARWATER - A U.S. Coast Guard helicopter crew rescued two fishermen found floating in a life raft this morning in the Gulf of Mexico, Coast Guard officials said.

Elisseos Stamtiou, 69, of New Port Richey and Steven Sander, 48, of Spring Hill were about 70 miles west of Clearwater, the Coast Guard said. Their 36-foot-long commercial fishing boat, the Evripos, had sunk, officials said.

The Coast Guard was alerted to the pair about 3:25 a.m. today by someone who heard a mayday call on his VHF channel but couldn't pinpoint the source of the transmission, Coast Guard officials said.

Then, at 4:53 a.m., the Coast Guard received an emergency radio beacon indicating the commercial boat's location, officials said. Within 20 minutes, an HH60 rescue helicopter was launched, and the crew found the men in a half-hour, the Coast Guard said.

The crew then hoisted the pair aboard the helicopter, the Coast Guard said. Neither man was injured, and they declined medical treatment.

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