The U.S. Coast Guard has added a new vessel to its fleet, the type rescuers say are crucial in emergencies like the recent boat capsizing that left three people dead.
The 87-foot coastal patrol boat, named the Alligator, is the fourth patrol boat for St. Petersburg and will typically spend 180 days a year at sea, patrolling from Crystal River, south to Fort Myers Beach. The vessel was officially commissioned today.
"She'll be involved in search and rescue missions, she'll also be involved in law enforcement, enforcing commercial fishery safety regulations and also helping us out on homeland security missions," said Capt. Timothy Close, Commander of USCG St. Petersburg.
The St. Petersburg region is one of the Coast Guard's busiest and most active commands. Last year it handled 1,300 search and rescue missions.
But last week, the search for four missing boaters, including two NFL football players, required larger ships and extensive resources for several days. Newly released estimates put the Coast Guard's cost at $1.6 million for that operation.
Close said the local Coast Guard deals with a large number of search and rescue cases, but most are resolved quickly.
"But when the weather really starts getting rough, in some cases it exceeds the capabilities of the boats,'' Close said. "Most importantly, those boats become less and less effective as the crewmen are getting tossed by the waves. The larger the vessel, the more capable in terms of sea-keeping so having these 87-footers is absolutely critical for us.''
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