Four people — including a 90-year-old man — have been rescued off the coast of Clearwater, Florida, after spending about 20 hours on the overturned hull of their small catamaran.
The group – Dennis Woods, 70, Clarence Woods, 90, Cris Harding Sr., 42, and Cris Harding Jr., 18 – set out from the Seminole Street boat ramp on Monday morning (24 November 2025) for a fishing trip to celebrate Dennis Woods’ 70th birthday. Family members had expected the group back in the afternoon, and when it had not returned by evening, the family alerted Clearwater Police and Coast Guard Sector St Petersburg.
The catamaran reportedly began taking on water during the afternoon. Speaking to Fox News, Dennis Woods described how the vessel lost buoyancy on one side and rolled shortly afterwards. “The water filled up one side of the catamaran, and then it made the back of the motorboat go down low, and water started coming over the back of it,” he says. He estimates that less than five minutes had passed before the vessel went over.
#Breaking A @USCG Sta Sand Key boat crew rescued 4 ppl after their vessel capsized approx. 26 miles west of Clearwater, Tuesday.
: https://t.co/JcMOSaxQIu⁰ #SAR #SearchandRescue #CoastGuard #USCG #soothersmaylive #weownthesea pic.twitter.com/2l07JBIGmP
— U.S. Coast Guard Southeast (@USCGSoutheast) November 25, 2025
As the boat inverted, gear and safety equipment went into the water, including Dennis Woods’ flare gun and strobe light. He says cold conditions overnight made the wait more difficult, and that he spent much of the night supporting 90-year-old Clarence Woods. “I spent almost all night holding him up, and then he fell several times . . . the night was real tough because the waves picked up and we were having to try to get up on top of the rigging of it,” continues Dennis Woods.
Search crews from multiple units were sent into the Gulf of Mexico, including an HC-144 Ocean Sentry aircraft from Air Station Miami. At 7.15am on Tuesday, the aircrew located the four men positioned on the capsized hull in seas of about 2–3ft and winds of 5–10 knots.
The aircraft released a life raft and a Mk-58 marine marker to direct a surface crew to the scene.
Savannah O’Dell, part of the Station Sand Key boat team, says: “When we pulled up, we were pretty excited to see them still on the boat.” She adds that the men were cold and showing effects of prolonged exposure. “I think their first words were ‘thank you’ to all of us. They were cold, they had hypothermia for sure. Being out in the water that long, all of the water sucks out the warmth from their bodies.”
The rescue boat collected all four survivors and took them to Station Sand Key in Florida, where medical personnel were waiting. Teresa Rucker, speaking outside the hospital, calls is a miracle. “They’re all good. My 90-year-old uncle, he’s going to stay [in hospital] overnight, but he’ll get to come home tomorrow. The other ones should get to come home today.”
#Breaking A @USCG Sta Sand Key boat crew rescued 4 ppl after their vessel capsized approx. 26 miles west of Clearwater, Tuesday.
— U.S. Coast Guard Southeast (@USCGSoutheast) November 25, 2025
“The catamaran was pretty much fully underwater, so the fact that it was still above water was pretty great,” O’Dell told Fox News. “So, we just came alongside, picked them up, got them all on the boat, got them warm towels, got the electrolytes, water.
“I was a little surprised that it was still up,” she adds. “That’s a great boat that it stayed up that long. I mean, catamarans are really great boats anyways, but yeah, they are lucky.”
Ensign Gaige Garrett, operational unit controller at sector St Petersburg command centre, adds: “We want to remind anyone going out on the water to have all necessary safety equipment to include coast guard-approved life jackets, VHF radio, signalling devices and an emergency position locator beacon or personal locator beacon.”
After reuniting with relatives, the family marked not only their return but also Dennis Woods’ milestone birthday. “It was a good birthday now that I’m back on land,” he told KABB Fox 29 News.
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