A boat sank off the coast of Louisiana: three fishermen drifted into the sea for a day, fighting off sharks

Three fishermen survived after spending more than 24 hours in the water in the Gulf of Mexico fighting off sharks after their boat sank, reports FoxWeather.

Photo: IStock

The Coast Guard searched an area the size of Rhode Island in the Gulf of Mexico before finding three men off the coast of Louisiana.

According to the US Coast Guard, on October 8, the trio went fishing off the coast of southeast Louisiana, but did not return home as planned.

Concerned family members called the Coast Guard, who began a massive search. Rescue helicopters from New Orleans and Corpus Christi, Texas circled more than 3000 square kilometers of open water in search of the men and their boat.

On the subject: Russian invasion of Ukraine scared an American: she spent $45 on a bunker to survive a nuclear war

On the morning of October 9, one of the Corpus Christi search helicopters spotted three men floating in the water about 40 kilometers south of Empire, Louisiana.

The helicopter crew sent a Coast Guard rescue boat to the scene and found that two men were actively fighting off the sharks, sustaining injuries to both hands.

Crew members quickly hauled the two aboard. Meanwhile, one of the helicopters based in New Orleans spotted a third fisherman and pulled him out of the water. All rescued were transported to a New Orleans hospital.

All three are in stable condition, with one fisherman showing symptoms of hypothermia, according to Coast Guard officials. The water temperature in this area was above 21 C, with a relatively calm sea up to a meter deep.

Officials said the fishermen's boat sank around 10 am on October 8, along with all their communications equipment. But all three were wearing life jackets, which likely saved their lives as they drifted for hours in the warm waters of the bay waiting for help.

You may be interested in: top New York news, stories of our immigrants, and helpful tips about life in the Big Apple - read it all on ForumDaily New York.

“We searched an area roughly the size of Rhode Island and are very grateful to have found these missing boaters,” said Lt. Cmdr. Kevin Keefe, New Orleans search and rescue coordinator. “If the family members had not notified the Coast Guard and if these three fishermen had not been wearing life jackets, things could have ended very differently.”

It is unclear what caused the boat to sink.

Read also on ForumDaily:

Russian-speaking hackers hacked the websites of major US airports

Get Two Products for the Price of One: Top 4 Ways to Save Money at Publix

With good intentions…: the new iPhone calls the police to people on the rides, but they were supposed to help in an accident

Do you want more important and interesting news about life in the USA and immigration to America? — support us donate! Also subscribe to our page Facebook. Select the “Priority in display” option and read us first. Also, don't forget to subscribe to our РєР ° РЅР ° Р »РІ Telegram  and Instagram- there is a lot of interesting things there. And join thousands of readers ForumDaily New York — there you will find a lot of interesting and positive information about life in the metropolis.