The search for four missing boaters is over.
KEY WEST, Fla.- The U.S. Coast Guard found four missing boaters on Wednesday, only a day after they were reported missing from a snorkeling trip off of Key West.
David Thompson, 48, Adam Kelley, 28, Joshua Thompson, 15, and Evan Thompson, 11, from Central Florida were identified Wednesday.
The Thompson family is from Orlando and Kelley is from Gainesville. The two families, along with other family members, came to Key West on a vacation to participate in lobster mini-season on Tuesday. The four set out from Banana Bay in Key West before being reported missing.
The engine of their 25-foot Grady White gave out around 1 p.m. on Tuesday. According to the U.S. Coast Guard Key West Commander their boat lost power and began drifting around 8:30 p.m. that night.
When they didn’t report back to the resort before 4 p.m. like they were supposed to family members reported them missing by 6:30 p.m.
Wednesday air crew spotted the family almost 40 nautical miles northwest of Key West at 3:30 p.m., said the Coast Guard.
The Coast Guard was able to get a boat to the family within an hour and also towed the families Grady White boat back with them.
Before the rescue boat arrived, air crews tried to drop a radio to the family but it fell in the water instead.
After the initial missing report, Coast Guard crews searched by air and sea, covering about 4,000 square nautical miles.
According to authorities, the four were all healthy and in good spirit when they were rescued. The four and their families are even expected to continue on with their Key West vacation.
Having filed a float plan with their family helped lead the Coast Guard to the four. The families knew when they were supposed to be back and what areas the four would be fishing in.