The tragedy was averted thanks to the determination of three local fishermen who, at dawn the next day, managed to rescue them in a remote area.
A routine outing that turned into a nightmare
On the afternoon of Monday, March 17, Eva and Avery began their return from Atsena Otie Key, a small uninhabited island popular among visitors from Cedar Key.
However, what should have been a short journey through a safe navigation channel turned into an odyssey when the teenage girls were caught off guard by unusually strong winds that pushed them off course.
“It was an inflatable object. It is considered more like a balloon,” explained Captain Gary Bartell Jr. of Crystal River, describing how the inflatable paddle board reacted to the gusts, acting like a sail that carried them adrift out to sea, through Waccasassa Bay, to the vicinity of Mangrove Point.
The longest night: extreme cold and failed search
The conditions deteriorated dramatically with the arrival of night.
Without adequate clothing or safety equipment, the teenagers faced temperatures that dropped to 4°C (40°F), exposed to the wind and cold for hours.
Meanwhile, on land, a massive rescue operation was activated, led by the United States Coast Guard, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, and the Levy County Sheriff’s Office.
Volunteers and dozens of civilian vessels also joined the operation, which extended throughout the night without results. Hopes were diminishing as the hours passed.Three fishermen who decided not to giAs the light of Tuesday’s dawn began to break, three local fishermen, Will Pauling, Alex Jefferies, and Russell Coon, decided to cancel their fishing trip to join the search.
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