Boat capsizes, 11 rescued off Fort Myers Beach

The Lee County Sheriff’s Office and U.S. Coast Guard Station Fort Myers Beach boat crew joined good Samaritans in the Gulf off Fort Myers Beach to rescue 11 people on a boat that capsized off Fort Myers Beach Tuesday afternoon.

The Lee County Sheriff’s Office said the boat overturned “reportedly due to large wave and high winds,” in a post to their Facebook page. The Sheriff’s Office said all 11 occupants were safely rescued. Two people were transported to a local hospital to be treated for minor injuries.

The U.S. Coast Guard station on Fort Myers Beach launched a vessel to assist the Lee County Sheriff’s Office in responding to the capsized vessel. The boat crew safely transferred one boater to shore to awaiting emergency medical services, U.S. Coast Guard spokesperson Riley Perkofski said. The boat was towed from the and the operator is “coordinating with commercial salvage for the recovery of their vessel,” Perkofski said.

The marine unit of the Lee County Sheriff’s Office responded to the overturned boat around 2:10 p.m. within three minutes of a call for help, the department said in its Facebook post.

The Lee County Sheriff’s Office “reminds all boaters to have enough life jackets and proper safety equipment for all on board in case of any emergency,” Lee County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Autumn King said. “We are thankful that only minor injuries came from this event. Our Marine Unit will always be ready to assist boaters 24/7 countywide.” 

Fort Myers Beach Observer Editor Nathan Mayberg can be reached at Nmayberg@breezenewspapers.com