Saturday, June 11, 2005

Two fishermen rescued from overturned boat

June 11, 2005 Two fishermen rescued from overturned boat FLORIDA TODAY Dr. Roger Montz, a Melbourne Beach dentist who was reported missing during a boating trip from the Bahamas on Friday, was rescued Saturday and brought to Port Canaveral by helicopter. Montz, 35, and Rob Perdigan, 35, were found clinging to the overturned hull of the 34-foot outboard-powered fishing boat at around 4:15 p.m., according to the U.S. Coast Guard after an 18-hour search. Montz and Perdigan were crossing to Fort Pierce from White Sand Ridge, Bahamas, with another boat after a 10-day fishing trip. Art Mowrey of Gainesville, captain of the second boat, reported the Extractor missing when he arrived in Fort Pierce and couldn't find Montz and Perdigan. The Coast Guard began a search of the area between Fort Pierce and the Bahamas with an HH-65 Dolphin helicopter, an HH-60 Jayhawk helicopter, an HU-25 Falcon jet, and a C-130 aircraft, as well as the Coast Guard Cutters Shrike and Marlin. One of the aircraft, using information from an electronic beacon deployed from the Extractor, spotted an overturned boat around 38 miles offshore Brevard County and called for helicopter assistance. Seas in the area were reported to be around six feet on Saturday afternoon. They were hoisted by helicopter soon after, and were taken to Coast Guard Station Port Canaveral for transfer to a Brevard hospital.

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