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Coast Guard rescues 3 boaters who were 'fending off' sharks after their boat sank off Louisiana coast

The trio was on a fishing trip, but their 24-foot boat sank and the boaters were stranded for about 28 hours

EMPIRE, LOUISIANA: A trio of men were stranded for a day fighting off sharks after their fishing boat sank about 25 miles off the coast of Empire, Louisiana. A relative had filed a missing person report after the three men failed to return from a fishing trip on Saturday evening, Oct 8. As a result, the Coast Guard initiated a thorough search for the missing men.

The three men were in a desperate situation for they had no way to communicate with others. The Coast Guard said their 24-foot boat sank at around 10 in the morning. One of the Coast Guard boat crews saw two of the men fend off the sharks with serious injuries on their hands. The crew was able to rescue them before they were eventually lifted into a helicopter. The third man was rescued and lifted a bit later. 

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According to the statement given by the Coast Guard, the two injured men were admitted to University Medical Center New Orleans for treatment and they are in stable condition as of the present moment. The name of the three have not been revealed and it’s unclear if their injuries came from being bitten or scraped against the sharks’ skin. 

“If the family member had not notified the Coast Guard, and if these three boaters were not wearing life jackets, this could’ve been a completely different outcome,” said Lt Commander Kevin Keeve of the Coast Guard, according to The Sun. During the rescue attempt, about 1,250 square miles of water were searched which is slightly larger than the size of Rhode Island. The Coast Guard said two boats, two planes and a helicopter were involved in the search. 

As MEAWW previously reported, a fisherman was lost at sea for 11 days with no food and water but he managed to survive by floating in a freezer. Unbelievable footage shows the miraculous moment Romualdo Macedo Rodrigues was pulled from the Atlantic Ocean, after bobbing for 280 miles in a kitchen appliance that he called "God" himself. Rodrigues, 44, left Oiapoque, Amapa state, northern Brazil in late July in a wooden boat to go to Ilet la Mere.

According to Brazilian media, he planned to spend a few days fishing but his boat began to take on water during his trip and sank. He climbed into a freezer he had on board and spent his time adrift without food or water. The fisherman believes that he lost around five kilograms during the 11 days. "What troubled me most was the thirst. This fridge, for me, was God. A miracle", he said, as reported by the Daily Mail. Rodrigues was dehydrated, disorientated and sporting torn clothes when he was rescued. He had sunstroke and pleaded with his rescuers for a drink. Speaking about the terrifying experience to his local media, he said "I thought I was going to be attacked by sharks because there are lots of curious fish on the high seas."