7 survive capsizing and 20 hours at sea

Associated Press

MARATHON, Fla.

Four hours into a family fishing trip, rough waves flipped a 22-foot boat off the Florida Keys, tossing eight people overboard. Seven of them, including a 4-year-old girl, survived by clinging to their capsized vessel and a small blue cooler for almost 20 hours, suffering exhaustion, jellyfish stings and hypothermia.

A 79-year-old woman, the matriarch of the group, was missing and presumed drowned.

“When the will to live kicks in, human beings can do amazing things,” Coast Guard Petty Officer Nick Ameen said.

Those rescued were taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

The family left Layton in the Middle Keys around 8 a.m. Saturday to fish in less-than-ideal conditions. It was raining, seas topped 7 feet and winds were whipping up to 38 mph. After they anchored 31/2 miles off the island chain, two waves hit suddenly, capsizing the vessel.

The women grabbed the girl and the 21/2-foot cooler. One of the men tried to rescue his mother, but she slipped and disappeared into the water.

Almost immediately, the two groups — the three women and girl and three men — drifted apart.

Nearly a day later, they were rescued when a commercial fisherman spotted the men Sunday morning and alerted the Coast Guard, which found the women and the blue cooler several miles away.

Zaida San Jurjo Gonzalez died. Her son, Jorge Alejo Gonzalez, survived along with his wife, Tomasa Torres, the elderly woman’s daughter, Elena G. Gonzalez, and her boyfriend, Juglar Riveras.

Also rescued were Jorge and Elena Gonzalez’s uncle, Jose Miguel De Armas, his wife, Yunisleidy Lima Tejada, and their 4-year-old daughter, Fabiana De Armas Lima. All are from South Florida.