HERNANDO COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) — A husband and wife enjoying a day out on the water near Linda Pedersen Park in Hernando County were rescued Sunday evening hours after losing their way.
Search and rescue crews with the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office leaped into action around 6:50 p.m. after dispatchers received a call from a man who said he and his wife were lost in their self-powered paddleboat.
The couple, who were unfamiliar with the area, told dispatchers they began to worry when the sun began to set, they became disoriented, weather conditions were worsening, and their phones were running out of battery power.
Patrol deputies were at first unable to locate the couple from the shore of Jenkins Creek Park or Bayport Park Pier, however, they did speak with two kayakers who recalled seeing a similar paddleboat by the point to the west of Jenkins Creek.
Due to the marshy nature of the area, the sheriff’s office Marine Unit used its airboat to search for the missing couple.
At 9:23 p.m., crews found the couple in a marshy area near Centipede Bay.
The husband and wife were not injured and were transported safely back to shore.
