KEY WEST, Fla. – The U.S. Coast Guard has rescued a man who was lost at sea for six days.
Larry Sutterfield, 39, was marooned on an island in the Bahamas when the Coast Guard found him Monday night.
During a routine patrol, a Coast Guard helicopter crew spotted a fire on the island and saw Sutterfield waving his arms in distress.
Sutterfield told the Coast Guard he was stranded on the island for six days after his dinghy drifted to the island, about 90 miles from Key West.
"He had a little bit of food and water that he was able to sustain himself on, thank goodness," Coast Guard Lt. Cmd. Gregory Higgins told Local 10 News.
The Coast Guard dropped a radio, food and water to Sutterfield until Higgins and the rest of the crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Kathleen Moore could rescue him.
Sutterfield was taken to the Coast Guard station in Key West. Higgins said he was in good health aside from being sunburned.
Little is known about Sutterfield. No missing persons report was ever filed.
"The amount of luck that he certainly had that he landed on (the island) is tremendous," Higgins said.
Sutterfield was taken to a Florida Keys hospital as a precaution.
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