Capsized duck hunters rescued from bay

Three foundering duck hunters were plucked from the chilly waters of Apalachicola Bay Saturday morning, following a a quick response by the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office’s water rescue unit.

Sheriff A.J. Smith said that  sometime after 6 a.m. , dispatched received a call, placed from one of the men’s cellphones, that their boat had partially sunk, and that they were able to cling to it to stay out of the water.

Water temperature in the bay was about 62 degree on Saturday morning. The temperature was about 45 degrees and the was was 7 mph comeing out of the northeast.

“These people were definitely in severe peril from drowning from hypothermia,” Smith said.

Major Dwayne Coulter and Capt. Brad Segree quickly rushed to  the sheriff’s office boat, and  resuced the three men, who Smith said were also short on life jackets.

“They did an outstanding job,” said Smith. “They made amazing time getting the boat in the water. Hypothermia was already setting in  on one of them.”