Coast Guard rescues man who fell off his boat and treaded water for two hours

A 28-year-old mussel farmer was rescued Thursday morning after falling out of his boat and treading water for about two hours, officials said.

About 8:15 a.m., a U.S. Coast Guard cutter crew on a routine patrol spotted a 14-foot boat traveling in circles — unmanned — about five nautical miles south of Huntington Harbour, said Mark Barney, a Coast Guard spokesman.

The cutter crew alerted a rescue helicopter, which spotted Tony White treading water about two miles away.

He wore blue coveralls without a life jacket. A swimmer jumped out of the helicopter to help White before the Coast Guard crew picked them up and took them back to the base.

White was working at sea when his hat fell into the water, Barney said. When he reached for it, a wave hit his boat and he fell in.

He spent about two hours trying to swim to safety before he was rescued, Barney said. White was not injured.

“He was a little shook up.… He could’ve been out there swimming still,” Barney said. “We just happened to stumble upon the situation — got lucky on that one.”

Barney encouraged mariners to wear life jackets, calling them “lifesavers” in these situations.

“Not only does it keep you afloat so you can conserve energy, but normally they’re a bright color, so it’s a lot easier to find you,” he said.

alene.tchekmedyian@latimes.com

Twitter: @AleneTchek

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