Mystery unfolds as two empty life rafts found adrift 20 miles off Florida, USCG says
.jpeg "A “surveying vessel” found the rafts 20 miles off Cape Canaveral, and investigators fear a crisis at sea may have gone unreported, the USCG wrote in a Sunday, Dec. 8, Facebook post.")
Two large life rafts have been found empty and adrift in the Atlantic about 20 miles off Florida, prompting a U.S. Coast Guard investigation into their mysterious origin.
A “surveying vessel” found the rafts off Cape Canaveral, and investigators fear a crisis at sea may have gone unreported, the USCG wrote in a Sunday, Dec. 8, Facebook post.
“The life rafts appear to be unused and seem to have been activated offshore Cape Canaveral, as indicated by the tracking device on board,” the USCG said.
“The details of the life rafts suggest a possible Search and Rescue (SAR) or military training exercise. However, the Coast Guard is also treating this as a potential Search and Rescue scenario.”
The circular rafts are inflatable and have a collective capacity of about 35 people, investigators said.
Coast Guard investigators are asking anyone with information to call the Sector Jacksonville Command Center at 904-714-7500.
Cape Canaveral is about a 55-mile drive east from Orlando. The coastline in the region borders the northbound Gulf Stream.
This story was originally published December 9, 2024 at 9:57 AM with the headline "Mystery unfolds as two empty life rafts found adrift 20 miles off Florida, USCG says."