FLAGLER BEACH, Fla. -- Rescuers have located a man who fell overboard 2 miles off the coast from Flagler Beach Monday afternoon.
According to the Coast Guard, a passenger aboard the boat alerted them that Brian Jeffery Oliver of St. Augustine, 45, had gone overboard just before 5 p.m. A large wave knocked Oliver off the boat.
Crews spent hours searching two miles to the east of the shoreline, looking for Oliver, who fell from the sailboat Cedar Rose.
According to the Coast Guard, Oliver was able to swim back to shore while clinging to an ice chest.
He made it to dry land around the Cinnamon Beach resort area in Palm Coast.
A security guard at the resort noticed a man walking between the buildings, according to Rick Staly of American Eagle Sentry.
Staly said his guard approached Oliver and asked him what he was doing. Oliver then replied he had fallen off of a boat and had been swimming for hours.
Staly said the guard called the Flagler County Sheriff's Office and that Oliver declined medical treatment.
Coast Guard officials also had to rescue two people aboard the sail boat. Helene Boning, 53, and Andries Bannink, 48, were both with Oliver when he fell overboard. The Coast Guard said Tuesday they had some difficulty communicating with the pair because they are both from Finland. Neither of them had any sailing experience and emergency officials had to rescue them and the vessel.
The Cedar Rose was expected to be brought to New Smyrna Beach Tuesday.
In addition to the Coast Guard, the Flagler County Sheriff's Office and Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission helped with the search.
First Coast News