SANIBEL ISLAND, Fla. (WWSB/Gray News/KVLY) – 64-year-old Earl Barcome, a Grand Forks native, and his 10-year-old Golden Retriever Gunn were saved by the U.S. Coast Guard on Thursday, September 26 according to a GoFundMe created by family of Barcome.
The U.S. Coast Guard saved a man and his dog stranded off the coast of Florida in the midst of Hurricane Helene on Thursday.
A Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater helicopter crew rescued the man and his dog near Sanibel Island, according to the Coast Guard’s Facebook page.
They reported the man’s 36-foot sailing vessel had become disabled and was taking on water 25 miles from the coast.
Video of the rescue shows a Coast Guard member lowering from a helicopter into the water and making their way to the boat.
From there, they got the man and his dog, both wearing life jackets, off the boat and into a basket that was then airlifted back into the helicopter.
Barcome had been on the water with his dog Gunn for a year. Earl set out to navigate away from the storm, heading 100 miles south from Sanibel Island to wait it out in a protected inlet. However, disaster struck: 50 miles into his journey, the motor failed, and his boat began taking on water after the bilge pump blew. Despite his best efforts, hand-pumping water from the hold, Helene’s fury pushed the sailboat northwest, according to GoFundMe.
According to GoFundMe, Earl has lost everything. With no funds and his dream shattered, rebuilding from this tragedy feels impossible without help.
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