US Coast Guard rescues stranded boaters as they fend off sharks

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US Coast Guard rescues stranded boaters as they fend off sharks

US Coast Guard crews rescue three people stranded off the coast of Louisiana

Three men whose fishing boat sank off the Louisiana coast were rescued over the weekend after fending off sharks for more than a day, the U.S. Coast Guard said.

Video and images show the heroic efforts, with the search spanning across 1,250 square miles, an area slightly larger than Rhode Island.

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The two boaters who had been fending off sharks had injured hands and were reportedly listed in stable condition at the University Medical Center New Orleans.

The Coast Guard did not release their names and did not specify whether the injuries were from bites.

The search – using two boats, two planes and a helicopter – was launched after a concerned family member reported that the three men had failed to return from their trip on Saturday evening.

The boaters spent more than 24 hours in the water after the 24-foot vessel sank at around 10 a.m. local time on Saturday, stranding them without communication devices.

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All three were wearing life jackets and one was showing signs of hypothermia when they were rescued approximately 25 miles offshore from Empire, Louisiana.

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"Overdue search and rescue cases require watchstanders to engage in time-sensitive research and detective work. The command center team at U.S. Coast Guard Sector New Orleans showed initiative and creativity throughout this case. Their actions were critical in narrowing the search area and locating all three boaters alive," the district added.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.