Coast Guard rescues man who falls off sailboat near Little Bayou

ST. PETERSBURG — Authorities rescued a 35-year-old man who fell off a sailboat this afternoon.

Several marine and land units were dispatched to an area just east of Little Bayou off Coquina Key Drive SE after getting reports at 4:23 p.m. that a man without a life jacket went overboard and was floating away.

A Coast Guard vessel picked up the man about 20 minutes later.

The unidentified man did not require medical attention, said Lt. Joel Granata of St. Petersburg Fire and Rescue, which also responded.

Preliminary information indicates that the man was trying to retrieve a rope ladder, which turned out not to be attached to the boat, Granata said.