Lost Florida-bound boat found adrift 214 miles off Delaware. Two rescued, officials say

A Florida-bound sailboat that went missing Dec. 3 off North Carolina was found powerless and adrift 214 miles east of Delaware, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.

Mariners Kevin Hyde, 65, and Joe Ditomasso, 76, were rescued after getting the attention of the Hong Kong-flagged tanker vessel Silver Muna, Coast Guard officials said in a news release.

The fate of their battered boat, the Atrevida II, was not revealed.

“The Atrevida II was found to be de-masted and without fuel or power ... rendering their radios and navigation equipment inoperable,” Coast Guard officials said. “Hyde and Ditomasso gained the attention of the (tanker) Silver Muna crew by waving their arms and a flag.”

The two men and a dog were brought aboard the tanker at 4:18 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 13. They were given medical exams and found to be in good condition, officials said.

“Hyde and Ditomasso will remain aboard Silver Muna as it proceeds to its next port of call in New York, New York, where they will be transferred to a Coast Guard vessel for further evaluation and reunification with their family and friends,” officials said.

The men were sailing from Cape May, New Jersey, to Marathon in the Florida Keys when they were reported missing Sunday, Dec. 11.

Family members said the men had not been heard from since they stopped along North Carolina’s Outer Banks on Dec. 3, officials said.

Hometowns for the two men have not been released.

A combined 21,164 square miles of ocean was searched from New Jersey to northern Florida in recent days, the Coast Guard reports. Vessels with the U.S. Navy’s Second Fleet, as well as commercial and private boats, joined the search, officials said.

This story was originally published December 13, 2022 at 5:45 PM with the headline "Lost Florida-bound boat found adrift 214 miles off Delaware. Two rescued, officials say."