CLEARWATER, Fla. — The U.S. Coast Guard successfully located four missing boaters who failed to return from a fishing trip on Monday.
Officials said the missing boat capsized about 26 miles offshore, and all four occupants are alive.
The City of Clearwater said the four missing boaters, from Polk County, left from the Seminole Street Boat Ramp at approximately 9:30 a.m. on Nov. 24 in a 25-foot green-and-white catamaran called "Money Well Wasted."
WATCH: U.S. Coast Guard finds 4 missing Polk County boaters alive after their boat capsized
The missing boaters have been identified as 70-year-old Dennis Woods, 90-year-old Clarence Woods, 42-year-old Cris Harding Sr., and 18-year-old Cris Harding Jr.
According to family members, the group usually returns at around 4 p.m., but when they hadn't returned, relatives contacted the police just before 8:30 p.m. on Monday.
Clearwater police said the boaters reported the boat began taking on water and overturned between noon and 1 p.m. on Nov. 24.
In a video shared by Clearwater Police, boater Dennis Woods described the ordeal.
“The water filled up the one side of the catamaran, and then it made the back of the motor boat go down low, and water started coming over the back of it," Woods explained.
Woods shared how it all happened so fast, with afternoon soon turning to evening.
“The night was real tough because the waves picked up, and we was having to like try to get up on top of the rigging of it, and with a 90 year old, I spent almost all night holding him up, and then he fell several times," Woods said.
Woods also shared why there's more than one reason to celebrate their rescue.
"That's a great feeling there, especially since my birthday was yesterday," said Woods. "It was a good birthday now that I’m back on land.”
WATCH Dennis Woods shares story of being stranded
Officials said the four boaters were taken to Morton Plant Hospital for treatment, after they were brought ashore by Coast Guard boat to the Coast Guard station at Sand Key shortly after 9 a.m. on Nov. 25.
“I think their first words were thank you to all of us," said Savannah O'Dell with US Coast Guard Station Sand Key.
O'Dell was part of the crew that rescued the boaters. She shared what they saw and more about their quick action.
“They were cold. They had hypothermia for sure. They were shivering," said O'Dell. "Being out in the water that long, all of that water sucks out the warmth out of your body. I think the older man had some lacerations. My guys on the back deck, they bandaged him up, got him some water, put a lot of warm stuff on him."
Tampa Bay 28 also spoke with family, outside the emergency room where the boaters were being treated.
“It’s a miracle, I mean for them to be out there, yeah it’s a miracle," said Teresa Rucker.
