Man Survived Hurricane Milton by Clinging to a Cooler 30 Miles Offshore | US News

A man was found floating 30 miles off the coast of Florida, clinging to a cooler after Hurricane Milton.

Video footage shows the man being rescued Thursday by a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter.

It was found off the coast of Longboat Key, a town along the state’s west-central coast. reports ABC News.

The Coast Guard said it was in contact with the individual on Wednesday, hours before the hurricane made landfall, but lost contact with him at 6:45 p.m. local time that night.

You can see live updates on Hurricane Milton here.

“This man survived a nightmare scenario for even the most experienced Marine,” said Lt. Cmdr. Dana Grady, head of the St. Petersburg sector command center.

“To understand the severity of the hurricane’s conditions, we estimate that it experienced winds of approximately 75 to 90 mph and seas of 20 to 25 feet, for an extended period of time that may include overnight.”

“He survived thanks to a life jacket, his emergency locator beacon and a cooler.”

Hurricane Milton hit the area Wednesday evening as a Category 3 storm, bringing with it storm surge, high winds and heavy rain.

About 80,000 people spent the night in shelters and thousands more fled after authorities issued mandatory evacuation orders in 15 Florida counties, which have a combined population of about 7.2 million. ‘residents.

At least 16 people are estimated to have died in the hurricane.

Despite the destruction and loss of life, many people expressed relief that Milton was no worse off.

The hurricane spared Tampa a direct hit, and the deadly storm surge that scientists feared never materialized.

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