PORT MAYACA — Three hunters trapped in a thicket on the east shore of Lake Okeechobee, endured by standing on submerged trees in 4 feet of water for at least 11 hours, Martin County Fire Prevention Chief Doug Killane said Tuesday.

The trio, whose identities have not been disclosed, and their four dogs became trapped in the marshy thickets sometime Monday, Killane said.

“The call came into us shortly after noon,” he said, “but no one could figure exactly where they were. They were using their cell phones.”

Rescue units drove along the top of the Herbert Hoover Dike, which encircles the big lake, trying to spot the lost hunters, Killane said. Tall vegetation, estimated to be at least 8 feet high, concealed the men from ground observers. The Life Star rescue helicopter was called and its pilots were able to see the men about a mile off the east shore.

“They could talk to them via cell phone, and our dispatchers could monitor the calls and figure exactly where they were,” Killane said.

The helicopter crew was unable to lift the hunters and their four dogs to safety because it did not have a lift and rescue basket. Rescuers next tried to use an airboat but it could not penetrate the thick growth. Someone suggested trying a brush truck used to fight fires in wooded areas, but the depth of the water ruled that out, Killane said.

“It’s hard to stand by something like this and not do anything,” Killane said,” so they tried hacking their way into them. They were not even able to go a hundred yards and had to call that off.”

The Coast Guard was requested to help.

An MH-65 Dolphin helicopter was dispatched from Miami and found the men and their dogs about 6 p.m. They were lifted out of the marsh and deposited near Martin County rescue units. A medical evaluation did not require them to be hospitalized. Their exact conditions cannot be released because of federal health privacy laws, Killane said.

Killane said he does not know what the men were hunting.

The rescue effort involved about 25 personnel of the Martin County Fire Rescue Service, Martin County Sheriff’s Office, Florida Fish and Wildlife officers, volunteer airboat operators and the Coast Guard, according to Killane.

Joe Crankshaw

Tags: herbert hoover dike, hunters, lake okeechobee, port mayaca, rescued, trapped

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