Coast Guard finds missing man on 'bean bag' off Ponce de Leon Inlet

Donnie Clark listed in stable condition

PONCE De LEON INLET, Fla. – U. S. Coast Guard crews rescued a man who went missing while boating with friends.

Officials say 45-year-old Donnie Clark was found Sunday night about 22 miles off the coast of Ponce de Leon Inlet. He was in stable condition, officials said.

Clark was reported missing earlier Sunday while on a boat ride with three other people. The operator of a 33-foot boat contacted the Coast Guard around 4:11 p.m. Officials said Clark was on a "bean bag" float being towed by the boat when the others on board lost sight of him.

Crews searched some 500 square miles before finding Clark.

"We are very happy to have located Mr. Clark and be able to reunite him with his loved ones," said Petty Officer 1st Class Jeanne Prout, an operations specialist in the Coast Guard Sector Jacksonville command center. "Rescuing survivors is what we always strive for during missions such as this one."

Clark was taken to Station Ponce de Leon Inlet for evaluation.


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