Man survived Hurricane Milton by clinging to refrigerator 30 miles out to sea | US News

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

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

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

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

You can see live updates about Hurricane Milton here.

‘This man survived a nightmare scenario for even the most experienced sailor,’ 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 75-90 mph, seas of 20-25 feet, for an extended period of time, including overnight.

‘He survived because of a life jacket, his locator beacon indicating emergency position and a cooler.’

Hurricane Milton made landfall Wednesday night 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 of others fled after authorities issued mandatory evacuation orders in 15 counties in Florida, which has a total population of about 7.2 million people.

At least 16 people are believed 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 lethal storm scientists feared never materialized.

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