Crime & Safety
Clearwater Man Who Went Missing While Jet-Skiing Found
Residents who live near the water alerted authorities when they heard the sound of the man's whistle.
Good Samaritans helped authorities locate a man who went missing while jet-skiing with his girlfriend in the area of the Dunedin Causeway on Thursday.
Authorities say the man, 48-year-old Wallistein Hopkins of Clearwater, owes his life to--of all things--his whistle, which helped people locate him.
"Without the use of his whistle, our search efforts would have been significantly delayed," said Petty Officer 2nd Class Jonathan Wheatley, a search and rescue operations controller with the U.S. Coast Guard.
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According to a statement from the Coast Guard, officers received a 911 transfer call from the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office just after 9 p.m. Thursday. Sheriff's deputies said a woman wearing a life jacket had swam to shore after her jet ski began sinking shortly before sunset.
However, her boyfriend, Hopkins, was nowhere to be seen. The woman said he had remained with the jet ski blowing a whistle to try and attract help.
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An MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter rescue crew from Air Station Clearwater, Florida, and a 24-foot Special Purpose Craft-Shallow Water boat crew from Station Sand Key, Florida, were launched to search for Hopkins.
Shortly after, a Good Samaritan reported finding the jet ski with no one aboard.
At 10:32 p.m. residents of nearby condominiums reported hearing a whistle.
"The Jayhawk helicopter air crew got on scene and positively identified the source of the whistle as Hopkins standing in shallow water," Coast Guard authorities said.
At 10:58 p.m. another Good Samaritan arrived on scene with medics.
Petty Officer Wheatley credits the Good Samaritans and Hopkins' smart safety decisions that saved his life.
"It was very vital that this man had on a life jacket and a sound producing device," he said.
The Coast Guard thanked FWC, Pinellas County Marine Units, Pinellas County Fire and Rescue, the Pinellas County Helicopter crew and Dunedin Fire Rescue for aiding in the search and rescue efforts.
Photo of MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter courtesy of the U.S. Military.
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