PHOTOS: 80-foot yacht worth a cool million sinks off FL First Coast, Coast Guard rescues 2 survivors

Two people were rescued moments before a $1 million sports yacht sank off Florida’s First Coast on Saturday. The First Coast received its name because its main city St. Augustine, was the first Florida city discovered by the Spanish, and established as its first military fortress by Admiral Pedro Menéndez de Avilés in 1565.  

The Coast Guard received an emergency alert around 11:30 a.m. by the operators of the Atlantis, an 80-foot sports yacht, reporting that they had hit an object in the sea and were sinking. The yacht was located about three miles off the coast of St. Augustine Beach.

The Coast Guard, along with St. John County Firefighters, responded to the scene and rescued both people from the yacht with no injuries reported.

Photos shared by the U.S. Coast Guard showed the stern portion of the ship underwater, while the front portion remained above the water.

“We extend our sincere gratitude to our partner agencies for their invaluable assistance during this case,” said Chief Warrant Officer Ricardo Santacana, Sector Jacksonville command duty officer, in a written statement.

“It is imperative that everyone verify the presence of all necessary safety equipment on board their vessel. This ensures that lifeguards, as demonstrated in this case, can quickly locate you and provide assistance when an emergency arises,” he added.

The Coast Guard said the yacht's owner would coordinate how to recover the boat from the water. The cause of the sinking remains under investigation.

The @USCG and @SJCFireRescue rescued 2 people, Saturday, from an 80-foot motor yacht taking on water 3 miles off St. Augustine Beach, #Florida.

Read more: https://t.co/LiuWY8ByLh pic.twitter.com/fNWgbXlb8d

— USCGSoutheast (@USCGSoutheast) May 25, 2024