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The four men, aged 90 to 18, were lost at sea for nearly 24 hours after their boat capsized according to reports
Owen ScottTuesday 25 November 2025 15:08 GMT
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Four fishermen, whose ages range from 90 to 18, have been found alive after vanishing off the coast of Florida yesterday morning.
The group set sail at 9.30 am on Monday, telling their families they would be home in Mulberry, Polk County, by 4 pm, before disappearing at sea.
A desperate search for the four men and their boat, named the “Money Well Wasted,” followed in a joint effort between the U.S. Coast Guard and the Clearwater Police Department.
According to the Tampa Bay Times, police found the men near their capsized boat at around 8.30 am this morning, almost 24 hours after they went missing.
open image in galleryClarence Woods, 90, was the oldest of the fishermen who survived the brutal ordeal (Clearwater PD)
open image in galleryThe men were allegedly found near their boat, Money Well Wasted, which had capsized (Clearwater PD)Their boat overturned approximately 26 miles from the shore, although all four men are in healthy condition, according to the Tampa Free Press.
Police have identified the four men as Dennis Woods, 70, Clarence Woods, 90, Cris Harding Sr, 42, and Cris Harding Jr, 18.
The Clearwater Police Department released a statement about the men’s disappearance just this morning, in which they revealed that the fishermen’s families reported them as missing at 8.30 pm on Monday. The four men had told their families that they would return by 4 pm before vanishing.
The subsequent search found their truck and trailer near the Seminole Street Boat Ramp in their hometown of Mulberry, Polk County.
However, their 25-foot green-and-white boat was nowhere to be seen, prompting authorities to launch a helicopter and later an airplane to assist in the search.
open image in galleryThe youngest of the group, Cris Harding Jr, 18, shown here (Clearwater PD)When Clearwater Police Chief Eric Gandy addressed reporters earlier this morning, he said that the four men were believed to have no means of communication other than their cell phones.
He also said their vessel reportedly experienced mechanical problems, raising concerns about their ability to pilot it safely.
"The challenge becomes, cell phones stop working about 10–12 miles offshore," Gandy said during the press briefing, seen by Fox 13. "So, if they don’t have a VHF radio to communicate, or they don’t have any kind of satellite communication capability…they could just be broken down out of cell phone range, but at this point we just don’t know.
"We’re here until we find these folks," he added, hours before the four men were eventually found. "Clearwater P.D. will be engaged until we have a resolution to this case."
The Independent has contacted the Clearwater Police Department and the U.S. Coast Guard for comment.
open image in galleryDennis Woods, 70, was also rescued from the sea by the U.S. Coast Guard (Clearwater PD)
open image in galleryCris Hardin Sr, 42, shown here, was also saved after being missing for 24 hours (Clearwater PD)
