Crime & Safety

Three Boys Rescued off Anclote Key

The boys were returned to shore unharmed after facing a rough patch of water and weather on the river.

Three young boys were out near Anclote Key in a 10-foot john boat Sept. 15 when they were caught in rough water stirred up by severe weather.

The boys, one of whom was 11 and two of whom  were 14, had lost control of the boat and were drifting out into the Gulf of Mexico, according to the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office.

Someone called 9-1-1, and deputies embarked on an attempt to find the boat  around 4 p.m. On the way to the Gulf, deputies were able to ping one of the teens’ cellphones and give responders and an aviation unit the coordinates of the boaters.  

The aviation unit found the boat drifting out to sea and noticed the boat was taking on water.  The teens were bailing water out of the boat with buckets and were not wearing life jackets.

Two deputies commandeered and went to rescue the boys. The teens were returned to shore uninjured. The boys have been identified by deputies as Alex Garrison, 14, Tristian Michaelids, 11, and Austin Tamse, 14. They were reunited with their parents.



Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com.