New Jersey boaters found safe after disappearing on trip to Florida

A pair of New Jersey boaters who disappeared shortly after setting sail for Florida have been found safe, the Coast Guard announced.

Kevin Hyde, Joe Ditomasso and a dog named Minnie were rescued by an oil tanker, the Silver Muna, about 214 miles east of Delaware on Tuesday just after 4:15 p.m. Ditomasso told officials he spotted the tanker and flagged it down after their sailboat ran out of fuel and subsequently lost power, cutting off their means of communication.

The tanker’s medical staff examined the men, who were then transported to New York to be reunited with loved ones.

The duo and their dog departed Utsch’s Marina in Cape May County and set sail for Marathon, Fla. aboard a 30-foot Catalina sailboat, named the “Atrevida II.” They had last made contact with family and friends on Dec. 3 when they departed Oregon Inlet, North Carolina, according to the Coast Guard.

“My dad is notorious for losing his cellphone or his charger,” Ditomasso’s daughter, Nina DiTomasso, told CBS. “So in the beginning, we weren’t super stressed. We just thought typical dad and then as it got closer to this past weekend is when we really became concerned.”

The search for the missing pair kicked off on Sunday, with crews retracing their route and combing through the surrounding waters. The Coast Guard had also requested other boaters keep an eye out for the men and their pet.

“This is an excellent example of the maritime community’s combined efforts to ensure safety of life at sea,” Cmdr. Daniel Schrader, spokesperson for Coast Guard Atlantic Area, said in a statement.

“We are overjoyed with the outcome of the case and look forward to reuniting Mr. Hyde and Mr. Ditomasso with their family and friends.”