Despite no pay, Coast Guard comes to rescue of stranded boater

Sailor rescued from boat broken down 10 miles off Fernandina Beach

ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. – Coast Guard members have become heroes on the water for a sailor stranded at sea.

"These guys came out. They’re not getting paid or anything but came right out within an hour and saved us," sailor Ky Davis said.

Davis, 33, left behind his life in Hawaii to live a life on the water. "I decided, I want to sail around the world," he said.

Davis and his crew started in Maine and sailed south. On their first day in Florida – the day after Thanksgiving – the sailboat was struck by lighting in Amelia Island. 

"Immediately everything smelled like fire. It took out our engine and basically everything electronic on the whole boat," Davis said.

After being repaired, the boat lost power on New Year’s Day, 10 miles off the coast of Fernandina Beach, and left the crew stranded without any communication. 

"It’s pretty scary out there. Just, being away from shore, having no communication with anyone, you’re all on your own. That’s all you got and with the fog, you cannot even see one end of the boat from the other," said Davis.

But a navigation system helped notify Davis' dad, who called the Coast Guard for help.

"I appreciate them so much. I want to say thank you because those guys really saved us. We were out there. We were trapped. We were stranded and the only reason we’re back here is because those guys came out for us," he said.

Davis said he appreciates all that the Coast Guard does – knowing this is a difficult time for them and their families.

As for what's next for him, Davis plans to stay in St. Augustine for the next few months until his sailboat is up and running, and then he wants to travel the world for the next two years.