Three lucky fishermen were rescued from the shark-infested waters in the Gulf of Mexico.
The men had been stranded in the water after their 24-foot fishing boat sank around 10am Saturday morning, leaving them with no means of communication.
US Coast Guard Heartland said two of the men were fending off the sharks with their hands when a rescue helicopter arrived. They were subsequently treated for shark bites and are in stable condition in the hospital.
After more than 24 hours in the water, all three were also at risk for hypothermia.
Dramatic footage from the rescue showed the men in life jackets at sea.
One man was pulled out of the water by a helicopter, while two others were dragged onto a rescue boat, US Coast Guard Station Venice said.
The men were rescued about 25 miles from Empire, a small community southeast of New Orleans.
One of the yachtsman’s life jackets was torn due to a shark attack. Pic: US Coast Guard Heartland / Facebook
US Coast Guard Heartland said a concerned family member reported the men missing Saturday night.
This triggered a search that spans 1,250 square miles, slightly larger than the state of Rhode Island.
The two injured were loaded onto a helicopter. Pic: US Coast Guard Heartland / Facebook
In a post about the rescue on Facebook, the guard said she was “rescued just in time”.
Investigators did not say what caused the vessel to sink, The Sun Herald reported.
