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The United States Coast Guard (USCG) rescued a 13-year-old girl on Wednesday who was wearing a life jacket and had drifted off the coast of Rodriguez Key in the Florida Keys after separating from her family in the water.
The minor was reunited with her family on land and it was reported that she was in good health, according to an official statement from the 7th District of the USCG (Southeast District) through its social media.
The life jacket worn by the girl was crucial for the successful outcome of the operation, classified as a search and rescue mission.
The Coast Guard emphasized in its statement that its watch operators are available "24 hours a day, 365 days a year to assist people in danger at sea".
Rodriguez Key is a small uninhabited island located on the Atlantic side of the Florida Keys, just a few kilometers from Islamorada in the Upper Keys.
Its clear, shallow waters with a sandy bottom make it a popular destination for families engaging in snorkeling, swimming, and paddleboarding, which also makes it a frequent setting for aquatic incidents.
The Islamorada Station is part of the Key West Sector of the Coast Guard and has an active rescue operation history in the area, including kayakers and divers in distress.
This rescue adds to a series of similar operations in the Florida Keys in recent months.
In January 2026, the Coast Guard rescued a seven-year-old boy who had drifted approximately three miles from his family's vessel near Sombrero Key, also wearing a life jacket.
On that occasion, Lieutenant Commander Cullen Hancock noted that "the child's life jacket was crucial; it kept him afloat until we arrived."
In March 2025, two 16-year-old teenagers survived 16 hours adrift in the Gulf of Mexico on an inflatable paddleboard, although in this case they were not wearing life vests, which significantly complicated the rescue efforts.
The Coast Guard systematically emphasizes the use of life jackets as the most critical factor for survival in its statements regarding water rescues.
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