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Florida boy, 11, helps with grandparents' rescue at sea

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Posted at 3:01 PM, Oct 10, 2020
and last updated 2020-10-10 15:01:36-04

KEY WEST, Fla. — Authorities are praising an 11-year-old boy for staying calm, assisting them and following directions for more than an hour as his grandparents drifted away from their boat in the Florida Keys.

The Miami Herald reports the three were rescued by police, the U.S. Coast Guard and some commercial fishermen.

The Monroe County Sheriff's Office says the boy, Avani Perez, called 911 on a cellphone to report that his grandparents were in the water and drifting away. Police say the family had been boating in Islamorada when the anchor line of their boat became caught in the propeller.