One Dead, Seven Rescued in Florida after Treading Water for 20 Hours

U.S. Coast Guard(MARATHON, Fla.) -- After treading water for about 20 hours, seven people who lost their boat off the Florida Keys were rescued Sunday morning, the U.S. Coast Guard said.

An eighth person on board, an 80-year-old woman, drowned.

According to the USCG, the group's boat sank shortly after noon on Saturday.  Three of the seven survivors were pulled out of the water by a good Samaritan.  The remaining four, which included a 4-year-old girl, were rescued by the Coast Guard near Marathon, Florida.

The Orlando Sentinel said the girl had mild hypothermia but no other medical problems, besides exhaustion, was reported among the other survivors.  The USCG noted that some of the passengers had not been wearing life jackets.

It is not yet known what caused the boat to sink.

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