A sailboat captain stranded on a sandbar near Big Pass was pulled to safety on the night of Tuesday, July 28, after three law enforcement agencies coordinated a rescue in deteriorating weather between Lido Key and Siesta Key.

Sarasota Police Department Officer Ron Dixon navigated his 36-foot Yellowfin patrol boat through 3-foot waves and shallow water to reach the grounded vessel, roughly 500 yards from shore. A Sarasota County Sheriff's Office helicopter lit the scene from above while Longboat Key Police Officer Dallas Troyer stood by in a Zodiac inflatable, according to Your Observer.

The call came in around 8:15 p.m. A good Samaritan had already ferried one passenger to shore, but it was unclear whether anyone else remained aboard. Dixon said he got within 20 yards of the sailboat, blasting his airhorn and hailing the vessel over his PA system for five to 10 minutes. No one appeared.

Coast Guard and fire units left the scene after it seemed the boat was empty.

Then a marine towing service employee told Dixon the captain was still on board. Police made contact, but the captain refused to leave.

That changed about 30 minutes later.

"About half an hour later, the captain called us back and said 'hey, I want off of this boat,' because the weather conditions were pretty bad," Dixon told Your Observer. "There was probably 3 foot waves, easily, crashing onto the sandbar. It looked like to me if the weather continued like that, it was going to break the boat apart."

A few miles south, Troyer was on patrol when he heard the situation unfold on his police scanner. He requested permission from his supervisor to assist; Sarasota Police formally requested the help, and Troyer deployed LKPD's Zodiac to the scene.

The two officers met on land to plan the approach. The Zodiac could handle the shallow sandbar but was too light for the waves. Dixon's Yellowfin could take the surf but risked grounding at low tide.

Dixon found a slightly deeper channel and came around to the bow of the sailboat. With the Sheriff's helicopter illuminating the water and Troyer providing backup from the Zodiac, the captain was brought to shore without injury.

The Longboat Key Police Department's weekly incident report for the week of July 24–29 confirmed the department's role in the rescue.

The Sarasota County Sheriff's Office Marine Unit logged 37 rescues and 2,490 patrol hours in 2025, according to the sheriff's most recent annual report. The Aviation Unit handled 3,238 calls for service that year.

Residents who witness a boater in distress can call 911.