Helpless, two men clung to the boat's hulls for eight days.
A passing freighter spotted the men clinging to the overturned boat. It is believed that had they not been spotted, the men would have died.
Two Bahamian men, pictured, were rescued by the
US Coast Guard off the coast of Florida after spending eight days lost
at sea. Their identities have not been released
'They were really exposed and really deteriorating quicky,' Coast Guard rescue swimmer Kyle Stallings said to The Sun Sentinel.
Stallings also said the victims were completely waterlogged when found. He said their skin was deteriorating and their eyes were drooping.
'They were both in tears. You could tell they were on their last straw of hope,' Stallings said.
The victims' names were not released on Saturday. They are reportedly 56 and 57 years old.
The freighter that spotted the two stranded men contacted the US Coast Guard. It authorized the launch of an MH-65 rescue helicopter from Air Station Miami, WPTV reports.
The helicopter arrived around 5pm with four officers on Saturday after just finishing a training mission. Stallings was soon lowered from the helicopter and assessed the men's condition.
The rescued men told the officers that they had consumed seawater, which can speed up dehydration, says The Los Angeles Times.
US Coast Guard officers had just finished a
training mission, like the one seen in this file photo, before rescuing
the two stranded men
Coast Guard Pilot Jerod Glover said the men were found vomiting and shaking.
'It's the first time I've done a rescue where it's like something you see on TV, where people [are] saying [they] shouldn't be alive,' he said to The Sun Sentinel.
The men were taken to the Delray Medical Center for treatment. They were not found with life jackets.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection is now handling the case.
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