RedactedNarrative: On Saturday July 3, 2021 at approximately 3:05pm eastern, I was patrolling the St. Joe city boat ramp with two other FWC Officers.
  We received a call from FWC Communications that a vessel accident had occurred in St. Joe Bay, the vessel had capsized, and that its occupants were currently in the water.  One of the occupants had been picked up by another nearby fishing vessel, and placed the distress call to 911.  The accident occurred about one half mile west of the Highland View area and the entrance to the Gulf County Canal.
  We quickly launched our patrol vessel from the city ramp, and expeditiously navigated the rough sea conditions to the accident area.
  We spotted the capsized vessel from a distance, and saw two people sitting on top of the over-turned vessel.  The rough sea conditions were making it difficult for the two to stay seated on the portion of boat still floating...  We arrived on scene at 3:17pm eastern.
  One of the occupants (OP1) was holding up an anchor line that was attached somewhere on his boat.  I shouted to him that we were going to position our boat close enough to where we could bring both of them on to our boat, and then we would attempt to secure their boat.  He responded with, "OK, Officer!"  Officer 2 was then skillfully able to maneuver our patrol vessel close enough to where Lt. and myself could safely pull the two men aboard our boat.  I quickly grabbed the arm of the other closer man (PAX 1) and Lt. helped me pull him over our gunnel.  I then reached out, grabbed hold of OP1, and we pulled him over safely as well.
  Once both men were secure aboard our vessel, and we confirmed that there were no other occupants in the water, we placed life jackets on them and sat them comfortably on our console bench.  We also made sure that they were not injured or did not need and immediate medical attention...  Both men were grateful and physically fine.
  It was at this time that we attempted to secure a tow line from our vessel to theirs so that it would not a left as a navigational hazard.  After several attempts, skilled boat operation by Officer 2, and teamwork by Lt. and myself, we were able to thread our tow line through the bow hook on their boat.  From there we were able to secure the tow line, and make our slow trek into the calmer waters of the nearby Gulf County Canal.
  Once everyone was safe and secure, I was able to interview OP1 and PAX 1, and get their recollection of how the accident occurred...
  According to both, OP1 was operating the vessel at a cruising speed and traveling in a eastwardly direction from St. Joe Bay towards the Gulf County Canal.  They were in a following sea situation as the rough seas were flowing to the east. According to both, they were "surfing" on top of a large 5-6' wave, so when their boat came off of the wave, their bow dipped down, another large wave was quickly on top of them, swamped their boat with water, and then the following waves overturned and capsized them...  All three men went into the water.  OP1 and PAX 1 were able to swim back to where their boat was still floating, but the third occupant was caught in the strong current and picked up by another nearby fishing vessel that had come from the canal.  This was when the call to 911 was made.
  
  Judging from the sea conditions and the validity and logic of their account of the accident, I determined that no rules of navigation had occurred, and that no operator impairment was present.  This was a situation of a poor decision made to take a small craft out in rough sea conditions.
  