TAMPA, Fla., Oct. 27, 2026 —
Two boaters whose small sailboat flipped over Sunday afternoon near Tampa's Ballast Point Pier are "back on dry land," the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office says.
According to the sheriff's office's post on X, its Marine Unit, with help from the Tampa Police Department, responded at 2:42 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 25, to a report of a capsized boat with two people in the water near Ballast Point Pier.
What deputies found
The sheriff's office says deputies found a 16-foot Hobie Cat sailboat flipped over. One woman was standing on the sponson, and one man was in the water.
"Deputies quickly righted the sailboat and brought both boaters safely aboard the Marine Unit vessel," the agency wrote. With the sailboat in tow, deputies took both people to the Davis Islands Seaplane Basin boat ramp. The sheriff's office post includes video of the response.
The agency's advice
"Heading out on the water? Wear a life jacket, check the forecast before you go, and always let someone on land know your plans," the sheriff's office wrote.
Those are the facts, directly from the source.
Source: Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office post on X, Oct. 27, 2026.
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