Category: National

(DELPHI, IN.) — Jury selection begins Monday in the long-awaited trial of a Delphi, Indiana, man accused of killing two teenage girls while they hiked on a local trail in broad daylight in 2017.

The case garnered national intrigue, and remained a mystery for over five years until suspect Richard Allen was arrested in October 2022. He’s pleaded not guilty to murder charges.

Here’s everything you need to know about the case.

The murders

On Feb. 13, 2017, best friends Abby Williams, 13, and Libby German, 14, were enjoying a day off from school in their hometown of Delphi, a quiet, small town of nearly 3,000 residents in central Indiana.

They were on a hiking trail, walking, chatting and snapping photos, when they disappeared.

Their bodies were found the next day.

Abby, who was raised by her single mother, hoped to pursue a career in forensic science.

Libby, a gifted athlete raised by her grandparents, wanted to work with the FBI and solve crimes.

Police have never released how the eighth graders were killed.

According to video recovered from one of the victim’s phones, Abby or Libby mentioned “gun” as a man approached them, and a .40-caliber unspent round was found less than 2 feet away from one of the bodies, according to a probable cause affidavit. But court documents also mention the involvement of a knife in the killings.

‘Down the hill’

In the aftermath of the shocking double slayings, authorities released a clip of the suspect’s voice — a recording of him saying “down the hill” — which was recovered from Libby’s phone.

According to the probable cause affidavit, a man was seen and heard telling the girls, “Guys, down the hill,” and Abby and Libby then went down the hill.

Authorities also released a grainy image of the suspect, who they say was on the trail the day the girls went missing. State police later circulated a brief video clip recovered from Libby’s phone that showed the suspect walking on the bridge near where the girls were last seen.

The arrest

For more than five years, the case remained unsolved, haunting Delphi residents.

Police released disparate sketches of possible suspects, and authorities announced that, while investigating the case, they “uncovered” a fake Snapchat and Instagram profile called “anthony_shots,” where the user used photos of a male model and communicated with underage girls in an attempt to meet them. The man suspected to be behind the “anthony_shots” account was later identified and not linked to Abby and Libby’s murders.

No suspect was named in the murders until Allen was arrested in October 2022.

Community members were shocked to learn that the suspect was a 50-year-old husband, father and Delphi resident who worked at the local CVS.

“How can somebody do that and then just go on living life like nothing happened?” Libby’s grandfather, Mike Patty, told ABC News hours after the arrest was announced.

Allen admitted to police that he was on the trail that day, but he denied any involvement in the murders, according to court documents.

Police analysis of Allen’s gun determined that the unspent round discovered within 2 feet of one of the victims “had been cycled through Richard M. Allen’s Sig Sauer Model P226,” the probable cause affidavit said.

“When asked about the unspent bullet, [Allen] did not have an explanation of why the bullet was found between” the girls’ bodies, the probable cause affidavit said.

When Allen voluntarily spoke to police on Oct. 26, 2022, he said he never allowed anyone to borrow that gun, which he said he owned since 2001, the document added.

Video from Libby’s phone showed a man wearing a dark jacket and jeans on the trail. In an October 2022 interview, Allen told investigators that he wore jeans and a blue or black Carhartt jacket that day on the trail, and Allen’s wife confirmed to police that he owns a blue Carhartt jacket, according to the probable cause affidavit.

Investigators believe Allen is the grainy suspect seen on Libby’s cellphone video. Investigators also claim he forced Abby and Libby down the hill to the spot where they were killed, according to the probable cause affidavit.

Investigators believe Allen was seen walking back to his car with “clothes that were muddy and bloody,” according to the probable cause affidavit.

Allen allegedly confessed to the killings several times in a jail phone call with his wife in April 2023, according to unsealed court documents.

“Soon after” that call with his wife, Allen’s attorneys filed an emergency motion saying his mental state had declined and he should be moved, alleging Westville Correctional Facility was unfit, the document said. He was evaluated by two psychiatrists and a psychologist who determined he didn’t need involuntary medication and didn’t need to be moved, according to the document.

The trial

The trial will be held at Delphi’s Carroll County courthouse. But jurors will be selected from residents of Allen County, which is over 100 miles away and encompasses Fort Wayne, Allen County Judge Frances Gull ruled last year.

Jury selection begins Monday in Fort Wayne, and once the jury is selected, the case will move to Delphi.

Gull said it makes sense to keep the trial in Carroll County, where witnesses and families live, saying the expense to move the proceedings would be “extraordinary.”

But she added, “It’s painfully clear that it would be impossible to find a jury in Carroll County not involved in this case.”

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(OAKLAND, Calif.) — A suspect has been arrested and charged with murder in connection to a Michigan home invasion in which two men are believed to have gained entry by posing as utility workers.

The Oakland County Sheriff’s Office identified him as Carlos Jose Hernandez, 37, and said they are seeking his extradition from Louisiana.

The second suspect remains at large, and the sheriff’s office is urging anyone with information that could lead to an arrest to get in touch.

On Friday, a 72-year-old man was found dead in the basement of his Rochester Hills home, according to the sheriff’s office. His wife, who called 911, had been tied up with her hands duct-taped.

It is not yet clear how the man, identified as Hussein Murray, was killed.

“Because of the gruesome nature of the injuries, it was not immediately clear if he had been shot or bludgeoned to death,” the sheriff’s department said in a press release.

The woman told law enforcement officials that the night before the attack, the two suspects had also shown up to the home claiming to be responding to a gas leak, but they were not allowed inside.

When they showed up again on Friday, they were let into the home, and her husband went with them into the basement, “ostensibly to look for the leak,” according to the sheriff’s department.

When they came back upstairs without her husband, they tied her up and taped her hands, the woman said. She did not see him come out afterward and “assumed he had been kidnapped.”

In home security camera footage released by the sheriff’s department, the since-arrested suspect can be seen wearing a utility worker’s uniform and a mask while holding a clipboard.

“We’re DTE. We’re checking for gas leaks,” the man can be heard saying in the video, naming the Michigan-based energy company.

In a statement after the incident, DTE urged customers to “be alert for DTE Energy impersonators.”

“If anyone arrives at your home or business claiming they are from DTE, please ask to see a badge with a photo ID. If the person refuses to show their badge, do not allow them entry into your home. If the person becomes agitated or acts in a strange manner, call 911 immediately,” the company said.

In an interview with a Detroit ABC affiliate WXYZ, Sheriff Michael J. Bouchard described Murray as “a loving guy, owned a business, cared about his neighborhood and his community.”

“[He] shouldn’t have been a target of this — no one should ever be a target of this,” Bouchard said.

Murray owned a jewelry and pawn shop, according to WXYZ.

Bouchard said they believe Murray’s killing was “very targeted.”

“It wasn’t random,” Bouchard said. “They’re not just knocking on doors and doing this.”

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(OAKLAND, Calif.) — Two suspects have been arrested in connection with a Michigan home invasion in which the perpetrators are believed to have gained entry by posing as utility workers.

Carlos Jose Hernandez, 37, was arrested on Saturday, according to the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office. He has been charged with murder, and law enforcement officials are seeking his extradition from Louisiana.

On Monday, the sheriff’s office said it had arrested the second suspect, but did not immediately release his identity. He was arrested without incident following a traffic stop in Plymouth Township, Michigan, according to the sheriff’s office.

A 72-year-old man was found dead Friday in the basement of his Rochester Hills home, according to the sheriff’s office. His wife, who called 911, had been tied up with her hands duct-taped.

It is not yet clear how the man, identified as Hussein Murray, was killed. 

“Because of the gruesome nature of the injuries, it was not immediately clear if he had been shot or bludgeoned to death,” the sheriff’s department said in a press release.

The woman told law enforcement officials that the night before the attack, the two suspects had also shown up to the home claiming to be responding to a gas leak, but they were not allowed inside.

When they showed up again on Friday, they were let into the home, and her husband went with them into the basement, “ostensibly to look for the leak,” according to the sheriff’s department.

When they came back upstairs without her husband, they tied her up and taped her hands, the woman said. She did not see him come out afterward and “assumed he had been kidnapped.”

In home security camera footage released by the sheriff’s department, the since-arrested suspect can be seen wearing a utility worker’s uniform and a mask while holding a clipboard. 

“We’re DTE. We’re checking for gas leaks,” the man can be heard saying in the video, naming the Michigan-based energy company.

In a statement after the incident, DTE urged customers to “be alert for DTE Energy impersonators.”

“If anyone arrives at your home or business claiming they are from DTE, please ask to see a badge with a photo ID. If the person refuses to show their badge, do not allow them entry into your home. If the person becomes agitated or acts in a strange manner, call 911 immediately,” the company said.

Sheriff Michael J. Bouchard described Murray as “a loving guy, owned a business, cared about his neighborhood and his community” in an interview with Detroit ABC affiliate WXYZ.

“[He] shouldn’t have been a target of this — no one should ever be a target of this,” Bouchard said.

Murray owned a jewelry and pawn shop, according to WXYZ.

Bouchard said they believe Murray’s killing was “very targeted.”

“It wasn’t random,” Bouchard said. “They’re not just knocking on doors and doing this.”

 

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(NEW YORK) — Universities across the country have transformed at the command of anti-diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) legislation. At the University of Texas-Austin, the legislation led to resource cancellations, office closures, and staff firings — pushing some students to create alternatives to their school’s defunct diversity programs.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed SB 17 into law in 2023, barring public institutions of higher education from having diversity, equity, and inclusion offices, as well as programs, activities, and training conducted by those offices. The law also restricts training or hiring policies based on race, gender identity or sexual orientation.

His office told ABC News in a recent statement that the legislation was intended to ensure people “advance based on talent and merit at public colleges and universities in Texas.”

Abbott’s office criticized universities for using DEI offices to “advance political agendas and exclude conservative viewpoints on college campuses. These efforts adversely affect our students, limit exposure to diverse thought, and destroy our education system,” read the statement from Abbott’s press secretary Andrew Mahaleris.

ABC News spoke to UT Austin students and a terminated faculty member about the compounding impact the loss of diversity programs has had on campus.

The Monarch Program

The long list of potential college life logistics – like how to pay for school, open an independent bank account or get a job – is even longer for undocumented students and those with temporary status.

These students are not eligible for federal student aid, federal work-study, are limited in their access to grants and scholarships and, in some cases, cannot accept paying jobs while in school.

With limited guidance and limited options, Arely, a student at UT Austin who asked to be referenced by only her first name out of privacy concerns, said her status created many unknowns and uncertainties for her future when applying to colleges. As a Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipient, Martinez told ABC News she worked hard to be at the top of her high school class so she could get into a good school.

DACA is a U.S. government policy that allows some undocumented immigrants to remain in the United States temporarily and work. Recipients must have entered the United States illegally before their 16th birthday and be younger than 31 years old on June 15, 2012, according to the U.S. Citizens and Immigration Services website.

“It was always kind of told to me, like, your education is going to be the only way you’re going to be able to kind of push forward and build something out for yourself – it’s through your education,” said Arely.

At UT Austin, students like Arely had a place to turn to for answers. Monarch, an on-campus student program for undocumented and temporary status students, hosted workshops on those logistical concerns, mental health resources at little to no cost, career fairs specifically geared toward undocumented students, panel discussions with undocumented grads, and a donor-based scholarship.

“Those are the things that I would help students navigate,” said Alicia Moreno, the former Monarch Student Program Coordinator. “Like working with campus partners to create resources and help students understand what their options were because many students that I heard – before they ran into Monarch – they believed their options were really slim.”

Monarch was a way for the university to ensure students could succeed despite the barriers they face due to their status, Moreno said.

“A lot of my college experience would have definitely been way more different had Monarch not been there,” said Arely. “I can’t imagine in what situation I would have been had I not had that support system.”

Arely, who worked at the center, said the Monarch team also would get requests from faculty and staff asking to hold trainings regarding the challenges undocumented students face.

“A lot of these students had gone their whole college career having access to these resources, and now they were suddenly taken away and ripped out of their hands,” said Arely. “Especially for, like, incoming freshmen who had maybe specifically applied to UT Austin because of this program, and now they’re going to get to the UT campus and they’re going to realize that program that was supposed to support them and acknowledge them is no longer there.”

Moreno was one of about 60 people whose positions were terminated following the closure of DEI offices and related initiatives, according to a joint letter from the Texas NAACP & Texas Conference of American Association of University Professors.

The university initially stated that some programs would be shifted to other divisions or renamed to complement ongoing operations. Monarch, according to students and former staff, was also initially not targeted by SB 17 since it does not specifically refer to any race or ethnicity.

However, university officials later stated that the law changed the scope of some programs, making them broader and creating overlap between existing programs.

“We know these programs and the dedicated staff who run them will continue to have positive impacts on our campus and community,” read the university’s letter referring to the programs that remained.

The terminations came shortly after state Sen. Brandon Creighton, who introduced the legislation, warned universities against simply renaming their DEI programs, threatening to freeze funding.

“I was getting ready to prepare for the next year. My office was just painted. I had just gotten that Exemplary Service Award, and then – boom! – we were all terminated,” Moreno said.

Students say they have been left to pick up the pieces without the dedicated resources to support them. Victoria Uriostegui-Garcia, a member of a student-run group called Rooted, said her organization has become a substitute for the services once provided by Monarch. It is one of several student-run organizations to take on the responsibilities of the now-shuttered offices.

“It falls on students again to provide their own resources, which is a very heavy burden,” said Uriostegui-Garcia. “We’re going to try our best.”

Students lead the charge

Among the centers and programs shut down by UT Austin were Multicultural Engagement Center, the Gender and Sexuality Center, and the Fearless Leadership Institute – a professional development program for African American & Hispanic women.

However, UT Austin is not the only school facing these restrictions. Schools across the state — and in some states across the country — have seen similar mass closures and firings following the implementation of anti-DEI legislation.

At least nine states have implemented legislation restricting DEI in education: Alabama, Florida, Idaho, lowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas and Utah.

Supporters of anti-DEI legislation, like Creighton, have applauded the changes made by SB 17. Creighton argued that it returned the university to “a merit-based operational framework, ensuring that every student, faculty, and staff member is afforded equal opportunities and not silenced by DEI-oriented policies,” he said in a March 2024 statement.

UT Austin states that it remains vigilant in ongoing efforts to ensure the university’s compliance with the state law, defining DEI offices as any office that implements programs or training with reference to race, ethnicity, gender identity, or sexual orientation, “influences hiring or employment practices” with respect to those identities or promotes “differential treatment of or providing special benefits to individuals” on the basis of identity.

I recognize that strong feelings have surrounded SB 17 from the beginning and will shape many Longhorns’ perceptions of these measures,” said university president Jay Hartzell. “It is important that we respect the perspectives and experiences of our fellow Longhorns as the changes we are announcing today take effect. It is also important that this continues to be a welcoming, supportive community for all.”

UT Austin did not respond to ABC News’ requests for further comment.

Alex and Sophia, members of Texas Students for DEI who asked to be referenced by only their first names out of privacy concerns, say the services were targeted for specific groups who have historically faced discrimination or barriers to success, but were open to all students.

Alex noted, for example, that a closet of free clothes located in the gender center was open to all: “If it meant that you got kicked out of the home, or if it meant that you needed clothes for a job — hey, there’s clothes available, no questions asked.”

Alex and Sophia say many students they have spoken to did not know about SB 17 until it passed and they started seeing their centers close on campus.

Student organizations have stepped up to the plate, hoping to foster community in a time when resources backed by the university have shrunk. They say schools across the state have “over-complied” with the law — leading to a chilling effect of classroom curriculum and discussion concerning race, gender and sexual orientation.

“Even now, if you read some of the syllabi for some classes, they’ll have a disclaimer at the end saying no material in this class is pertaining to SB 17 or falls under the guidelines of SB 17,” said Sophia, despite the UT Austin website stating explicitly that academic instruction and research is not to be impacted by the law. “They’re expecting to be censored. They’re expecting the state to want to do things against them, and so they’re, they feel less comfortable talking about these topics openly, which ultimately affects our education.”

She continued, “We are a university, we’re a place of learning, and learning requires people to be open about information in a way that isn’t censored, and when a state tries to censor that, they ultimately harm themselves.”

With SB 17 passed, students are worried the state will continue to embrace other anti-DEI initiatives. They hope to safeguard from further efforts by educating the college community about what DEI is and what it means.

“It isn’t just one university. It’s all of us. And silence isn’t really the way out,” said Alex.

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(WASHINGTON) — President Joe Biden will travel on Sunday to Florida areas ravaged by the back-to-back hurricanes, and announce federal funding for projects to strengthen the electrical grid, according to the White House.

Biden will be touring St. Petersburg, one of the hardest hit Florida cities from Hurricane Milton last week, and reveal $612 million for six Department of Energy projects in the southeast.

Two of the projects are focused in Florida and provide a combined $94M in federal funds, according to the White House.

Gainesville Regional Utilities will use the funding to help mitigate the effects of increasingly extreme weather in north central Florida, “through storm hardening, as well as faster restoration through deployment of self-healing devices and tools that will enable more efficient and precise dispatching of field teams during outages,” the White House said in a statement.

Switched Source, a private utility technology developer, will work with Florida Power and Light to deploy Phase-EQ, which “optimizes power flow in distribution circuits, will unlock over 200 MW of system capacity, and improve reliability on circuits serving communities that are most susceptible to prolonged outages,” according to the White House.

“These investments are part of the president’s commitment to making long-term investments that protect, enhance, and upgrade our nation’s electric grid, especially in the face of extreme weather events,” the White House said in a statement.

Hurricane Milton made landfall in Florida as a Category 3 storm on Wednesday evening. At least 16 people were killed in the storm and over a million remain without power.

Biden has spoken to numerous state and local officials, including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who he said was “very cooperative.” When asked if he would meet with DeSantis on Sunday, Biden said yes so long as the governor was available.

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(NASHVILLE, TN.) — One person is dead, and nine others are shot and injured after gunfire erupted during homecoming celebration events for Tennessee State University, Nashville Police Department officials said.

Of the nine injured, three were juveniles ranging in age from 12-14 years old, and all are in non-critical condition at a local hospital, MNPD Public Affairs Director Don Aaron said.

Shortly after 5 p.m., an exchange of gunfire occurred between two groups of people. Officials said it was likely that innocent bystanders were shot during the incident. A total of ten people were shot, with one person, a 24-year-old, succumbing to their injuries.

Five people were transported to local hospitals via ambulance. Five others were transported by private vehicle, Metro Nashville Police Department Public Affairs Officer Brooke Reese said.

Officials believe that some of those injured and hospitalized were involved and are suspected of being involved in the gunfire, said Reese.

Injuries range from minor to critical condition, with some sustaining graze wounds, said Aaron.

One gun, a handgun, was recovered at the scene, he said. Officials believe that the suspects used handguns in the shooting.

Fire and police officials were already at the event to participate in the homecoming parade earlier today, authorities said. Some personnel were already at the scene when gunfire erupted, and used their belts to apply tourniquets to gunshot victims, Nashville Fire Department PIO Kendra Loney said.

Most people celebrating homecoming went to the Tennessee State University football game, which is being held at Nissan Stadium, Nashville North Precinct Commander Anthony McClain said. During the day, there was a large group of people gathered for the parade.

When the gunfire began about two hours ago during the event, “a few folks ruined it for everybody,” McClain said.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(NEW YORK) — Dangerous, record-breaking heat is ongoing in the West, with the temperature in Phoenix reaching the triple digits every day for the last three weeks.

Phoenix climbed over a scorching 110 degrees on 80 days in 2024 — shattering the record set last year with 55 days of temperatures over 110 degrees.

The heat spreads across the Southwest and the South this weekend, with temperatures soaring to the 90s in cities including Las Vegas, Austin, Dallas and Little Rock, Arkansas.

There are hundreds of deaths each year in the U.S. due to excessive heat, according to CDC WONDER, an online database, and scientists caution that the actual number of heat-related deaths is likely higher.

Meanwhile, as Florida cleans up from the devastation left by Hurricane Milton, lingering river flood warnings are ongoing for parts of Florida and Georgia.

Choppy seas are also keeping the rip current risk high for many beaches in Georgia and Florida’s east coast.

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(OKLAHOMA CITY) — At least one person has been killed and 12 others have been injured in a shooting that took place at a party at an event center in Oklahoma City, police have confirmed.

Oklahoma City Police said that it appears there was a disturbance which led to “multiple shots being fired both inside and outside the event center.”

The names and ages of those involved in the incident have not yet been released but authorities have confirmed that at least one person was killed in the altercation and 12 others have been injured.

The suspects are currently unknown at this time but several people have been detained, according to law enforcement.

“We are in the process of interviewing witnesses,” authorities told ABC News. “We will provide more details when we get them.”

The investigation is currently active and ongoing.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(WASHINGTON) — A United States Army soldier has been sentenced to 14 years in prison after he allegedly attempted to assist ISIS in conducting a deadly ambush on U.S. troops, according to the Department of Justice.

Cole Bridges, a 24-year old man from Stow, Ohio, has been sentenced to 168 months in prison followed by 10 years of supervised release for “attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization and attempting to murder U.S. military service members, based on his efforts to assist the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) to attack and kill U.S. soldiers in the Middle East,” the DOJ announced Friday.

Bridges originally pleaded guilty to terrorism charges on June 14, 2023, but his sentence was handed down this week, officials said.

Bridges joined the U.S. Army in approximately September 2019 and was assigned as a cavalry scout in the Third Infantry Division based in Fort Stewart, Georgia, according to court documents.

“Before he joined the Army, beginning in at least 2019, Bridges began researching and consuming online propaganda promoting jihadists and their violent ideology, and began to express his support for ISIS and jihad on social media,” the DOJ said. “In or about October 2020, approximately one year after joining the Army, Bridges began communicating with an FBI online covert employee (the OCE), who was posing as an ISIS supporter in contact with ISIS fighters in the Middle East.”

It was during these communications that Bridges expressed his frustration with the U.S. military and his desire to aid ISIS, officials said.

“Bridges then provided training and guidance to purported ISIS fighters who were planning attacks, including advice about potential targets in New York City. Bridges also provided the OCE with portions of a U.S. Army training manual and guidance about military combat tactics, with the understanding that the materials would be used by ISIS in future attack planning.”

In December 2020, Bridges subsequently began to supply the OCE with instructions for the purported ISIS fighters on how to attack U.S. forces in the Middle East.

“Bridges diagrammed specific military maneuvers intended to help ISIS fighters maximize the lethality of future attacks on U.S. troops,” according to the DOJ. “Bridges also provided advice about the best way to fortify an ISIS encampment to ambush U.S. Special Forces, including by wiring certain buildings with explosives to kill the U.S. troops.”

Bridges also provided the OCE with a video of himself in his U.S. Army body armor standing in front of a flag often used by ISIS fighters and making a gesture symbolic of support for ISIS in January 2021, authorities said, and even sent a second video a week later where he reportedly used a voice manipulator to read a propaganda speech in support of the anticipated ambush by ISIS on U.S. troops.

“The FBI Washington, Atlanta, and Cleveland Field Offices investigated the case, with valuable assistance provided by U.S. Army Counterintelligence, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Georgia, Air Force Office of Special Investigations, U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command, and U.S. Army Third Infantry Division,” the DOJ said.

“Our troops risk their lives for our country,” said acting U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said when Bridges was initially charged in January 2021. “But they should never face such peril at the hands of one of their own.”

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(LONGBOAT KEY, Fla.) — When Coast Guard pilot Lt. Ian Logan went out to search the waters off Longboat Key in the wake of Hurricane Milton roaring ashore on the western Florida coast, he didn’t expect to find anyone who needed help.

To all of their surprise, he and his crew found a man clinging to a cooler 30 miles out in the Gulf of Mexico.

“We thought it might’ve been a buoy,” Logan said. “I remember looking down and seeing the strobe and like seeing him holding on to the cooler. So once we pulled up in that 50-foot hover right next to the guy, we’re like, ‘Oh my gosh, he’s on like a cooler that’s opened up and he’s just floating on it,’ which is insane.”

The man had gone out to his boat early Wednesday to make repairs after it became disabled earlier that week approximately 20 miles off John’s Pass, a barrier island west of St. Petersburg, according to the Coast Guard. As he was bringing the boat back to port, it got disabled again, the Coast Guard said.

The man contacted the Coast Guard, hoping for help. But weather conditions had already started to deteriorate as Milton approached Florida’s west coast, and the Coast Guard said it instructed him to put on a life jacket and “stay with the vessel’s emergency position indicating radio beacon.” The Coast Guard said it then lost contact with the man at 6:45 p.m. ET Wednesday.

By the time he was found, with his boat long gone, Logan said the man was essentially strapped to the cooler.

“I didn’t believe it at first. There are a lot of questions going through my head. So I paused for like, 10 seconds, as we’re making this turn, going to make our approach to the water,” Logan said. “And I’m like, ‘Are you sure?’ And the swimmer is like, ‘Yes, he’s waving his hands at us like, this is the guy.’ And I remember all of us are like, ‘My goodness, I can’t believe we’re so excited that we found this guy.’ Like searching for a needle in a haystack.”

“I look back over my shoulder and he’s over my back right shoulder and I see this guy — hair looks like the ‘Castaway’ movie, where he’s covered in salt,” he said. “He’s got a life vest on, he’s soaked. And at that point, it really set in, like, ‘Oh my God, I can’t believe we just found this guy.'”

Logan said the moment was one of the highlights of his career.

ABC News’ Leah Sarnoff and Meredith Deliso contributed to this report.

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.