Coast Guard Rescues Man and Dog After Sail Boat Catches Fire Off Florida

— -- A man and his dog were rescued by the Coast Guard after their sailboat caught fire off the coast of Florida.

The Coast Guard said in a statement that it received a call Friday afternoon from the captain of the sailboat Southern Bell, who said his boat was disabled and that he and his dog had been drifting since Wednesday.

About an hour later, the captain told the Coast Guard that he and his dog abandoned ship and boarded a dinghy after their sailboat caught fire.

A helicopter crew found the man and his dog about 69 miles off the coast of Hudson, Florida, where they were rescued.

"When we saw the smoke, I knew we found what we were looking for," Coast Guard mission commander Lt. Chanel Lee told ABC affiliate WFTS-TV.

Both man and dog were reportedly doing well.