Fla. Girls Who Disappeared While Paddleboarding Released from Hospital 3 Days After 'Miracle' Rescue
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03/21/2025 11:37 AM
Avery Bryan and Eva Aponte were lost for nearly 16 hours before they were rescued on March 18
Levy County Sheriff's Office/Facebook
Two teens have been released from the hospital after going missing while paddleboarding in Florida.The two 16-year-old girls who were lost overnight after disappearing while paddleboarding have been released from the hospital.
Avery Bryan and Eva Aponte were rescued on Tuesday, March 18 — nearly 16 hours after they vanished off the coast of Florida.
Both teens "were immediately treated" by the rescue team for dehydration and hypothermia and eventually hospitalized, according to a joint statement from their families, shared by Levy County Sheriff Bobby McCallum on Friday, March 21.
As of Friday morning, Bryan and Aponte are out of the hospital, McCallum said. The two girls are expected to make a "full recovery."
"We are so thankful that this miracle has occurred, that many prayers were lifted up and those prayers were answered," the sheriff stated.
In the joint statement, the Bryan and Aponte families thanked the agencies and community members "who responded from other agencies with resources and prayers."
"The support and immediate response from law enforcement, the community, local fisherman and first responders came together seamlessly," they said. "We are greatly touched and still in awe of the overwhelming and rapid response from everyone."
Levy County Sheriff's Office
Avery Bryan and Eva Aponte, who were rescued after disappearing while paddleboardingLieutenant Scott Tummond of the Levy County Sheriff's Office said the girls survived quite the ordeal, which included 6-foot seas, gusty winds and temperatures in the high 30s, according to Today.
Eventually, the girls reached a marshland, but were surrounded by sharp oysters and forced to stay there overnight, he added.
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Tummond believed the girls made "smart" decisions throughout the ordeal that "100% increased their chances of survival."
"What Mom and Dad taught them — it stuck. And thank God they were able to remember some of those life skills," Tummond told the outlet.
Levy County Sheriff's Office
Avery Bryan and Eva Aponte on the paddleboard.Related: Man and Dog Rescued by Coast Guard as Sailboat Sinks Off Coast of Florida During Hurricane Helene
Marina owner Gary Bartell, who helped rescue the 16-year-old girls, was with the teens for their "emotional" reunion with their families, according to Today.
"The emotions were just flooding that boat ramp from everyone," Bartell recalled. "There was one little girl in particular, who shot through the crowd and ran up ... and she just gave me the biggest hug that I've ever gotten in my entire life. At that point, we both had tears in our eyes."
The Bryan and Aponte families have requested privacy "as the girls continue to recover," according to McCallum.
