Siesta Key, FL – June 24, 2025 | A gusty afternoon nearly turned tragic off Siesta Key when a family dog lounging on a raft was blown offshore — with its owner, and two teenage rescuers, soon struggling against the powerful current.
That’s when a familiar yellow shape appeared on the horizon: the Banana Boat, captained by Frank Watrous of Siesta Key Aqua Adventures. Frank, a fifth-generation Sarasota native, quickly recognized the danger and turned his watercraft into a rescue vessel.
“I was down the beach luckily, and we had a strong 20-knot wind pick up all at once,” Frank said. “The raft was way offshore with a dog on it, and the waves were getting big. I rescued the dog first, then saw the woman swimming toward it and brought her a life jacket. I told her to swim back to shore.”…