Baker, whose father is a professional captain, hypothesized that the boat overturned because the six passengers, plus three coolers were too much weight for the small boat to handle. Additionally, conditions on the water were choppier than what was initially predicted that day, he said.

Both families were from out of town, Baker said, and the boat was fairly new.

Both teens have spent extensive time out on the water and often fish on their own, their mothers told ABC News. They were both born and raised in the Florida Keys.

\"I've been out on the water my whole life,\" Baker said.

\"PHOTO:
U.S. Coast Guard
PHOTO: The U.S. Coast Guard Station Islamorada in Florida shared this image of part of a group of six who were retrieved from a capsized boat in the vicinity of Conch Reef with the help of Good Samaritans on April 7, 2018.
>

Tolhurst commended the teens for their boating expertise and for staying calm during the traumatic ordeal, Bonnie Coffin, Will's mom, told ABC News. Bonnie added that one of the victims got hit in the head when the boat overturned and told her son that \"five more minutes,\" and he may not have made it.

The man was \"rattled,\" she said.

The teens' mothers explained the rescue posed a valuable lesson for the boys, who are set to graduate from Coral Shores High School in Tavernier and will attend Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton in the fall.

\"You can see how quickly things can go wrong out there, and you need to be aware -- always -- of your surroundings and always pay attention,\" Bonnie said, adding that her son is \"very cautious\" and has good common sense.

\"PHOTO:
Courtesy Mason Baker
PHOTO: The captain of the overturned boat climbed on top as he waited for the U.S. Coast Guard to arrive to their location, near the Conch Reef Sanctuary Preservation Area in the upper Florida Keys.
>

Duane Baker, Mason's father, taught him how to \"respect the water\" and understand the risks involved, his mother, Jill Miranda-Baker, said adding that he plans on taking his boat with him to college.

\"His first love is being on the water,\" Miranda-Baker said of her son.

Mason said he plans on studying criminal justice and hopes to become an officer for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, while Will said that he plans on majoring in ocean engineering.

","canonicalUrl":"https://abcnews.com/US/teens-rescue-people-capsized-boat-off-florida-keys/story?id=54392919","legacySlug":"/news/story/teens-rescue-people-capsized-boat-off-florida-keys-54392919","noIndexNoFollow":false},"publishTime":"00:26","publishDate":"04-12-2018","updatedTime":"11:28","updatedDate":"04-13-2018","socialImage":{"alt":"The U.S. Coast Guard Station Islamorada in Florida shared this image of a man sitting on a capsized vessel while waiting for rescue on April 7, 2018.","credit":"U.S. Coast Guard","ratio":"16x9","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/US/coast-guard-rescue-islamorada-02-ht-jc-180411_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg","width":992,"height":558},"datePublished":"4/12/2018 00:26:00 GMT","video":{"live":false,"id":54392919,"headline":"Teens help rescue 6 people from capsized boat","mediaAssetTitle":"HIGH SEAS RESCUE","description":"The teens grew up on the water, they told ABC News","duration":"0:39","posterImg":{"url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/default-img-undefined.png","width":608,"height":342},"video":{"feed":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2018/04/180413_atm_boat_rescue_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8"},"playlist":["132488083","132306053","132266872"]},"relatedItems":[{"contentType":"video","date":"April 29, 2026","headline":"Grand jury indicts former FBI director over Instagram post","section":"News","slug":"/video/132488083","id":"132488083","image":{"alt":"VIDEO: Grand jury indicts former FBI director over Instagram post","credit":"ABCNews.com","ratio":"1x1","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260429_gma_thomas_comey2_706_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","width":384,"height":384},"images":{"alt":"VIDEO: Grand jury indicts former FBI director over Instagram post","credit":"ABCNews.com","crops":[{"16x9":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260429_gma_thomas_comey2_706_hpMain_16x9_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260429_gma_thomas_comey2_706_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260429_gma_thomas_comey2_706_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"9x16":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260429_gma_thomas_comey2_706_hpMain_9x16_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260429_gma_thomas_comey2_706_hpMain_9x16_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260429_gma_thomas_comey2_706_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"1x1":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260429_gma_thomas_comey2_706_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260429_gma_thomas_comey2_706_hpMain_1x1_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260429_gma_thomas_comey2_706_hpMain_1x1_1600.jpg"}}]}},{"contentType":"video","date":"April 23, 2026","headline":"Trump orders Navy to 'shoot and kill' any boat laying mines in Strait of Hormuz","section":"News","slug":"/video/132306053","id":"132306053","image":{"alt":"VIDEO: Trump orders Navy to 'shoot and kill' any boat laying mines in Strait of Hormuz","credit":"ABCNews.com","ratio":"1x1","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","width":384,"height":384},"images":{"alt":"VIDEO: Trump orders Navy to 'shoot and kill' any boat laying mines in Strait of Hormuz","credit":"ABCNews.com","crops":[{"16x9":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_16x9_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"9x16":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_9x16_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_9x16_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"1x1":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_1x1_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_1x1_1600.jpg"}}]}},{"contentType":"video","date":"April 22, 2026","headline":"Fallout after Fed nominee grilled on Capitol Hill","section":"News","slug":"/video/132266872","id":"132266872","image":{"alt":"VIDEO: Fallout after Fed nominee grilled on Capitol Hill","credit":"ABCNews.com","ratio":"1x1","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","width":384,"height":384},"images":{"alt":"VIDEO: Fallout after Fed nominee grilled on Capitol Hill","credit":"ABCNews.com","crops":[{"16x9":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_16x9_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"9x16":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_9x16_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_9x16_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"1x1":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_1x1_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_1x1_1600.jpg"}}]}}],"relatedContentSection":"news","schemaContent":{"name":"Teens help rescue 6 people from capsized boat","description":"The teens grew up on the water, they told ABC News","duration":"0:39","uploadDate":"04-12-2018","publication":"04-12-2018","images":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/default-img-undefined.png","url":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2018/04/180413_atm_boat_rescue_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8","contentUrl":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2018/04/180413_atm_boat_rescue_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8","link":"https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/news/story/teens-rescue-people-capsized-boat-off-florida-keys-54392919"}},"playlist":[{"id":"132510121","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132473181","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132497933","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132281378","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132283010","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132273278","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132231169","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132206748","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132200241","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132054443","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132054798","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132033010","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131912713","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131830583","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131834976","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131554765","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131554815","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131543053","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131432442","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131121474","contentType":"story","section":"news"}],"kvps":{"pgtyp":"article","lang":"en","sp":"goodmorningamerica","programmatic":"true","bundleId":"com.abcnews"}},"analytics":{"accountID":"wdgnewwdgnewgmaweb","ns":"gma","pageName":"gma:news:video","pageType":"video","globalSpecVersion":"v1.08","siteDifferentiator":"gma:site","tagID":"g_page01","userABCookie":"0","section":"news","title":"Teens help rescue 6 people from capsized boat","pubTime":"20:26","pubDate":"04-11-2018","modTime":"07:28","modDate":"04-13-2018","taxonomyTags":"none","id":54392919,"editorialOtherSubjects":"","wordCount":"none","columns":"none","authors":"","authorsUnit":"none","authorsBureau":"none","subBrand":"Good Morning America","provider":"Good Morning America","videoName":"Teens help rescue 6 people from capsized boat","mediaAssetTitle":"HIGH SEAS RESCUE","videoId":54392919,"mediaOnPage":"video","legacySlug":"/news/story/teens-rescue-people-capsized-boat-off-florida-keys-54392919"},"taboola":{}},"request":{"headers":{},"httpVersion":"1.1","method":"GET","url":"/video/54392919","vary":{"host":"www.goodmorningamerica.com","cached":true,"path":"/video/54392919","forwarded-proto":"https","device":"desktop","userab":"0"}},"viewport":{"width":1260,"height":0},"user":{}};