- January 27, 2026
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11:45 a.m., Lyons Lane
Marine rescue: Police responded to Sarasota Bay after a report of a grounded sailboat with one boater on board. When police arrived, the officer coordinated with fire rescue on scene to find the boat, which was between Longboat Key and Sister Keys. With wind gusts up to 35 mph at the time, it was determined that a rescue vessel was unable to reach the sailboat due to increased wave height close to shore. Communicating with the grounded boater from land, police coordinated with the man to use his kayak. The 74-year-old man paddled through the rough waters, up a canal to where police and medics awaited. After he was medically cleared by EMS, he told police that he had anchored his boat nearby at a local restaurant when weather conditions worsened, loosening the anchor. Plans were made to remove the vessel when weather calmed, and police closed the case.
5:51 p.m., Golf Links Lane
Citizen assist: A man returned to his property on Longboat Key for the first time in years and was dismayed to see, or not see, the boat lift, which previously sat on the canal his lot was on. He told police that he lived at another property and had not seen the boat lift since 2023 and believed someone stole it. Police surveyed the empty lot, noticing the dock in a poor state, presumably due to hurricane damage. The officer then saw what he believed was the boat lift disassembled on the property. The man said the neighborhood had paid a company to clean the canals after the hurricanes, and that they may have disassembled the boat lift in the process. Police changed the case description from theft to citizen assist, determined no crime was committed and closed the case.
6:47 p.m., Longboat Club Road
Open Door: Police were called to a gated community to check on a worrying scene: a front door left open. When the officer arrived, he was greeted by a small dog and then the homeowner. The resident introduced himself to police and said he had his door open to enjoy the nice, cool weather Longboat Key was experiencing that Sunday evening. Police closed the case, writing on the police report that nothing suspicious was observed.
1:44 p.m., 3000 block Gulf of Mexico Drive
Suspicious vehicle: Police were called by a woman who said that two unknown men parked in her driveway. The caller provided a vehicle description and license plate number to dispatch. When police arrived, the two suspects were nearby and told police that they were contractors working on the next door residence and that they parked in the wrong driveway before moving promptly. Police spoke to the caller who was satisfied with the explanation, and police parked the case.
6:52 a.m., 4000 block Gulf of Mexico Drive
Suspicious vehicle: A concerned resident called police when they saw a tractor going back and forth over the beach early in the morning. When police arrived to investigate, they made contact with a woman driving a tractor with a rake attached. The tractor operator showed police a valid FDEP permit for mechanical beach raking. Police closed the case.
