Survival with “country boy” know-how

[CaptPatrick]

Three southeast Texas fishermen survived more than a week on the Gulf of Mexico by clinging to their capsized boat, sustaining on crackers, bubble gum and “country boy” know-how.

“It sends chills through me,” said Shane Phillips, whose husband James was recuperating Sunday with his family after he and his two friends were rescued late Saturday by the Coast Guard after being spotted by a boater, 180 miles from Port Aransas.

Phillips, 30 of Blessing and his two friends: Curt Hall, 28, of Palacios; and Tressell Hawkins, 42, of Markham, set out on Phillips' 23-foot Sea Chaser Catamaran on Aug. 21.

The three went to sleep that Friday night and were awakened by water coming in, Shane Phillips said.

“They tried to start the pumps to get the water out,” she said. “They would not start.”

They fired off three flares, hoping that workers at a nearby oil rig, about three miles away would notice. But no one did.

Eventually the boat capsized that Friday night and the three friends did the one thing Coast Guard officials credit with saving their lives: they stuck with the boat.

Shane Phillips, who spent Sunday fielding calls from well-wishers, relatives and the media so her husband could relax with his five children, said her daughter had packed bubble gum in her dad's fishing gear. They were able to salvage some crackers and also rationed out the gum.

The men also were able to suck fresh water out of the boat's internal “washdown” tank through a hose. Fishermen often keep such a tank to wash fish slime off their boat when they are out in the salt water.

“It's not the cleanest, not the greatest and it tasted like diesel,” Shane Phillips said. But the men were happy to have it, she said.

“You can't keep a country boy down,” said Shane Phillip.

Her husband told her the men saw Coast Guard plane in the week they were adrift and several boats. She said the three also built distress flags out of their T-shirts and tying them to the boat's metal railing that they kicked out and used as flagpoles.

But nothing seemed to catch rescuers eyes she said until a Good Samaritan aboard the pleasure craft Affordable Fantasy found the men.

Shane Phillip said her family is trying to take in the events of the last week. Her youngest, a 5-year-old, seemed overwhelmed, she said.

“Yesterday was the day he was told that his dad wasn't coming home,” she said. “Then he comes home. He's on overload right now."

Last Friday, the Coast Guard stopped their massive weeklong search that spanned more than 88,000 square miles for the three men, who were last seen Aug. 21 by an oil rig worker fishing about 75 miles south of Matagorda, where they had departed for an overnight trip.

“I can't even describe my feelings,” said Rebecca Kern, Hall's fiancee. “I really can't even describe it. ... It's just been a roller coaster of emotions all week, the not knowing, getting upset and fearing for them out there. We weren't going to give up. We knew they were out there on that boat and we had to bring them home.”

Petty Officer Renee Aiello, a Coast Guard spokeswoman, said they were bringing the men back to shore in a 47-foot rescue vessel. They were expected to arrive in Port Aransas at about 1 a.m. Sunday.

“This is a very happy ending to what could have been a very sad story,” she said, noting that Coast Guard officials were “getting chills” to know the men had been found alive. “We're excited to get them reunited with their families and want to make sure they're in the best health possible.”

The search, which covered an area roughly the size of Minnesota, and which drew in air and sea resources from Florida and Alabama in addition to Texas, had shifted eastward by Thursday and focused on an area 85 to 100 miles off the Louisiana coast because currents had been moving in that direction.

“It's like finding a needle in a haystack out in the Gulf of Mexico,” she said late Saturday. “It's obvious they had a will to survive and they did it for seven days, and now they're about 4.5 hours from being on dry land.”

Family members of the men said the search had become the subject of prayers all over the country. Mariners around the world sent e-mails and good wishes.

“It's a miracle,” said Brenda Kern, Rebecca Kern's stepmother. “We're just crying with joy.”

[In Memory Walter K]

Unfortunately doesn't say much for our existing search and rescue capabilities. After careful consideration, Federal Authorities will soon mandate that all bottom paints will only be allowed to be manufactured and applied in Dayglo Orange. This is the result of a two-year study made by a committee composed of bankers, fiancees of fishermen, representatives from the UAW and the chief lobbyist for the Sherwin Williams paint company.

[Bruce]

Class the word for today is................

EPIRB.

Darwin gets cheated again.

[Ed Curry]

They gave themselves the chance to be rescued. Good on them for not giving up.



If you're not smart enough to equip yourself with the proper survival gear, you better be tough.

[IRGuy]

Two comments about the above...

Several years ago on a trip from Bermuda to Massachusetts we were dismasted in a 44' sailboat, 185 miles due south of Nantucket, at 0500. We didn't have enough fuel to motor to shore, and bad weather was forecast, so at 0530 we set off our 406 EPIRB. At 0535 the Coast Guard was on the phone calling the boat owner's wife, asking her if she knew where the boat was, etc, etc, and did she think we might be goofing off and set off a false alarm.

This is the good news.

Now.. the news that should make you worry...

We started motoring and made SECURITY ("SECURITAY") calls on a handheld radio every 15 minutes, with no responses. At about 0900 we heard a response and 15 minutes later we were speaking to a Coast Guard C-130 rescue plane.. we saw the plane on the horizon heading straight toward us, I think the pilot said he was at 2,000 feet, but In don't recall for sure. We spoke several times to the plane as they got closer and closer. The plane passed over us and continued south for about 5 miles or so, and I called the pilot again and told him he had flown right over us.. he said they were looking for us but never saw us. We never used smoke flares because we thought he would see us. We were in a 44' sailboat with a red hull and a tan colored deck, and a search plane with trained professionals looking for us and they did not see us.

Moral... Keep a 406 EPIRP and check it occasionally. Keep a supply of smoke and meteor flares, current and in good condition.. and have more than just the minimum on board, readily available. And keep a waterproof handheld radio with good batteries, readily available.

[mike ohlstein]

Always carry white balloons and red cylumes. You can see a white balloon floating on the water from 37,000 feet, and red cylumes look like a blazing fire to a guy in night vision goggles.

(The advice of one of the Coasties who ditched the chopper during the 'perfect storm' rescue attempt.)

[randall]

similar story. my son spent a few hours on his 21st birthday with 2 friends clinging to a swamped red canoe in the block island sound. compared to the ocean it a confined body of water. the CG looked for 3 hours from a heli but the local marine patrol found them 20 minutes before dark. a guy drove to the highest point figured the tide and wind and spotted them with binoculars. then directed the rescue over the radio. open sea.....you are very small unless you are transmitting.

[In Memory Walter K]

One would think a downward radar would spot a solid object on the water...but then again I'm no expert. Just surprises me how we seem to be able to pinpoint burned out "junk" in the vastness of space, but have nowhere near those capabilities on our waters.

[Bruce]

When I got my original pilots license medical the doctor gave me a bank of tests(former military doctor) because I showed an aptitude for spoting things camo'd or that blended in with the surrounding environment.

We had a nice long talk and he said that the ability to distinguish things easily like a boat on the water even at low altitude was uncommon.

He suggested I join CAP which I did for a while and it was clear on some training flights just how easy it was for most to miss objects.


Coastie S&R is the best in the world along with the equipment they use but they ain't miracle workers.

Try this:

Have someone place a small pebble on a football field and then you proceed to find it.

Then paint it day glo orange and try the same thing.

Try the same thing at night using a flash light.

Then imagine a boat on the ocean during night and day conditions while trying to be found.

Don't assume some can see you ven comming at you. Its your job to make sure they see you.

Too many hollywood movies and tv shows have skewed peoples thinking on what exactly can be accomplished.

The guy in Randall's case showed absolute clear headed thinking and good technique.

[wmachovina]

I spent a few years flying phantoms off of the Saratoga in the previous century and remember quite well how hard it was to sometimes find things at sea. While being vectored back to the ship in daylight under an overcast, in heavy seas( all is relative )I got a call ,"12 oclock 10 miles, no no contact--12 o'clock 8 miles-nope- 5-nope- 2miles oh s+_* there it is yeah we got the ship , "cleared to break."The gray airplanes. on a dark gray deck were in the same frequency and size as the breakers were on the ocean, also the same shades of gray. The Sara was much larger than a 24 foot cat but under good visibility could be nearly invisible three miles away. good case for epirbs, smoke , flares, radios.

[Kurt Weber]

folks, I've been following this story for over a week on another site.

seems to be that the owner buys, fixes and re-sells. it was reported that they left Matagorda without even a compass or VHF. possibly only a hand-held GPS.
they did, how-ever have a 1000watt stereo and many cases of beer.
supposedly a large swell dumped alot of water into the boat at night and the bilge pump(s?) did not work. the boat later capsized.
when the whole story comes out, I'll post it for you gents.

[Brewster Minton]

I may have more safty stuff on my boat than most people, because I am responsible for my crew. People I know have the just what the regs say they have to have. I think they are asses. They have money for rods and beer ond fancy electronics but buy a cheap raft small flares and life jackets that you would not wear in the water by the dock. They think they are great Captians and think Im nuts because I have 6 cold water suits each with water proof radios, flares, masks, glow sticks ,laser flares, nicest 6 man raft you can buy. People need to think before they end up in the water in the dark offshore. Also one EPRB and a GPRB and a SART. Dont kill your freinds because you are cheap or think you know everthing.

[Carl]

I may have more safty stuff on my boat than most people, because I am responsible for my crew. People I know have the just what the regs say they have to have. I think they are asses. They have money for rods and beer ond fancy electronics but buy a cheap raft small flares and life jackets that you would not wear in the water by the dock. They think they are great Captians and think Im nuts because I have 6 cold water suits each with water proof radios, flares, masks, glow sticks ,laser flares, nicest 6 man raft you can buy. People need to think before they end up in the water in the dark offshore. Also one EPRB and a GPRB and a SART. Dont kill your freinds because you are cheap or think you know everthing.

You make a dam good point Brewster. I'm thinking even for the inshore waters I grace, I can see a few area's to tweak my safety equipment.

[randall]

having recently (for a minute anyway) being face with a sinking boat one thing is for sure. i have 4 pumps, two big ones and i was REAL glad they worked. and we were in no real danger...a surfboard for every crew member and 500 yards from land.

go offshore without working pumps and no raft....you are asking for it!!

these guys were lucky the hull stayed afloat.

[Harv]

You can never spend too much money on safety.
And no amount of money can bring back a life, once it's gone.

Props for Brewster!!
Better to be a live nut, than a dead fool.

[Brewster Minton]

Harv, I take people fishing and they say they like to be able to see land and I tell them once you get 1 inch farther than you can swim its all the same. 50-50-50 is what I was taught.50% of people can swim 50 feet in 50 degree water. I knew four guys who fished out of Montauk for sharks. For a tournament the three crew went with another guy than their normal boat owner who could not fish. It was a new boat to them and the guy they went with. It was rough and the boat took on water and they all drowned about 7 years ago. The normal boat owner who could not fish that day still feels like he killed them to this day.

[jspiezio]

Brewster-
I very rarely fish on other folks boats because of the lack of safety preparedness I see. One time I allowed my self to be corralled as a mate on my neighbors 46 Ocean. He had entered a tournament and had enlisted 5 husbands on our block to serve as crew. Unfortunately none of them had much experience. As a favor to my neighbors, I agreed to run the cockpit and make sure they all had a good time.

Never again. The skipper had found an overhead leak in the cabins so he literally removed everything that had gotten wet, including all PFDs, and his raft. None of this was disclosed until we were off shore, when I also learned that a) his VHF was not working and he had no SSB or Sat phone on board b) the battery on his epirb was uncharged c) 2 od 3 of his bilge pumps were out of order. He himself had 5 kids, and he had 6 other guys on board all with at least 2 kids at home. WTF was he thinking? Better yet WTF was I thinking?

I very rarely trust other folks with their boats, I need to know them very well and know how they act offshore, so I did bring a floating ditch bag that I kept on the floor of the salon of his Ocean. it contained 2 epirbs, 3 PFDS, a flare kit, and 2 waterproof handhelds. I let my wife know that if the CG called about the epirbs going off tell them that yes I was indeed offshore and it was likely not an accidental signal. But even that would not have been enough if the doodoo hit the fan.

Anyway, sorry for the long post, it just amazes me how people go offshore. That was the last time I went with someone whom did not share my fear of our boat going down.

PS- a few weeks later this same boat and skipper, different crew, were fishing another tourney when they decided to head home. True story, they set the autopilot and started partying. From what I understand the brews were flowing a bit of smoking went on and voila, they missed the Fire Island Inlet and found themselves south of Staten Island at about 7:00 that night. I guess they sobered up quickly and had to turn around.

[CaptPatrick]

they set the autopilot and started partying

Not to worry, Carl, Darwin has their names on his roster...