www.iFourWinns.com

So we headout for the 2012 two day mini-season at about 6 in the morning out of Bayfront Park Marina. We get out to the Cardsound bridge where the bridge separates Pennecamp and our lobster hunting area. I see two divers in the water and for some reason I couldn't take my eyes off of one of them and his really slow swimming toward his boat in a heavy current. My buddy starts getting his dive equipment ready and I start trying to hook the anchor and that is when I notice the current is really strong so I mention it to my friend and he doesn't jump off the boat. The next thing I notice is one of the divers comes over to the boat and asked politely if he could hold on to the anchor line, I told him that it wasn't hooked yet so I told him to hold on to the swim platform which he did. He starts making fun of his friend with a bag of lobster swimming slowly to the boat and jokingly says I think he is going to drown and he laughs a pretty dry laugh. So I get this crazy feeling in my gut and I stopped trying to hook the anchor, suddenly his friend starts screaming that he needs help! I need help please! I'm drowning! were his exact words! the girl on his boat had no idea how to drive the boat and she was tiny so she couldn't even pull the anchor up. We drag his buddy on our boat which took what seems like forever because he was exhausted also. Finally we get the boat started and we are heading toward this guy at a pretty good clip when this guy goes under. My friends were screaming at his girl to call for help, she froze and just started crying with her hands on her face. The guy jumps out of the water like a polaris missle screaming in a voice I have never heard come from a man, it was soprano on blast. We throw a floater to him and he grabs it and just starts coughing up water and crying also. One of my friends dove in the water to help him get to the swim ladder and that is when we all think everything is over. NOT!! He was very overweight and exhausted and all he could do was hold on to our swim ladder and say thank you thank you over and over again. We got a rope around him finally and hauled him into the boat that is when everyone near us started clapping and whistling. Got a good job captain from the FWC that arrived shortly after everything was over. I don't think words can convey the feelings racing through me during the incident and how happy I was that everything turned out ok. Please train everyone on your boats on how to operate them with at least the basics. The Coast Guard mandates those throw cushions for a very good reason. They save lives!

Good job, good to know there are also people looking out for others down here.

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2006 Four Winns 278 Vista.
Volvo Penta 8.1L, Duo Prop,
Kohler 5E Generator.

First, and most importantly - good for you for helping them out!

But...as a Dive Instructor I have to ask the obvious questions....
Why didn't they inflate their BCs? They should have been floating like corks....
If they were so overweighted with lead that their BCs wouldn't float them, they don't know what they are doing and they shouldn't be diving (and who ever taught them to dive should be fired).
If they were drowning, they should have dropped their weight belts.
Dive he hold on to his lobsters or drop the bag?

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2002 Funship 214
VP 5.7 GX Si
2003 Tahoe

Great job!!

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1996 205 Sundowner DLX
5.0FL Volvo SX Cobra
Tow Veh: 2012 Nissan Frontier Pro-4X

Very poor instruction to them both! Panic had set in and there was a lot of screaming going on. If I was that guy I would never think of going diving again. He dropped the bag and they really didn't care they had a cooler with plenty of lobster they were trying to give us.

Exactly. Something smells fishy. I call B.S.

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Current Boat: 2000 Four Winns 298 Vista
Previous Boat: 2000 Carver 406MY

Great job! There are alot of cases where there are people doing something they havent been trained well to do and they might not realize it, or people doing something they know may be beyond their training. The point is, your instincts were right on and good on you following your gut on this one. You saved two lives and saved that gal some serious mental trauma that would've lasted a life time. I hope they know to thank God that you were there!! Great job Captain!

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1987 Sundowner 195, 4.3 OMC " Z boat"
1983 Wellcraft 248 Sportsman, 3.0L OMC Sea Drive "Born Again"
9' Patriot 40lbs TM "Quack Addict"

Thanks it was nice to help someone out in a moment of sheer panic, I hope I am never in that position since I do dive but If I am I hope someone helps me out also. I talked to my friends and they told me that they weren't wearing bc's and the equipment looked very old. They had no business diving for lobster especially the older guy he was seriously out of shape.

Yup - it happens....

Regardless, nice save on your part!

Erik

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2002 Funship 214
VP 5.7 GX Si
2003 Tahoe

That story gave me the chills Jafo. Excellent job! I'm glad everyone is alright!

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Jon & Rhonda

'88 235 Sundowner
5.7L OMC Cobra
'01 F150 4.2L

Yep, there BCs should have worked. Unless they ran out of air!!

Very Nice Save. Well done to you. Some more training for these guys is defo required.

Thanks guys, It was a great experience for me it far outdid the excitement of chasing those lobster around for hours.