Posted on 03/04/2009 10:46:36 AM PST by Zakeet
As the Coast Guard ended its search for three missing football players whose boat tipped over in high Florida seas, the lone survivor said two of those lost gave up after hours in the frigid water and the third tried to swim to safety.
South Florida player Nick Schuyler told investigators that all four of the friends on a fishing excursion were initially wearing life vests and clinging to the 21-foot boat belonging to Oakland Raiders linebacker Marquis Cooper.
But two to four hours after the boat capsized, one of the NFL players removed his life jacket and let himself be swept out to sea, the St. Petersburg Times reported. A few hours later, the other one followed suit.
"We were told that Nick said the two NFL players took their life jackets off and drifted out to sea," said Bob Bleakley, whose son Will Bleakley, 25, is also still missing.
After Cooper, 26, and Corey Smith, 29, were carried away, Bleakley and Schuyler hung on until morning — but then Bleakley decided to swim to get help when he thought he saw a distant light, the paper said.
He, too, took his life vest off, 24-year-old Schuyler told the families.
"I think he was delusional to think he could swim someplace," the Times quoted Bob Bleakley as saying.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
Sad story; and a strange one. . .but do not want ever to fing out just what I might do under similar circumstances. . .Am guessing that no one was able to get up on the boat (what to hold?) but rather; survivor just held on to ‘anchored’ boat; from side and/or underneath?
It is hard to figure; ‘son’ gives up and leaves Father as well. It must have been very cold out there. Am guessing there had to be a real fear of sharks as well.
Whew. What a story.
That, and the effects of hypoxia caused by prolonged lack of oxygen.
I don’t want to be a jerk, but a 21’ boat on open water?
That may seem like a pretty good sized boat when you’re on shore, or putttering around the intercoastal, but it’s really awfully small to take that far out.
I think that’s a lake boat, not an ocean boat.
Okay Macho Man - you’re tougher physically and mentally than three pro football players.
Good point; they were ‘big’ but no doubt; more ‘muscled’ than most non-athletes, their same size. Had not thought of how important real ‘fat’ is; in THIS situation. . .
I remember this happened to the Californian stranded by the Rogue River in Oregon last winter—suffering from the effects of hypothermia, he actually shed most of his clothes near where he was found.
The rescuers said this is common; that you kind of lose your mind as you get close to dying from cold.
Best short story ever written on this sad subject: “To Build a Fire” by Jack London. Look it up on Google; it is quick and easy to read; a powerful story.
Have you ever tried to work with an anchor line where the anchor is on the bottom and you are floating in the water?
That is assuming the line remained on tied to the boat...
Add 14 foot seas and you just just compounded your problem.
I used to free lobster pots caught in the rudders of sailboats, now I could control the situation pretty well and it is seriously rough duty.
They were simply unable to be effective.
It was the quick thinking of Bleakly to get the flotation elements that really gave them their best chance. Diving under a flipped boat in those seas is quite dangerous. You could easily be knocked out by the craft rolling in the waves.
Good Lord, I’m not macho I’m just saying when theirs a will theirs a way. And to be honest who’s to say I’m not, who’s to say your not?? People can be tough in their own way.
So sad ... most likely anxiety and delusion
prompted their leaving the certainty of
staying with the boat.
Schuyler has to be one tough guy.
God be with their families.
Am guessing that no one was able to get up on the boat (what to hold?)
The pictures of the rescue showed the survivor sitting on top of the over-turned boat, clutching the bottom half of the motor with his arms and legs. I doubt all three could have stayed up there though :(
Well, they DID play for Detroit and Oakland...
It is not uncommon in such a situation. This is an excellent book for anyone interested in survival psychology.
I understand what you were saying.
I went through a couple of AF survival schools.
The first thing they tell you is that your attitude is a large percentage of the game of living in a dicey situation.
A good attitude, the ability to convince yourself that you can take much more than your mind thinks you can, and always keeping yourself busy trying to think of ways you can get out of your situation is key.
-PJ
Finally someone understands what I’m saying XD
How cold is that water this time of year?
Answer:
Miami (FWYF1)
25.59°, -80.1°
Air temperature: 66°
Water temperature: 73°
Pressure tendency: -1.6 in.
Wind speed: NE at 20 kts.
Wind gust: 25 kts.
Wave height: no report
Wed, 04 Mar 2009 19:15:02 GMT
Sad.
Are you familiar with the water? It is typically like glass over here. Personally I wouldn’t go that far with that type of boat but people do it all the time. The Everglade boat is similar to a Boston Whaler by design - foam infused hull which makes them virtually unsinkable so people don’t worry about “sinking” however capsizing is a totally different issue. It gives people a false sense of security.
Remember 30 miles out sounds like a far distance however when you think that is less than a 90 minute trip...you think you have all the time in world.
The boat design overall is excellent. Take a look up in New England at boats like the Crosby Striper - down east hull, 21 feet used to fish in some of the roughest waters off Nantucket. Boat is slow but can handle most things the sea can throw at it.
They also could have been hit by a rogue wave before the front hit. If you are not aware of the danger of rogue waves you wouldn’t be on the lookout for them.
Whenever you anchor in open sea someone must always be on watch.
they probably had accidentally ingested enough saltwater to mess with their minds.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.