Posted on 03/02/2009 12:06:36 PM PST by Reagan69
Nick Schuyler was taken via helicopter to Tampa General Hospital. Officials are still searching for former Buccaneers Corey Smith and Marquis Cooper, along with ex-USF football player William Bleakley.
(Excerpt) Read more at baynews9.com ...
These are football players we're talking about..
Forecast for >20 knot winds, >10' seas, 21' boat, >30+ miles from shore, treacherous Gulf........ nope, that certainly isn't a Rhodes Scholar equation...
As one who has survived seas equal in height to the length of our boat --- one can NEVER underestimate the danger of high winds and seas.....
Some stories say ~ 62 F. BBBRRRR.
Water temp high 60’s.
I am surprised anyone could survive due to hypothermia.
I have been on the ocean with 6-8’ seas in a 32’ sloop and that was not a pleasant experience.
I can not imagine why anyone would go out in a 21’ boat with 8’ seas.
I’m a Great Lakes boater and I sure as h3LL wouldn’t be anchored 35 miles out with 20 knot winds in my 25 foot single screw. What on earth were they thinking taking a small craft like that so far out in the ocean when they knew heavier seas were in the forecast?
No fish is worth that! Up here we have to worry about the silly fishermen on the ice floes.
Swimming 35 mi is a bit of a chore.
I figured that would be the case. People panic offshore. Leaving the vessel is ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS the wrong move! TO go that far offshore, with that forecast in that small of a boat with no beacon/transponder is worse than foolish. I wonder if they even had a radio?
I heard his Mom say that the told her he held on because he didn’t want her to have to go to his funeral. Now that’s one good son! My prayers for the other families, and for the boaters if they are still alive out there.
Thank you, Lord! Please let the other three be found alive.
“The story released here was that the other three members of the party elected it “swim” to shore.”
The initial report I read said that they were fishing about 50 miles out, but I’d like to know where the boat was when they found it, maybe they were a lot closer to shore when they anchored. In 62-degree water (even with life vests on), you don’t swim to shore from 50 miles out, and maybe not even from 5 miles out.
I used to rush to the slip in order to take advantage of winds greater than 25 knots! A real blast in a sail boat designed for heavy weather.
You know....there are 21' boats and there are 21' boats.
21' bass boats are made for "BASS FISHING"....!!
21' ocean going boats..are made for "OCEAN FISHING"...!!
You are comparing apples to oranges........................
Looked like they were all big, healthy guys and speaking as a fisherman, we sometimes do stupid things.
So did they find Cooper alive or not? Seems to me it shouldn’t take too long to confirm: 1) he was found and 2) he was found alive.
2:25 p.m. Nick Schuyler told his mom today that he survived by telling himself she was not going to go to his funeral, “that’s what kept him hanging on.’’ He’s dehydrated, has a few cuts and bruises and is heavily medicated. But his dad said Nick managed to say, “Hi, pop.’’ Marsha Schuyler said she passed out when she learned her son had survived.
http://www.tampabay.com/news/publicsafety/article980435.ece
Live coverage.
They reported repeatedly that Cooper was found alive and recovered by helicopter. They then took it back speculating that they wanted to contact the family first.
Now, total blackout about him being recovered, now he’s just reported as one of the other 3 missing.
I was attempting a slight bit of humor.
But make no mistake, there are no sea-worthy 21 footers when seas are over 5 feet. None.
Seriously stupid if true. Or seriously drunk or stoned. Perhaps under the influence before they left dry land.
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