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TowBoatU.S. Captains Come to the Rescue
of Four Offshore Kayak Fisherman

Life as a captain for TowBoatU.S. Ft. Lauderdale reminds us of a line in the movie Forrest Gump...“You never know what you’re gonna get!” It was Friday June 17th when a group of fisherman in Kayaks headed offshore with clear skies. What happened as the day progressed is best told in the words of Eric Laury, one of the two captains that helped bring four of the five men back to shore safely. The fifth was rescued by another boater.

Eric recalls, “It was just a normal day patrolling in Hillsboro Inlet. At approximately 1400 our office advised us that a nasty storm was approaching fast from the west. We remained on patrol till we finally made the call to take shelter at Lighthouse Point Marina. We had barely made it back to the dock as the storm went full force. I tied my vessel (TowBoatU.S. #4, a fast response vessel) to the fuel dock so I was at ready, while taking shelter in the dock house. Not even 10 minutes had passed and a mayday was heard over VHF16. I scrambled to my boat, untied and got underway as fast and safely as possible to the inlet with Captain Steve in another one of our boats not far behind. Unsure of exactly who was in distress and with whiteout conditions and winds estimated at 40 knots, there wasn’t even time to put rain gear on.

We quickly heard reports from a Coast Guard Urgent Marine Information Broadcast that the distress call came in for 3 kayakers. They were caught in the storm, in distress and in the water. The Broadcast gave a last known position that was passed from one of the distressed Kayakers via handheld VHF. We learned that another passing vessel helped him, but due to the 40 foot visibility, rain and strong wind, he had lost sight of the others. I double checked the coordinates with my dispatcher and began running south east out of the inlet as quickly as conditions would allow, Visibility was terrible with lots of lightning. I really had to be on my A game and remain as calm and focused as possible while thinking to myself these guys must be terrified. At one point during one of the most intense boat rides I have ever had, I may have ran through a water spout, the gusts were very severe and I could feel the boat trying to lift and get squirrelly. I squinted at my GPS as I was in the vicinity, I turned due east and two kayaks appeared right off my bow, I pulled the throttles back and approached safely. I then radioed in to my dispatcher and gave Captain Steve my position. One person in the water was holding on underneath the kayaks and the other was about 15 yards drifting away fast. I threw him my life ring and tied it off to the cleat and he began to pull himself in. The way I was positioned, the kayaks got blown alongside my vessel with the person still holding on. I yelled "do you want to get on with me?" He yelled back "hell yeah I do!!" They were so relieved, but we were not out of the woods yet. As soon as they were on board they advised me that two other kayakers were near them just to the east. The visibility was so bad we couldn’t see anything. I communicated this to Captain Steve and a short moment later Steve found the other two people!!! With fishing rods, tackle and coolers weighing down the kayaks, along with a violent 3ft chop and 40kt winds, I began to pull everything out of the water and lay it on the deck. I was eventually able to muscle the two kayaks on board and head to Hillsboro Inlet Park where the incident was concluded and everyone brought back to safety with Steve not far behind. All in all they were very thankful and surprised to see that TowBoatU.S. Ft. Lauderdale was first on scene. As one of the guys I found said “A towboat! I never expected to see you guys but am I glad you found us.”

Summer Thunderstorms can create dangerous conditions for boaters in South Florida. Whether your vessel of choice is a kayak or a mega yacht, remember to carry the proper safety equipment on board. The day could have ended much differently for these 5 guys if none of them had a life jacket, VHF radio or a GPS. For those with a propeller attached to your boat, don’t leave the dock without a TowBoatU.S. membership! Unlimited Gold membership is only $169.00 per year and offers peace of mind that is priceless. Call 954-783-7821 to sign up today!