After I took the photos in yesterday’s post, I was playing around making some abstract motion images when I noticed this:
Being a boater and an occasional safe boating instructor myself, I knew whoever was on this boat was not having any fun at all.
I started watching. There was no one else on the beach right there and no one in the nearby homes seemed to be out watching. I noticed that there appeared to be only one person on board and that person was not at the helm. I decided to run back for my telephoto lens to get a better look.
There was definitely only one person on board and he was up at the bow. Without sails the boat would be difficult to steer in that weather. For him to have given up trying I figured the rudder must be broken or he was having no success. I realized he was up on the bow using his own body weight to try to keep the bow down. I also noticed here the anchor line. That told me something since throwing out your anchor in a storm is a good way to keep your bow to the wind and try to control the boat, but that anchor wasn’t holding in this weather.
And now he’s gone. Well he’s still there, but the wave knocked him off his feet. When you zoom right in to this photo you can see his feet up in the air. He almost got washed over.
I decided to call the coast guard. I hesitated for a moment because I knew he might end up having to abandon his ship which would then be at the mercy of mother nature who obviously was not in a good mood. But I decided if that was me I would be ready to be rescued.
I was very concerned for the sailor but I was also pretty excited at the opportunity of photographing the rescue vehicles with their lights driving on the beach! That’s not something you see every day. Here come the firemen and the beach patrol.
The beach patrol brought along a jet ski and the launch did not go smoothly. They went a little too slowly and one wheel of the trailer got stuck in the sand.
Good thing the firemen were there to help them haul it out of the wet sand so they could try again.
Finally the launch is successful!
A fireman observes as the coast guard goes out to the boat in the jet ski. Just look at the beautiful light that came at that moment.
You can tell in this image how close the sailboat is to the shore. That didn’t make the weather any more bearable for the sailor – it must have been frustrating not being able to beach the boat like you could a power boat.
By this time things had settled down on shore so I approached the man who looked to be charge and told him I was the person who phoned and hoped it was the right thing to do. He told me it was definitely the right thing to do. The sailor was indeed in big trouble and needed help.
If the procedures are like they are at home in Canada, the coast guard would ask the sailor if he wants to be rescued because he would have to abandon the boat. They rescue people not vessels. He must have agreed because the coast guard jet ski returned to pick up another member and a life raft.
The sailor is going to have to make his best jump from the boat to the raft.
And he missed, but thankfully that extra coast guard member was there to pick him up out of the water.
And he is back on solid ground.
The coast guard did go out and attach an additional anchor to the boat to try to prevent it from drifting down the coast and breaking into pieces when it hits something. I thought that was pretty nice of them and felt relieved since it is such a beautiful boat.
It turned out that the sailor was 73 years old. When they asked him questions he was so exhausted from his ordeal he could barely whisper.
You’re welcome 🙂
Well I hope you enjoyed my story-telling images! This is not my usual kind of thing to photograph but I had to take the opportunity that came to me. Most of all, I was really happy the sailor was ok.
What an amazing story, Anne, and marvelous images. Ya done good, twice over!
Hi Edie! Thank you so much for your comments and I’m glad you liked the story. Hey did you get a copy of the ebook? I’m sorry I think I told you I would let you know when it was out and then I didn’t. But hey it’s still there and it’s still free! You can grab a copy via the sidebar on the blog or footer on any page on my website. I would love to get your feedback on it as I am planning on doing more. Thanks again.
A perfect example of being in the right place at the right time, knowing your boating and doing exactly the right thing to help the sailor. I’m so glad his boat was rescued, too. Brava, Anne!
Thanks Mim! I’m glad I was there at the right time too, I almost didn’t go!
My God, I got goosebumps with this post, Anne! What an incredible story! You are amazing, my friend, NICE work there!!! Great pictures of the story as it unfolds, too!! AWESOME, AWESOME post!
Hey Toad, thank you so much, I really appreciate your comments and I’m glad the feelings I had at the time came through in the writing and photographs. I’m very glad you enjoyed it.
Like you, Anne, I’m a long-time boater, so this story really resonated with me…every boater’s worst nightmare! But thankfully, with a happy ending. I am so glad you were there with your OBSERVENT photographer’s eye – not to mention your timely decision to take action – otherwise this man might now be dead and his beautiful boat smashed to bits. Great images! They really do a first-rate job at conveying the drama of the situation, and the sea state (which is often difficult to show in photos). Well done!
BTW if you feel like a bit of home, I recently posted a new piece, Reflections on the Origin on Totem Poles
Hi Laurie! Thank you so much for your very kind comments! The sea state is a very hard thing to bring out in photography. It always seems that the waves look tiny compared to what they really were. I think that first photo shows it best where you cannot see the boat at all, only the mast. Thanks for mentioning your recent blog post, I really enjoyed you insight and images. Those reflections really do look like totem poles.
What a cool piece of reportage work. Great story, well told and a real story line with the images.
Thanks very much Andy I’m so glad you enjoyed it.
Incredible, Anne – great story and photos. Thanks for sharing, and way to go!!
Hi Kerry! Hey, great to see you here 🙂 Thanks so much for stopping by and leaving your comments, I’m really glad you enjoyed the story and images.
Well done and nicely documented Anne. The worst that could have happened is that he was embarrassed or even angry, but in all likelihood you saved him from serious injury or worse. If you believe in Karma, good things should be coming your way!
Thank you so much Michael! I really feel like I’ve already received so much good karma with being able to make the changes to my life that I wanted to make and now having the freedom to travel and photograph, I was just giving back. I’m very glad I was there at the time I could help someone. Thanks again for your kind comments.
Great write-up and images Anne. That added a little extra excitment to your journey. And as Michael said, that’s gotta be good Karma.
Hi Russ, I’m glad you enjoyed the story! It certainly was exciting for me, not that the journey has not already been exciting enough. I do what I can to earn good karma, I think it really works. Thanks again for your comments.
As we age and move on to the end……we all have to make choices in leaving what we may love so much, or, meet our end trying to perpetuate that love, I.E.-Sailing. Or maybe our freedom of driving our own car, or enjoying riding our horse. There is hardly a day that passes that we don’t hear of someone meeting their end and maybe taking an innocent with them. There comes a time when we will have to limit our most loved experiences on a couch safe at home, or die trying to do what what love to do with diminished physical ablilities.
”
Ride it like you stole it…sail-it like the wind will never blow again, or fly-it like t-moro the wings will fall off it!!!
All good things come to an end.
Lord let me check out in a blaze of glory, and harm no-one else!
Hi Buzz, thank you so much for your wonderful insight! You are so right, I think we all want to do what we love until the absolute end, or at least until we cannot do it with the best of our abilities anymore. It is one of the reasons I decided to take this trip now while I have the ability and health to do it. Hopefully that ability and health will last for a very long time, but one never knows… Thanks again for your visit and comments.
Anne,
Thank you for having the presence of mind to make the call but also to keep taking the photos.
I have done some newspaper editorial work and even with that experience it is sometimes easy to simply stare in awe at things happening around you.
Great job, at being a savior and a photographer.
Thank you so much Jon, that really means a lot to me. I could hardly believe it when the rescue vehicles came rushing down the beach! Even though I had driven on the beach myself the day before, I wasn’t really expecting them to come on the beach. I was like a kid in a candy store. Thanks for your comments, they are much appreciated.
Wow Anne! If nothing else your whole trip this year was worth it for this moment! I’m so glad you called for help, that poor guy. Not to mention some amazing images as a good karma bonus. Have a very Merry Christmas and holiday season!
Hi Howard, thanks for your visit! It was a moment to remember, that last photo where he waved at me to say thank you. I’m just glad everything turned out ok and I think they saved his boat too. Thanks again for taking the time to comment.
Wow can’t believe I missed this the other day. Great post Anne. Thank god you were there and called the Coast Guard. Have you ever thought of photojournalism? These are terrific captures. Really well done. The images really tell the story.
Hi Edith! Yes actually I was on a path to photojournalism about oh 20 years ago but somehow I decided that all the good photojournalists make their name by risking their lives in a war zone and at the same time I started getting really good work in technical writing. One thing led to another and I ended up doing business analysis for software development projects! It’s amazing really how one contract led to another and my life just went a different way. I guess it’s good on one hand because I had a great career and now I have the opportunity to follow the photography/writing path without being a starving artist. Well at least I’m not starving yet, maybe next year! 🙂
Wow! What an amazing story and hooray for your role in it Anne! Well done indeed. Did you ever get in touch with the fellow or to pass on the images?
Life is always in motion around us..
Hi Jordan, no I never did make contact with the sailor. Maybe if he ever googles the event he might find it. I wasn’t sure if it is something he would want to see! Maybe he just wants to forget it and wish he didn’t go out on that day. Anyway it helps people gain an appreciation of the power of mother nature (and the power of the coast guard!). Thank you very much for your visit and comments.
what a wonderful story anne and you are a real hero in my books..your pic. are amazing..i know you will have a happy new year now i hope you and ray realize that the adventure you are on is one in a million and i think you were there to safe the boater..good karma in store for you!!love sharon and gordie
Hi Sharon, good to see you here! Yes, Ray and I realize how lucky we are to be able to live this adventure, but hopefully it is not one in a million, but one of many more to come! I hope we can become snowbirds after this first year is over.
Great work Anne, thanks for sharing your eye witness account and photos of this rescue. It’s a great resource for training!
Thank you very much Shawn! I never thought of using it for training purposes, good idea. I used to be executive officer of my local power squadron and taught the occasional boating course. I think I will email them and see if they want to use the images for their class. Thanks for the idea! And thank you for your visit and comments too.