When this Florida boater became stranded in the middle of the ocean, he thought he would meet his death in the dangerous waters. What happened next will take your breath away…
A Horrifying Night
“You know the world’s most interesting man? Well, I’m just the opposite,” 62-year-old boater Stuart Bee said. However, that did not stop Bee from going on the adventure of a lifetime – one he’s not keen to relive anytime soon. Last month, he went out on the ocean in his 32-foot pleasure boat, Sting Ray. Unfortunately, the boater made a critical error. While he knew of a problem with his boat’s engine, he decided to try and fix it while out on the ocean. When Bee went to sleep, everything seemed fine. But, when he awoke, everything had changed. Upon waking up, the 62-year-old discovered his entire cabin had filled with water! In a matter of moments, water pushed him out of the cabin and into open water. As he watched the stern sinking, Bee filled with fear. He was alone and stranded in the ocean.
Thankfully, friends and family on the coast started to worry when Bee did not check in. Soon enough, Port Canaveral Marina reported him missing, and a rescue team launched, looking for him. But finding him would be incredibly difficult, and Bee was running out of time…
Angeles, The Rescuer
Meanwhile, back in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, Bee starting experiencing a bit of good luck. While the stern of his boat sank, the bow remained out of the water. Bee spent the entire night on the bow of his boat, certain he would die when it finally sank into the ocean. Throughout the night, Bee tried to swim down into the boat and retrieve his locator beacon or other essentials, but each time he failed. The hours passed, with the boat slowly sinking into the water. With each minute that passed, the 62-year-old felt his hope dwindle.
In time, the sun rose the next day. Just as the water started to reach his feet, Bee saw something in the distance! It was a cargo freighter, Angeles! Mustering his last bit of strength and on the last bit of Sting Ray that remained out of the water, Bee ripped off his shirt and used it as a flag. Incredibly, the crew of Angeles managed to spot the older man and headed for straight for him. When they pulled him out of the Atlantic, the crew informed Bee that he had drifted 86 miles from shore!
A Man Rescued From The Sea
“We just rescued one person from a capsizing boat at sea,” the captain of the Angeles stated in a satellite call with the Coast Guard. “Bee. Stuart Bee.” In the picture posted on Twitter, the captain is standing next to the rescued man who’s wearing a new shirt – a personal present from him, a lucky garment that helped him get the job in the first place.
“This case, honestly, it’s an incredible outcome,” Petty Officer First Class David Micallef, spokesperson for the U.S. Coast Guard said. “I think it demonstrates the strong ties that the maritime community has with one another. We’re thankful that he’s going to be able to be on dry land soon.”
Meanwhile, Bee cannot believe his luck. “They’re just the nicest people ever,” Bee said about the Angeles crew saving his life.
Interested in more stories of survival at sea? Just click “Next Post” below to discover the story of Tami Oldham Ashcraft, the inspiration for the hit film Adrift.
Sources: CNN, Good News Network