July, 27th 2003 I have spent a good part of my life at sea, and the rest in boathouses and it is a tight knit community. I had a younger brother who was 10 years my junior and his name was Stuart. A great boatbuilder, he was the best glass guy , sander and paint and prep guy I have ever seen. He built beautiful custom fishing rods and his duck hunting prowess was legendary around here. But his real talent laid in the cockpit of a big Carolina boat. As mate he won many tournaments including the 1999 Big Rock onboard the Dancin Outlaw with Thomas Wood. From 2000 on he worked with Capt Glynn Loftin onboard the Frequent Flyer. They ran charters together and were hell on the tournament scene. Glynns stories of their bluefin fishing together are priceless. July 27th, 2003 started for me at Discovery Diving. I had run the Sea Quest II the day before for Jerry, as he needed a day off to do something with his son. But today I got to go play, to go diving and just help out on the boat. It was a beautiful day, slick calm and sunny, we ran offshore to the wreck of the Papoose. I hit the water right after the mate that went in with the anchor to tie us in. Beautiful vis , warm clear water, I was having a blast. The Papoose is almost upside down and I love to go aft in her and go in the engineroom so that is where I headed. Thru the hole near the sand on the east side I entered the huge space. The sunlight coming in from the holes in the top of the wreck, it is a beautiful and peaceful place. I messed around inside for 20 mins then headed back to the anchor to go head up and do my deco. This same morning Stuart was onboard the Frequent Flyer offshore of the Big Rock marlin fishing with a one of their regular charters from Jacksonville. The first bite was a sailfish and they made short work of that. The second bite was a blue Marlin and they did battle and Stuart got him to the wire and released him. That was about 9.15. The same time I was in the engineroom of the Papoose. Stuart got the lines back out and told Glynn he wasnt feeling good and was going to go lay down in the cabin for a few, as he walked into the cabin he collapsed to the deck. Glynn flew down below and saw he had no heart beat and started CPR, he got someone in the party to takeover as the rest of the guys got the lines in so they could get underway. When everything was clear he got underway and called the Coast Guard, and the fleet to see if there was a doctor onboard any of them. Pete Manual on the Delta Dawn ran them down and passed Nitro over to them and he put a man aboard as well. Glynn pointed her for the inlet and let her out and put Jay on the helm and when down to see what he could do. 9.38 am. I am aboard the Sea Quest II and in the pilot house drying off and changing into dry clothes when Terrell Gould on the Harriett L calls and ask Jerry to get me. Terrell told me to switch to 22 that the Coast Guard needed to talk to me. I did and they started asking me questions about my brother and his medical history. We were just getting underway for the next dive site and while I am talking to the USCG I see Jerry punch in the inlet in the GPS and take her to about 150 turns from the top. We are headed ashore at nearly 26 knots. The word coming from Frequent Flyer isnt very good, no pulse , no breathing. We get in cell range and I start calling, my wife , his wife, my parents, my sisters. Finally there is nothing left and I can listen to the radio no longer. I go out back and sit on the stern with my feet resting on the swim platform. We are coming in from out south, and I can look to the east and see the Frequent Flyer coming from the southeast, coming hard. I see the chopper coming and then I see them turn away and head back ashore. I found out later they lost a turbine and had to abort. I fix on the Flyer , all the time doing the time and distance problem in my head. I say a prayer and just look at her running, knowing there is not one turn left in the engines but urging them on just the same. Talking to myself, repeating time and again go big girl go. The Flyer beat us in the inlet and went to the Coast Guard Station. I had someone bring my truck from the diveshop to a marina near the inlet and Jerry dropped me there and I flew to the hospital. When I got there my mother and father were there, mother by the door of the emergency room, my dad in the back where the ambulances come in. Shortly after I got there my sister and sister in law got there. They had been at the station when the Flyer docked. My sisters eyes and mine met and she shook her head and I knew. I went to my mother and told her, then out back to tell dad. I posted earlier that I had alot of stories and that not all of them were funny. This one surely isnt. Was the worst week of my life. But, I tell this story so I can tell the rest of it. This happened on a Sunday. We had his funeral on Thursday. That evening they had the Captains Party for the Ducks Unlimited Tournament. And I attended. So did Stuarts wife. We needed to be around old friends and it was helpful. Then the word got out as to what had happened. And the most wonderful thing began to happen. My brother had no insurance, hell he was 31 and he and Elaina had been married a couple of years. That night and that weekend the people fishing in that tournament raised a nest egg to help out my sister-in-law. Nobody asked them to, nobody even thought about that, but from the goodness of their hearts they reached out to her and gave her a hand up when she had lost almost everything. That is what I love about the boating and fishing community, you meet a few true jerks but most of them are good as gold and will do anything they can to help you. I know it to be true because I have seen it first hand. I have lived it.
Posted on: Sat, 08 Nov 2014 01:38:50 +0000
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