Missing NFL players update 03/27/09

[Ctskip]

It seems they were anchored and conditions worsened, they tried to retrieve the anchor, to no avail. They untied the anchor rode from the forward cleat and placed it on the port side aft cleat in a attempt to break lose the anchor. By putting the motor in forward and having the anchor rode tied off to the port side rear cleat, in what was becoming rough seas, they then gunned the 200 HP motor and the boat lurched and capsized. Leaving the four men hanging onto the capsized boat. Three slipped away from hypothermia and exhaustion and were never seen again, the fourth was rescued. The boat was released to family members today.

Keep it up,
Ctskip

 

[kloudie1]

Missing NFL Players

So they were not 35 miles offshore as some reports stated..
This report actually makes sense.. Thanks

 

[sailaway78]

I heard

I heard it a little different, so who knows. Supposedly, the survivor said that they couldn't get the anchor loose. Except I understood that they couldn't get it loose from the boat, not from the bottom. Either way, a good sharp knife would have fixed that problem. Surely they did not have an all chain rode on that boat. Depending on how far off they were, water depth should have been a little over 100'. Was there not enough brain power there, to just cut the anchor line. I don't know or care about what others think about the value of their anchor, but mine certainly isn't worth more than the boat or a life. Also seems a good possibility that some of them swallowed a bunch of salt water, which caused all sorts of crazy stuff to happen. We will problably never know the whole complete truth.

 

[sailingdog]

I'm wondering what would have happened if they had stayed anchored, and not tried to pull the anchor free. A properly anchored boat, with decent ground tackle is going to be able to ride out quite a bit.

 

[tommays]

IMHP i was just lucky and lived through all the stupid stuff i did

Hardly anybody wears a lifejacket to this day and when i was doing distance races 25 years ago a harness was pretty rare and poeple use to make fun of me because i allways wore a lifevest

I can say without dought that the boat i was on NEVER droped out of a race becasue it was bad weather even 50 knots, and its unlikely if i had gone overboard in a spring race i would be typing this


Because even with a lifesling i want see you get somebody back onboard in 10 to 15 ' seas

 

[mccary]

I can say without dought that the boat i was on NEVER droped out of a race becasue it was bad weather even 50 knots, and its unlikely if i had gone overboard in a spring race i would be typing this

Well, first I seriously doubt your boat was a 20 something open fishing boat. Sailboats are generally more stable than open fishing boats. It seems to me, the problem here was not knowing weather prediction for the area and failing that they did not read the rapidly changing weather. Were there small craft warnings posted for that area? This seems to be a general lack of good seamanship. Perhaps there too much machismo and not much common sea sense.

 

[tommays]

I think you miss the point

As far as sailboat racing there is a LOT of "machismo" when it comes to distance racing and racing in general as to when its NOT safe

 

[sailaway78]

My understanding

My understanding is that there were small craft advisories posted. Also read somewhere that at least one other boat had headed out, and decided to turn around and not go out. Also it was a pretty new boat and owner. I think that there may have been some macho involved, but much more than that was a lack of knowledge, and a lack of respect for ol mamma nature. And we all know that if you don't respect mamma nature, she will take a big bit out of your butt.

 

[Ctskip]

Re: My understanding

It was an amateurish mistake to begin with. Not only going out in iffy weather in a boat that I'm sure, wasn't properly set up for a overnight. Then, to untie the anchor and retie it to the rear cleat in hopes of breaking it loose. I'd be afraid that it would pull the transom off the boat. They should of just let the darn thing go and motored back home. Now here we are talking about their degree of intellect. Sad all the way around. I know I would of let it go as soon as the waves picked up.

Keep it up,
Ctskip

 

[Scott T-Bird]

I think it is a sad story and a tragedy ...

and it is hard from my standpoint to condemn anybody in their position. Four young guys in their 20's ... football players who find themselves with some decent money and looking at boating as a source of clean-cut fun. So one of them buys a nice boat but they all may have lacked some basic seamanship skills that might have saved them. Their upbringing may have never allowed them the privilege of learning boating skills as many of us did in our childhood under safer circumstances. And I certainly got away with a lot of shit that could have killed me at that age.

It does seem odd that they tried that tactic to break out the anchor. Unfortunately, they didn't get a second chance to learn that it wasn't the right thing to do. I'd bet all of us have made mistakes but didn't have to pay for them with our life.

The short video that I saw of the rescue showed the survivor sitting on top of the overturned stern with his arms wrapped around the lower unit of the engine for support. This is a position that seems possible for only one person at a time. The other 3 would have had to try holding on to the slick sides of the overturned boat as hypothermia was setting in. Hypothermia is particularly deadly because it causes complacency and attacks your will to live and in water that is less than 70 degrees, it would happen quickly even with life jackets on. I was led to questioning whether or not the four individuals shared periods of time at what seemed to be the preferred position atop the boat clinging to the engine and out of the water and if the survivor simply had more resistance to hypothermia over a long period of time. On a darker note, was there a struggle among them for that position? I am sure we may never know and it would have to be a difficult thing for the survivor to admit. Those were just some of my thoughts.

 

[Cpt. Jon]

http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/sp...ng-accident-blamed-on-improper-anchoring.html

A lot of fishermen will use the method described to break free a stuck anchors. I agree that the anchor isn't worth the boat or life, but I am sure that they didn't had any idea what was about to happen. I suspect they've used this method to unstick anchors in the past and this time a big wave got em when they were at the end of their rope and the wave swallowed the boat up. It's bad luck. It should probably be attributed to 'improper anchor retrieval' not 'improper anchoring'.

 

[LooseDiamond]

If you are in a pwr boat and the anchor is stern to the waves/wind, it will not take but one or two waves to swamp the boat. Been there. The father-in-law (captain) et al were snapper fishing, and put out the stern anchor to get right over wreck. Bow anchor let loose, and we were stern on. To his credit, he grabbed the knife and immediately cut the line. Could have gone bad in an instant.

 

[TimCup]

Actually, Kloudie, they were. The Facts:

The were 35 miles offshore. They were in 120-138 feet of water, depending on the report.

Cooper had lost an anchor the week before the same way, and did not want to cut this one loose, which is why he retied it to the port side transom cleat. Attempting to break it free, he gunned his 200 hp motor. The anchor held, and the transom was swamped, capsizing the boat.

When I first reported the account on this site, I mentioned the following boat, a 19 footer, that followed this boat (21 footer) from the time they left the marina, around 6:30 am, until that boat determined the winds were building too strong, and turned around at about 11:30 am. The football players decided to head back in around 5:30 that afternoon, at which point everything went wrong.

The anchor continued to hold, subjecting the boat to heavy seas in spite of it's floatation. Eventually, Schuler, the survivor, used the propeller to cut the rode, allowing them to stay mostly out of the water, on top of the boat.

IMHO, there were mistakes made, but not stupid mistakes; more a lack of experience. I think most seamen have done things risky to save equipment rather than lose it. I know I have...

The admiral has newfound repect for me today, since in her eyes, I make the right decision during her most harrowing experience ( racing back to our marina, we were caught by a horrendous storm, and our outboard quit just outside the rock breakwater. I tied both anchors to the stern cleats, as it wasn't safe to climb forward, and time was of the essence. Green water was swamping the motor with every wave, and after 15 minutes, we began to move toward the rocks again. I managed to finally get the motor going, but had no choice but to cut the 2nd anchor free so I could turn and avoid the rocks). I know the circumstances weren't the same, but her confidence in me has grown, none the less...


I wish I knew more details about his boating experience. Did he know about getting directly above the anchor to free it? Having the same problem 2 times in a row makes me believe he did not (just my opinion). I've never lost an anchor I couldn't break free, though I'm sure it happens. To me, it seems when there's a tragedy like this, there winds up being a perfect storm of errors and bad luck striking together.

There is more info at sptimes.com for anyone interested...


cup

 

[kloudie1]

Tim, I was making the assumption that they’d not have 300-400 feet of anchor rode aboard that boat.. Wrong, I guess.. or they were in shallower water. Like I said, the report makes much more sense now that we know a little more of what was happening.. not unusual to do what they did in an attempt to to free an anchor.