A missing boater was rescued 86 miles away from shore clinging for his life on his capsized boat.
Missing Boater
Stuart Bee, a 62-year-old boater from Florida, recently went missing together with his 32-foot pleasure boat, Sting Ray. He was last seen on Port Canaveral Marina in Florida on November 27. An intensive search and rescue mission was immediately deployed for him.
Apparently, Stuart encountered engine trouble early in his trip. The experienced boater thought that he could fix it himself, so he didn’t radio for help. On Sunday after trying to fix the motor, he had fallen asleep only to be awakened by a gush of water flooding the cabin.
Capsized Boat
Sometime after midnight, the boat capsized, Stuart knew that he was in real trouble. He tried to retrieve his personal locator beacon by diving inside the boat but failed. He was unsure how long he could hold on for his life. But the Lord sent someone who could rescue Stuart.
“I thought that was it,” Stuart said in an interview recalling that he almost lost his hope of surviving the ordeal.
Rescue
Just after sunrise, he caught sight of a cargo freighter named Angeles, a Liberian container ship. Stuart used his shirt to catch the crew’s attention. He was rescued by the cargo’s crew after hours of clinging on his capsized boat 86 miles away from the shore.
“We just rescued one person from a capsizing boat at sea,” the captain of the Angeles confirmed in a satellite call with the Coast Guard. “Bee. Stuart Bee.”
#MustSee: Stuart Bee is recovered by the 225-foot motor vessel, #Angeles. The crew spotted the man clinging to the bow of the vessel and took him aboard and will transport him to shore. #BREAKING
Photo credit: crew member aboard the m/v Angeles. pic.twitter.com/1MSKcVRYG5— USCGSoutheast (@USCGSoutheast) November 30, 2020
Stuart remained aboard Angeles until its next scheduled trip to Wilmington, Delaware to deliver a cargo of bananas.
“They’re just the nicest people ever,” Bee said humbly of the men who’d saved his life.
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Reference: Good News Network