When we’re young, we tend to do dumb stuff. I, for example, hopped onto the trunk of a friend’s car when I was 16 because I was too lazy to walk down a gravel road to the parking lot. Which is how I ended up in the hospital with a traumatic brain injury, some road rash, and two pulled hamstrings. It was not fun, and all these years later, I still deal with the side effects of the TBI. But at least I didn’t take a jon boat out into the ocean without a life jacket or emergency beacon and end up lost at sea for nearly two days?
CNN reports that 25-year-old Florida man Charles Gregory was recently rescued after he was spotted about 12 miles from shore. Thirty hours earlier, he had taken his 12-foot jon boat out fishing off the coast of St. Augustine. But the tide changed more quickly than anticipated, and then a wave knocked him into the water. If you’re not familiar with jon boats, they’re low-sided, flat-bottomed boats commonly used for hunting and fishing on lakes and other calm bodies of water. They can also be sold to bail grandma out of jail after she gets caught selling pot to kids. And while you can technically use one in the ocean, it’s generally not considered a good idea because, well, something like this might happen.
Unfortunately for Gregory, it also doesn’t appear that he had a life jacket with him, which meant that even though he was able to climb back into his now partially submerged boat, he was in an incredibly precarious position as his boat got swept out to sea. While he was out there, he reportedly suffered a number of jellyfish stings, saw sharks, and got incredibly sunburned. In a desperate attempt to keep the boat afloat, he even dropped the engine. Apparently, he also took off his swimsuit to use as a flag to hopefully get the attention of other boats or planes.
Eventually, though, he was rescued before the sharks could get to him. Gregory’s father told CNN that “he’s exhausted, he’s dehydrated and is suffering from Rhabdomyolysis,” a dangerous muscle condition popularized by Crossfit. He’s understandably uncomfortable right now, but he’s reportedly expected to make a full recovery. And while he’s now safe, things could have easily gone much, much worse.
“While this case resulted in rescuing Charles from a life-threatening situation, it highlights the importance of having safety gear onboard and being prepared for the worst,” Coast Guard Sector Jacksonville Commander Nick Barrow told CNN. “If you plan to head out on the water, remember to have a life jacket, VHF marine grade radio, signaling devices, and an emergency personal locator beacon to contact first responders in case you are in need of assistance.”