Vessel Resolute II on patrol a few days before the incident.

Recently, USCG Auxiliary vessel, Resolute II, and her crew were definitely in the right place at the right time. The incident took place while they were on a routine safety patrol in Hurricane Pass, off Honeymoon Island, Florida.

Owner/coxswain Gary Gray of Clearwater was aboard his boat with crew members Walt Murray, also of Clearwater, and Max Garrison of Palm Harbor, when they observed a 14 foot sailing boat having problems.

At the moment they noticed it, a 20 to 25 mile an hour wind gust caused the sailboat to capsize throwing the sailor into the water. Coxswain Gray immediately steered his 31 foot trawler toward the sailboat and observed that the sailor was successful in righting his boat only to have it blown over again.

Gray maneuvered his larger boat to put himself between the sailboat and the wind and act as a windbreak. Although he did block some of the heavy winds, it was not enough and the sailboat again capsized. The tethered center board kept drifting away adding to the sailor's physical efforts.

Gray noted that the sailor was becoming visibly exhausted and asked if he had a life jacket. The sailor replied, "It was lost in the initial capsizing." A life jacket was passed over to him. Just then the mast and sail were lost and the sailboat was righted. The sailor was able to climb back in the boat and taken in tow.

The Auxiliary crew brought the smaller craft to within 20 feet of shore. Due to the extreme shallowness of the water, Gray used the wind to hold the sailboat in position, helping the tired sailor as much as possible. Pertinent case information was exchanged and the sailboat was released. It came to rest on the shore.

The entire episode took about 20 minutes but to the Auxiliary crew and 43-year old sailor, it seemed like an eternity. The consensus was that had the Auxiliary vessel not been in the right place at the right time, that the sailor might well have lost his life.

After assuring that the sailor was on dry land and was safe, Auxiliary vessel, Resolute II and her crew continued on its routine safety patrol.