“Tommy this is no joke,” Raindancer owner Rick Rodriguez texted his friend and fellow sailor. “We hit a whale and the ship went down.” He and his three friends escaped the sinking ship and sent out a distress signal after an encounter with a massive whale.
There have been about 1,200 reports of whales and boats colliding since a worldwide database launched in 2007, said Kate Wilson, a spokeswoman for the International Whaling Commission. Collisions that cause significant damage are rare, the U.S. Coast Guard said, noting the last rescue attributed to damage from a whale was thein 2009 off Baja California, with that crew rescued by Coast Guard helicopter.
Water already above the floor within minutes. Rodriguez made a mayday call on the VHF radio and set off the Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon . The distress signal was picked up by officials in Peru, who alerted the U.S. Coast Guard District 11 in Alameda, Calif., which is in charge of U.S. vessels in the Pacific.
Rodriguez and Simon Fischer handed the items down to the women in the dinghy, but in the turmoil, they left a bag with their passports behind. They stepped into the water themselves just as the deck went under.Rodriguez swam to the life raft, climbed in and looked back to see the last 10 feet of the mast sinking “at an unbelievable speed,” he said.
Rodriguez’s confidence was earned. A 31-year-old from Tavernier, Fla., he had spent about 10 years working as a professional yacht captain, mate and engineer. He bought the Raindancer in 2021 and lived on her, putting sweat equity into getting the boat. built in 1976, ready for his dream trip.Both he and Brateanu, 25, from Newcastle, England, have mariner survival training. Litz, 32, from Comox, British Columbia, was formerly a firefighter in the Canadian military.
“The seas weren’t terrible but we’ve never done a search and rescue,” he said. He wasn’t sure whether they would be able to find the life raft without traveling back and forth.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Rick Ross' Buffaloes Are Roaming and Pissing Off His NeighborRick Ross' neighbor is pissed over his two pet buffalo roaming onto her property.
Read more »
Rick Ross' Pet Buffaloes Are Roaming Free and Upsetting His NeighborsRick Ross’ pet buffaloes, which were gifted to the rapper/landscaper almost exactly a year ago, are becoming a nuisance to his neighbors
Read more »
Rick Ross's Beloved Buffalo Annoy Neighbors“This is something I spoke into existence,” the rapper-exec said, before thinking to put up a fence.
Read more »
Rick Ross’ Buffaloes Wreak Havoc on Neighbor’s PropertyRick Ross’ pets have frightened his neighbor—not because of their bark or bite, but because they’re buffaloes.
Read more »
Rick Pitino meeting with St. John’s higher-ups as courtship intensifiesSt. John’s courtship of Rick Pitino will take its next step Sunday night.
Read more »
EXCLUSIVE: Def Leppard drummer Rick Allen issues statement on Florida attackDef Leppard drummer Rick Allen thanks fans for “overwhelming support” after assault outside South Florida hotel. 'We ask you to join us in our effort to move from confusion and shock to compassion and empathy.'
Read more »