4 men rescued from sinking ship in Pacific Ocean

By On Mar 26, 2023

THE ORDEAL BEGAN A LITTLE MORE THAN HALFWAY THROUGH THE RAIN. DANCERS 21 DAY SAIL FROM THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS TO FRENCH POLYNESIA. WHEN IT WAS STRUCK BY A WHALE, JUST BY THE NATURE OF THEIR IMPACT AND HOW STRONG IT WAS AND HOW FAST THE WATER WAS COMING IN, I DOING RIGHT OFF THE BAT THAT WE WERE NOT IN A GOOD SITUATION. THE CREW OF FOUR HAD JUST MINUTES TO GATHER SUPPLIES INTO A LIFE RAFT BEFORE THE BOAT QUICKLY SANK. HE’S MENTIONED, HEY THERE A POST OUT THERE THAT THERE’S A BOAT, YOU KNOW, EMERGENCY AND HE’S LIKE, IT LOOKS LIKE YOU’RE PRETTY CLOSE. THAT’S WHERE MOSQUITOS JEFF STONE CAME IN WITH HIS FATHER IN LAW, BROTHER AND FRIEND, ALL FROM WISCONSIN. SAILING THE SAME BASIC ROUTE, THOUGH HUNDREDS OF MILES FROM LAND. THEY WERE JUST 35 MILES FROM THE DISTRESS CALL. WE QUICKLY CAME TO REALIZE THAT WE’RE THE CLOSEST BOAT AND SO WE CHANGED COURSE AND STARTED HEADING TOWARDS THEM. KIND OF LIKE A SLOW MO AND AN EMERGENCY, THOUGH, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, IT TURNS KHERSON AND IT’S LIKE 9 HOURS LATER WE’LL FIND THEM. JEFF CUT HIS TEETH SAILING OUT OF MCKINLEY MARINA HERE, WHERE ALL THE RISK OF RUNNING INTO A WHALE IS DECIDED LESS. IT’S STILL INGRAINED THAT SENSE OF COMMUNITY AMONG SAILORS. THAT MEANT HE DIDN’T HESITATE TO HELP. WE WERE IN DISTRESS. YOU’D WANT SOMEONE TO CHANGE COURSE AND COME AND GET ON. SO IT’S PAY IT FORWARD. HOW DID IT FEEL WHEN YOU COULD SEE THEM? THEIR LIGHTS RIGHT IN THE DARK? HOW DID IT FEEL WHEN YOU SAW THEM AND REALIZED, HEY, THAT’S. THAT’S THEM. I JUST GET GOOSE BUMPS EVEN JUST THINKING ABOUT IT AGAIN, LIKE IT WAS PURE ELATION, I THINK ON OUR ON OUR BOAT AND AND ON THE RAFT AS WELL. TALKING TO THEM. IT TOOK ANOTHER NINE DAYS TO ARRIVE. AND FRENCH POLYNESIA, BUT THE COMBINED CREW’S BONDED, MAKING THE BEST OF IT. WORDS CAN’T DESCRIBE HOW GRATEFUL WE ARE. GRATEFUL TO FOUR SCONCES, A LONG WAY FROM HOME. NICK BOHR W WILSON 12 NEWS. JEFF STONE SAYS THEY’LL SPEND THE NEXT FEW WEEKS ABOARD HIS BOAT CALLED THE ROLLING STONES, SAILING AROUND FRENC

‘Words can’t describe how grateful we are’: 4 men rescued from sinking ship in Pacific Ocean

Four people sailing the Pacific Ocean from the Galapagos Islands to French Polynesia had to be rescued at sea by four men from Muskego, Wisconsin.The ordeal began a little more than halfway through the Raindancer’s 21-day sail from the Galapagos to French Polynesia when a whale struck it and broke off much of the bottom of the boat.”Just by the nature of the impact, how strong it was, and how fast the water was coming in, I had a feeling right off the bat that we were not in a good situation,” said the Raindancer’s captain Rick Rodriguez, of Florida.The crew of four had just minutes to gather supplies into a life raft before the boat quickly sank.”He mentioned that there’s a boat emergency, and it looks like you’re pretty close,” said Geoff Stone, of Wisconsin.He’d been texting with another seafaring friend who told him about the sunken ship. Stone was with his father-in-law, brother, and friend, all from Wisconsin, sailing the same basic route.Though hundreds of miles from land, they were just 35 miles from the distress call.”We quickly came to realize that we were the closest boat and quickly changed course and headed towards them. Kind of like a slow motion emergency though, because we changed course, and then it’s like nine hours later we’ll find them,” Stone said.Geoff cut his teeth sailing on Lake Michigan out of McKinley Marina in Milwaukee. It ingrained in him the sense of the sailing community, which meant he didn’t hesitate to help.”If we were in distress you’d want someone to change course and come and get us, so you pay it forward,” said Geoff’s father-in-law, Mark Moriarity, also a member of the crew of Geoff’s boat, The Rolling Stones.Geoff’s friend Corey Burgendahl was also aboard and was asked about the first time they saw the flashing emergency beacon coming from the Raindancer, cutting through the darkness.”It was pretty exciting. I get goosebumps thinking about it again. It was pure elation, I think, on our boat and on the raft as well, talking to them,” Burgendahl said.After pulling them aboard, it took another nine days to arrive on the French Polynesian island of Hiva Oa, but along the way, the combined crews bonded and made the best of it, even catching fish to help bolster the food supply.Rodriguez said after the near disaster, they all escaped unscathed. “Words can’t describe how grateful we are,” he said, grateful to four Wisconsinites a long way from home.Geoff said his wife and kids joined them in Hiva Oa, and they’ll spend the next few weeks sailing among the islands in the area before heading on to Australia.

Four people sailing the Pacific Ocean from the Galapagos Islands to French Polynesia had to be rescued at sea by four men from Muskego, Wisconsin.

The ordeal began a little more than halfway through the Raindancer’s 21-day sail from the Galapagos to French Polynesia when a whale struck it and broke off much of the bottom of the boat.

“Just by the nature of the impact, how strong it was, and how fast the water was coming in, I had a feeling right off the bat that we were not in a good situation,” said the Raindancer’s captain Rick Rodriguez, of Florida.

The crew of four had just minutes to gather supplies into a life raft before the boat quickly sank.

“He mentioned that there’s a boat emergency, and it looks like you’re pretty close,” said Geoff Stone, of Wisconsin.

He’d been texting with another seafaring friend who told him about the sunken ship. Stone was with his father-in-law, brother, and friend, all from Wisconsin, sailing the same basic route.

Though hundreds of miles from land, they were just 35 miles from the distress call.

“We quickly came to realize that we were the closest boat and quickly changed course and headed towards them. Kind of like a slow motion emergency though, because we changed course, and then it’s like nine hours later we’ll find them,” Stone said.

Geoff cut his teeth sailing on Lake Michigan out of McKinley Marina in Milwaukee. It ingrained in him the sense of the sailing community, which meant he didn’t hesitate to help.

“If we were in distress you’d want someone to change course and come and get us, so you pay it forward,” said Geoff’s father-in-law, Mark Moriarity, also a member of the crew of Geoff’s boat, The Rolling Stones.

Geoff’s friend Corey Burgendahl was also aboard and was asked about the first time they saw the flashing emergency beacon coming from the Raindancer, cutting through the darkness.

“It was pretty exciting. I get goosebumps thinking about it again. It was pure elation, I think, on our boat and on the raft as well, talking to them,” Burgendahl said.

After pulling them aboard, it took another nine days to arrive on the French Polynesian island of Hiva Oa, but along the way, the combined crews bonded and made the best of it, even catching fish to help bolster the food supply.

Rodriguez said after the near disaster, they all escaped unscathed. “Words can’t describe how grateful we are,” he said, grateful to four Wisconsinites a long way from home.

Geoff said his wife and kids joined them in Hiva Oa, and they’ll spend the next few weeks sailing among the islands in the area before heading on to Australia.

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