A quick-thinking good samaritan is speaking out after helping to rescue a senior citizen who had fallen overboard a fishing boat.
The incident happened on March 13th in Camden County, when a man was desperately clinging to life in the bone-chilling waters.
The victim, who was in his 70s, had fallen into the water while attempting to raise the anchor near the St. Mary’s Entrance Channel in the Cumberland Sound. Shortly after, another local fisherman, Hunter Howell, got the distress call.
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“I got a call from my buddy saying his fishing partner fell overboard, trying to pull the anchor,” Howell recalls.
Hunter Howell, just 12 minutes away, immediately sprang into action.
A video shared by the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office shows the terrifying situation. The victim, later identified as Mr. Seymour, was struggling to hold on to the anchor line, fighting to stay afloat.
“When I got there, all I saw was Mr. Seymour hanging on to the boat like this,” Howell says. Upon reaching the victim, Howell was struck by how far Seymour’s body temperature had dropped after sitting in the 64-degree water for nearly an hour.
“I feared the worst when I tried to grab him and felt how cold he was,” Howell added.
Read: First annual Seafarers Memorial Ride to pay tribute to local boaters missing since 2023
Seymour, despite his best efforts, couldn’t release his grip on the rope.
“I pried his hands loose, and that’s when Nassau County got his boat in close enough for me to transfer him over,” said Howell.
Local authorities reported Seymour showed signs of severe exhaustion and hypothermia.
Seymour was wearing a life jacket, which helped in his rescue.
Once back on the boat with the help of the deputies, Howell reassured everyone that Seymour would be okay.
“What are you about to do right now?” Action News Jax reporter Nicholas Brooks asked Howell in a brief interview.
“We’re finna go back fishing,” Howell replied with a smile, showing the casual camaraderie between the two men.
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