On May 26, 2024, a crew of five – consisting of Connor, Stephen, Easton, Dusty, and Dusty’s son Cody – were rescued after facing the cold Gulf waters for five hours during the Mary Walker Marina Snapper Showdown fishing tournament.

Despite being experienced and completing all safety checks, they were caught off guard when the boat’s warning system activated. “Initially, I thought it was a motor issue, but then I heard someone shout, ‘the boat is sinking!’” recalled Stephen.

The boat submerged quickly, leaving no time for life jackets. “By the time we got life vests out, we were stepping into the water. I believe it sank in as little as 30 seconds; none of us had life jackets on,” said Stephen.

Connor’s girlfriend had thankfully packed her ResQlink 400 PLB in his bag. As the boat sank, Connor quickly activated the beacon. “I saw it react and then went into the water,” said Connor, noting the reassuring green light indicating a satellite fix.

With only the PLB and no accessible flares, the men tried to stay close and check on each other. “By hour three, we were all cramping, and it didn’t look good,” said Dusty.

It was also during this time, that Easton decided to shoot a small video on his phone to lightly document the situation. It was this video that would ultimately take social media by storm, gaining over 9M views on TikTok in a matter of days after the incident.

After a five hour wait, the crew were finally saved off the coast of Mississippi by the Coast guard. The crew emphasized the importance of accessible safety equipment. “We did so much right but so much wrong. Had we accessed the flares, we might have been rescued sooner,” said Connor.

ACR recommends every crew member carry a Personal Locator Beacon and keep it accessible. Boats should also be equipped with an Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB). Connor stressed, “Complacency can lead to disaster. Always prepare and ensure safety equipment is easily accessible.”