On July 20th 2024, I planned a family vacation to celebrate my retirement. We rented a house on a canal in Marathon and brought along our 32′ Fountain center console boat, equipped with twin 300 Mercury Verado engines.

During the early morning hours, we had issues with the batteries not holding a charge, so we replaced two of the three batteries.

Around noon, my three sons and I headed offshore to a reef southeast of Marathon for some spearfishing. The seas were 1-2 feet, and the underwater visibility was about 10-15 feet—far from ideal conditions.

I anchored the boat near the reef and left the motors running due to the battery issue, intending not to stay offshore long because of the weather. I jumped off the starboard side of the boat to check the visibility and then immediately moved to the aft end on the starboard side to get back on board. As I approached, the starboard motor unexpectedly engaged at low speed and struck the left side of my thigh, causing a deep laceration.

I quickly climbed into the boat and saw the severity of the wound.

Two of my sons immediately recognized how serious the injury was and fashioned a tourniquet from a dock line, placing it on my upper left thigh to prevent blood loss. My other son activated the GlobalFix V6 EPIRB and used the UHF radio to call for assistance from the U.S. Coast Guard and the Florida Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Within an hour, I was at the dock being treated by Marathon Fire Rescue. I was then airlifted to Jackson Hospital in Miami, where I underwent extensive surgery on my left leg.

I have fully recovered, aside from a nasty scar, and I owe my life to the EPIRB and the quick thinking of my boys!

Thank you ACR!