On a fishing trip out of Morehead City, we departed around 9:00 a.m. under good weather conditions, aware that thunderstorms were forecast for later in the afternoon. The plan was to head back by 2:00 p.m., and we stuck to it.

Cruising in at 25 knots, our motor suddenly made a loud squealing sound before shutting down completely.

We were about 20 miles from port with thunderstorms visible in the distance—a concerning situation, to say the least. Despite our best efforts to troubleshoot the motor, we couldn’t get it running again and attempts to contact help via radio also failed.

As the skies grew darker and more threatening, I knew we had to act. I activated our GlobalFix V6 EPIRB around 3:30 p.m., and we set the anchor to keep the boat steady. It was a nerve-wracking wait, wondering when—or if—help would arrive.

About 45 minutes later, we saw a TowBoatUS vessel heading our way. They told us an aircraft had spotted us and passed our position to the Coast Guard. The Coast Guard was already coordinating the rescue and had dispatched a motor lifeboat.

The lifeboat arrived just as the weather took a turn for the worse. Heavy thunderstorms rolled in, and the seas became rough and choppy. My partner and I were soaked to the bone, clinging to the boat as the Coast Guard crew secured a towline. They pulled us toward shore, but the going was slow due to the worsening conditions.

Looking back, I’m incredibly thankful we had the EPIRB on board and didn’t hesitate to use it. Without it, I don’t know how long we would have been stranded out there, especially with storms closing in. It’s a humbling reminder of how quickly things can go wrong on the water and how vital it is to be prepared.