# Absolutely Crazy Story, Close Call.



## Jesse Lockowitz (Feb 13, 2006)

this happened to a kayak angler in TX a week or so ago. lill post link, but full story so you dont gotta click link.

after reading this, and seeing the pics, it just makes you think a little harder on your safety gaer, and thinking. i really thought this story was worth sharing to others that go off the hill a ways in plastic.

heres link for pictures.http://extremecoast.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=13315&st=0&sk=t&sd=a

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It was Friday morning about 10:00AM and I was heading down Padre Island National Seashore. I checked the forecast right before I lost all communication systems down the beach and the forecast was saying 2 to 4 foot waves with 10-15mph East winds until Sunday. Sunday a front was supposed to blow in and NorthEast winds at 30 knots would be expected. I thought to myself, cool……I’ll fish till Saturday night and get off the beach before the North wind blows.

So I head down the beach. Friday afternoon showed promise and with 3 to 4 foot swells I paddled out to the oil rigs and standpipe east of the 4 wheel drive sign. Spent half the day out there and decided to come back in. My good buddy Yakmon was just heading offshore when I was heading in. The fishing was poor so I figured I would head down to the jetties and get some rest.

Saturday morning was pretty much the same story. 3 to 4 foot swells and no fish. The Mansfield channel looked like the Nueces river and I couldn’t even lose a live shrimp. About 12:00PM I decided to try some “special rocks” offshore further north. I bailed the jetties and reached my friends shark fishing in the 50’s. I asked Oz, Kip, Bumpy and Curtis if they would watch my dog while I head offshore to some spots further North. I told them I’d be back by dark.

I head offshore 2 miles in 3 to 4 foot seas and get out to my prime spots. I managed to catch a few fish and decided to drop a cut bait for a shark or larger snapper. So I set that rod in a rod holder behind me and continued jigging with lures. Right about 5:00PM the wind starts whipping from the East North East at about 25 knots. The seas immediately built from 3 to 4’s to a steady 6 foot with 7’s every 7th or 8th wave. I decided that I’d had enough and it was time to go in.

Just as I say that, a medium to large shark picks up my cut bait and starts taking off. I had my jigging rod in my hand so I had to reel it in to grab the rod. Before I could get my jigging rod in, the shark had put some slack in the line and the heavy winds had twirled the main line around the tip of the rod. That shark was coming straight for the boat and under the yak. Before I could get the rod out from the holder that rod worked like a lever and flipped me out. The line wrapped around the tip wouldn’t allow the drag to slip which caused the boat to flip.

Well, I have this habit of tying everything I own to the kayak with small ¼ inch rope. That shark was attached to my rod, which was attached to the rope which was attached to my kayak. That shark was taking off with my boat turned upside down and I was stuck bobbing in the ocean 2 miles offshore. Immediately I start swimming for my kayak in the 6 foot seas. I was only able to see my boat when I was at the apex of the wave and when the boat was at the apex of the wave. I pretty much swam into the open ocean blindly after my boat for about 75% of the time.

After 20 minutes I was able to catch up to my boat because the shark had snapped the line from the rod (most likely because of the tip wrap). However, I was physically exhausted. I have performed triathalons before and I keep physically fit by regular exercise and I was exhausted. If you have ever swam a decent distance with a life jacket on you will understand. A life jacket is meant to keep your head back and I was trying to swim against that life jacket.

At this time, my boat is full of water from being overturned and sitting in the ocean. It must have weighed 400 pounds and it was everything I could do to try and turn that boat over. It was not happening, and I was thinking I am going to have to swim with my boat. Meanwhile the crest of each wave is barreling over the top of me and the boat from the heavy seas. Somehow, I managed to flip my boat over with the correct wave timing and all of my strength. I started to collect my thoughts and put my gear in the appropriate places. 

About that time, a sea turtle comes up for a breath of air with a large “Heeeth Pooofff !!” I turned to see a black mysterious object in the water and literally leaped from the water and into my kayak. With my heart throbbing in my throat and my nerves rattled that turtle takes off into the deep. Immediately I start to collect my thoughts and assess my kayak situation. The water line is literally at my waist line. I thought, my kayak is sinking and I’ve got to get out of this boat.

I get back into the ocean and open the hatch to discover my boat is ¾ full of water. I grab the only thing I had to bail with. A 12oz Ozarka water bottle. Without thinking I dump the bottle into my hull and try to bail water. This was about as useless as tits on a boar. I quickly grabbed a knife and cut the bottle in half and start bailing water. I am switching between both hands because my shoulders were getting tired from reaching over the boat and bailing water. The hatch on my Hobie was only 6 inches in diameter so my knuckles were scraping the rigid plastic on each bail.

Knuckles bleeding and waves pounding I somehow managed to bail at least half the water from my boat. I get back in and start to evaluate where I am located. I look at my GPS and find out that I have drifted 6 miles off course. The time is 7:45PM and I have 15 minutes of daylight. I sat in the boat and thought well……this should be fun. I grabbed my camera to take some memoir shots of the ocean to remind me one day of the tragic events that have taken place.

I start to head North towards my truck into the North East winds. At 0.5 knots as an average speed, my GPS had estimated my time of arrival at 12:53AM. Hmmmm….this won’t do….just get back to shore. I followed the wind and current to the beach as quickly as I could manage. All the while thinking you can make it…just stay calm.

Its now 8:50PM and in complete darkness I have to safely land my kayak and myself on the beach. All I could hear were the waves crumbling and I could feel each swell lifting me 6 feet up and down. I have done many surf re-entries before however none were in complete darkness. With my nerves locking up every muscle in my body I could see the light at the end of the tunnel.

With all of my senses in tune with the conditions at hand I followed the waves in without turtling in the surf. I pulled my boat onto the beach and immediately lied down on the sand with a sigh of relief. Whew!!! You made it!

Today…..I write this story to inform all of you kayakers out there with the following information I have learned…


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## Hurricane44 (Aug 16, 2006)

Today…..I write this story to inform all of you kayakers out there with the following information I have learned…

1) I am lucky
2) Please wear a life jacket
3) Purchase a manual bilge pump
4) Fish with one rod at a time
5) A marine Radio would be a good investment
6) Go with a buddy


P.S. My wife doesn't know about this and if she hears about it I'll never get to go fishing again... Pretty Pretty please don't tell her.

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Thanks for posting that Jesse, very good read!


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## blaminack (Apr 10, 2009)

Wow! Guts of steel!!! Interesting read.


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## RuddeDogg (Mar 20, 2004)

All I can say is WOW!!!!!!!!!!


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## redgrappler (Nov 18, 2005)

SHEEEESH! Thanks for sharing.


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## bigcatchman2 (May 19, 2008)

what happened to the dog? haha jk, that was trully amazing that you lived to tell that story!


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## mud (Sep 23, 2007)

wow but he did remain calm!! Wanted to see which Hobie yak he was paddling! Oh well great story hopefully I wont have one like that one day!!


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## pogeymoe (May 5, 2009)

scary as heck!!!!what a wild story...and meomory that is forever yours! wow! did you ..........how can i clean this up..............did you need a new bathing suit?i would have.i would have had a heart attack....your new name USERNAME..........HEART-A-YAKER!! yall agree??


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## Coffeeguy (May 27, 2006)

Considering the guy was in a yak, that IS impressive. I've learned the hard way (not as hard as him) never to fully trust the weather report, and sometimes dookie happens. Glad to hear he was mostly prepared (especially wearing a PFD) and that he made it back okay.


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