SAN DIEGO (KGTV) -- On Wednesday a charter boat called the 'Ocean Odyssey', answered a call for help and in the end, saved a life.
It took off from the H&M Landing, with 25 passengers and a 6 person crew. The trek was planned to be a two and a half day fishing trip. On day one is when that rescue mission for a 27 year old man unfolded, just a few miles off the coast of Ensenada.
“It worked out we were at the right place at the right time," shares Captain Rick Scott.
He has been running the 'Ocean Odyssey' since 2006. While he’s heard many calls throughout the years, very few, he says, were like this one, "As a captain we have the responsibility to at least try if we can."
A cry of man overboard was made roughly 12 miles west of where the boat was fishing. Using a grid search pattern, the crew scoured the water for two hours, unsuccessful in finding anything, “We had actually given up," shares Captain Scott, "and I was going to try to continue on with my fishing but I had decided that I would continue on, go inside search a little farther than we were searching.”
After extending the search, they finally found the 27 year old, who had been fighting the current for over 4 hours, "Once we got him to the side of the boat, he climbed the ladder, got right up, and surprisingly he was not winded," shares an amazed Captain Scott, "It was like he had gone for a swim in a swimming pool, hopped out of the water like it was just a normal day for him.”
The swimmer told Captain Scott that he was fishing with his father when he saw fish and jumped off the boat and into the water. He recalled to Captain Scott that he realized too late that his father had taken off. The rescued fisherman told Captain Scott that he could see his father searching the waters in the distance, but not seeing him.
“We are just glad that we found him alive," expresses Captain Scott, "because you know a lot of times it doesn’t happen that way.”
After medical assessments were made by the crew, the swimmer was said to look fine and well. The Coast Guard took the swimmer and returned him back to his father's boat. Captain Scott recalls that the swimmer was just happy to be back on board, "It makes me happy, a good feeling inside that we gave it the effort, we were successful, we saved a life and brought him home to his family.”
The 'Ocean Odyssey' took off from the H&M dock once again on Friday, to complete another fishing trip. Captain Scott says that he will continue to keep his ears peeled, and answer any call for help.
