"Miracle" rescue for Texas boaters missing at sea
HOUSTON -- In an amazing story of survival, heroism and luck, two boaters missing since Monday were rescued Wednesday by the Coast Guard, CBS affiliate KHOU-TV reports.
The men were found clinging to two separate oil platforms around 10:30 a.m. According to the Coast Guard pilot who rescued them, they were spotted on the pilot's final pass of the area.
"I just happened to see the guy waving a shirt at us on the platform," pilot Zach Gross said.
"I was like, 'Holy cow!'" said crew member Nikki Moore. "Like, holy cow!"
The chopper was low on fuel, so the rescue crew knew they didn't have time to waste.
Crew member Jesse Weaver jumped into the 75-degree water to save Michael Watkins, 51.
"He told me he couldn't swim," Weaver said. "I said, 'Don't worry about that. That's what we're trained for.'"
Watkins wasn't wearing a life jacket. He told rescuers he stayed alive by using a cooler to float to the platform.
During two days at sea, Watkins had no idea his buddy, Raymond Jacik, was also still alive, clinging to another platform about a mile away.
"I couldn't imagine being trapped on a oil rig in that after already being out there for two days, clinging to life basically," said Weaver.
When Weaver reached Jacik, he was in bad shape and extremely hypothermic.
"The second survivor told me, 'I don't think I'd make it another night,'" Weaver said.
When Coast Guard crews found the men's capsized boat in Trinity Bay Tuesday, they feared the worst.
"Two days out at sea, most people can't survive that," Weaver said.
Watkins and Jacik were expected to return from fishing in the San Leon area of Galveston Bay Monday around 1 p.m. Their family reported them missing to the Galveston County Sheriff's Office Tuesday morning.
After the rescue, the men were flown to Ellington Field and put into ambulances. They were taken to Bay Area Regional Center.
"I'm glad that I got to be part of them going home today," Moore said. "I know they had a bunch of people out there worried, so it's a miracle."
Both men were reported in stable condition.
Watkins released the following statement Wednesday afternoon: "I am thankful to be back on solid ground and with my family. I am forever thankful for the Coast Guard, EMS and Bay Area Regional for their role in my rescue and recovery. I request privacy for my family and I during this time."