Throwback Thursday: Met a Hero
April 2019 - San Francisco, California
The author (left), Captain Tubby (right)
I met a real life hero during a shoot for long-time client, Alcatraz City Cruises. This is Captain Tubby who ferries tourists from Pier 33 to Alcatraz as his day job.
He, along with his First Mate and crew, saved 10 passengers as their boat sank near Alcatraz in 2017. This rescue would have been difficult enough during the day, but the emergency distress call came just after sunset, plus it happened near the island's west shore, and nearer still to some notorious submerged rocks. In addition, his vessel was over 100 feet long and had a capacity of 700-800 people. A boat of that size doesn't exactly stop on a dime.
Cap found the craft and maneuvered close enough to pull people off. He kept his vessel steady against the bay's treacherous current as the First Mate and crew pulled people off of the sinking boat. Within two minutes of rescue, the empty boat slipped under the dark water
A crew member not pictured here shared a sobering thought: had they arrived after the boat sank, this would not have been a happy ending. The search would have been hampered by the dark clothing and dark life vests most of the passengers were wearing. When you’re treading the frigid waters of San Francisco Bay, hypothermia sets in quickly and chances of survival dwindle by the second.
Thankfully, however, everyone was rescued in the nick of time. Captain Tubby and crew tell everyone they were just doing their job. That may be true, but it's not every day your skills are put to a life and death test... and you succeed.
It was an honor to shake Captain Tubby’s hand.
Here's one of the many news articles about the story: https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Capt-Tubby-hailed-a-hero-after-SF-Bay-rescue-11735284.php #tbt #alcatrazcitycruises
