Late on Tuesday, October 21st of 2008, the Blue Ballard, fishing in the Bering Sea more than a thousand miles southwest of Anchorage, Alaska, received an email on the ship's computer from another vessel nearby named the Katmai.
It seems that the Katmai, a 93-foot cod-fishing & processing vessel, had begun taking on water in it's stern during the day and, as the water continued to pour in, the pumps struggled to keep up. Compounding the flooding problem was the fact that the ship's steering mechanisms are housed in the stern and if the flooding continued and reached the steering compartment, the Katmai would not only be in danger of sinking (which could happen slowly and allow time for rescue) but would be in very real peril of capsizing at any instant, since the vessel would not be able to be aimed to properly meet the icy, two-story waves head-on.
The ship's engineer, Bob Davis, fought furiously to stay ahead of the flow and, having seemingly gotten in front of the problem, the ship's captain, Hank Blake advised his crew that they could remove the survival suits which they had donned earlier in the ordeal. It wasn't long, however, until Captain Blake issued the order to re-suit, and Blake, Davis, and the nine other crewmen once again put on the gear that is necessary to extend life in the 40-some degree waters of the North Pacific from only minutes to several hours.
Cedric Smith, one of the crewmen, may have thought of his jobless cousin who had, a couple years back, passed up the chance to join him in this line of work because he couldn't swim. Perhaps, as Smith or any of the other crewmen looked through the gale-blown rain & snow and into the churning, black tempest, they knew that it would take a lot more than the ability to swim to save them should they have to abandon ship. As Bob Davis feverishly worked to keep the rising water away from the steering mechanisms, 22 year-old Jake Gilman, on his first professional fishing trip, struggled along with 50 year-old Deck Boss Guy Schroder and the rest of the crew to prepare the Katmai's two life rafts.
Perhaps it was a loose piece of equipment that lodged in the watertight door to the steering compartment. Or maybe the door seal itself was not functioning properly on the 31 year-old ship. But whatever the reason, water began rushing into the steering compartment and in short order the pumps that were crucial to the steering of the vessel were rendered inoperable.
Captain Blake - - unsure of how preparations were progressing, and becoming more concerned by the minute - - felt his ship listing to the port side. While this was no small concern, he really began to worry when the Katmai suddenly began listing starboard allowing great amounts of water to rush into the below-deck engine room and work areas. The captain bolted from the wheelhouse to check on preparations for abandoning his vessel and, even as he did so, he felt the stern begin to sink.
Knowing now that the Katmai was doomed, Captain Blake gave the order to abandon ship. In just moments, the captain, Adam Foster, Ryan Appling, Deck Boss Schroder, Cedric Smith, and two others jumped into the frigid waters and made for one of the life rafts. As young Foster looked back, he saw first-timer Jake Gilman and two others struggling with the 2nd life raft. It was the last time ever that anyone would see the three fishermen alive.
It was about 1:00 AM on Wednesday morning when the Coast Guard station on Kodiak Island, more that 4 1/2 hours away, received the electronic distress signal from the Katmai's Emergency Position Beacon that is automatically triggered when it is submerged. Though the fishermen struggling in the icy waters of the Bering Sea had no way of knowing, the Coast Guard's search helicopter and C-130 airplane were already on their way.
Meanwhile, Captain Blake and six of his crewmen struggled to stay alive as the violent waves repeatedly overturned their raft, throwing them into the freezing waters and forcing them to expend precious energy struggling back into the small inflatable. Throughout their ordeal, above the howl of the wind & the roar of the waves, Guy Schroder bellowed his warning, "Don't lose the raft! Whatever you do, don't lose the raft!". But the straps for the men to grab were small and slipped too easily from nearly-frozen hands. Before long, after another wave tossed the seven men from the raft, only six climbed back on. Then, having spilled into the waters again, Cedric Smith was gone. For 17 hours they struggled for their lives, being upended into the sea more than two dozen times.
Flying through the worst conditions some of the Coast Guard crew had ever battled, finally, the men in the C-130 spotted a strobe from the Katmai. It was connected to a survival suit. The suit was empty.
It wasn't long until they spotted a second strobe - - this one connected to the 2nd life raft that Foster saw Jake Gilman and the others wrestling. There was none on board.
Ultimately, having nearly lost hope of finding anyone alive, the Coast Guard spied the raft with just four struggling seamen on board. A rescue swimmer hit the water and began the arduous transfer of the survivors from the raft, to the water, to the rescue basket, and then to the chopper. In the end, only Captain Blake, Deck Boss Schroder, and crewmen Foster and Appling survived.
Having watched their friends and co-workers perish beneath the dark waters of the Bering Sea. And having, themselves, been mercilessly and repeatedly thrown into those same frigid waves. Knowing that they were hundreds of miles away from the nearest spot of land - - those four men knew they needed someone to rescue them. If they entertained any hope for life at all, they knew it would have to come from somewhere outside themselves. They knew they were in need of a savior.
It is the same for all of us, too. The only real difference is, too often, we don't realize our need. We somehow think we can row this thing home on our own. This is especially true for us men. We presume we can out-swim the waves, out-last the storm, and out-run the very real perils that would drown us all.
But we can't.
We need a Savior. And it is into this wintery sea of hopelessness, that God's Son plunged on that night two millennia ago. "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: That while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8 NIV)
For the One Who is Semper Fi,
Doug
Copyright, Doug Shope, December 5, 2010
