GEORGETOWN, SC (WBTW) – Adam Wiseman and Troy Cooper were catching shrimp for the Marshview Kitchen and Bar this weekend when their boat capsized. They said a large ice box shifted to the back of the boat, causing the weight to shift and pulling the boat into the water in seconds.
“It happened so fast that we didn’t have time to react,” said Wiseman. He held on to that ice box to stay afloat while Cooper stood on top of the boat which was floating vertically in the water.
“First thing that went through my head, you know, were my kids,” said Wiseman, who has another baby on the way. “I was worried that I wouldn’t see my children again.”
However, Cooper said he wasn’t worried at the beginning.
“Actually, I think my first thought was, how can I save all the shrimp,” said Cooper with a laugh.
The men were in the water for about an hour as a nearby boat came to rescue them.
“They came over to get me and at that point I had lost contact with Adam. I couldn’t see or hear him anymore,” said Cooper. “I was worried about him so I told them to go on over and find him first.”
That boat was the Captain Andrew, Georgetown’s oldest wooden hull shrimp boat.
“When that boat came around and I saw those guys, you know, with ropes in their hand, it was a big relief. Big, big relief,” added Wiseman. “I got rope burns under my arms and around my back where they pulled me into the boat, and I had never had a rope burn that felt so good.”
Not only was the crew of the Captain Andrew able to save Wiseman and Cooper lives, but they were also able to save the boat.
“We drug the boat off the bottom of the ocean and tugged it back to Georgetown,” said Cooper. “Definitely a story for the grandkids if I ever have any one day.”
The captain of the Captain Andrew, Larry Owens, said he was glad they were there to help. He just hopes if he and his boat were even in need, someone would do the same.
