08/03/2026
Now that some time has passed and I have been able to fully process what happened, I would like to take the time to address the events that transpired on this past 4th of July.
We had a pretty normal holiday weekend assisting boaters on the lower Potomac with all 3 of our vessels busy in the late afternoon. All captains were well aware of storms in the area as this was a pretty typical forecast for a day of extreme summer heat. If we didn't regularly respond to boaters in need when a weather threat was in the forecast, I don't think our industry would exist. With that being said, on July 4 at approximately 1730, our 29 ft pro line towboat with a 37 ft Sea Ray in tow and myself at the helm encountered a severe storm with conditions that were far beyond what are typical for the Potomac River.
I had just got the vessel in tow from Wades bay when the storm approached. This is a shallow body of water which also has a lot of crab pots - a pretty normal situation that we deal with. My first obstacle was to navigate the crab pots and get the tow out to deep water, hopefully before the worst of storm and visibility degraded. As the storm crossed the Potomac from the Virginia side, l estimated wind speed of about 40 mph coming straight across the river. Seas built quickly, probably 4 ft. Not easy or fun to navigate but doable with proper equipment, something that I have managed many times before. But what came next is something that I had never experienced in my 28 years of loss free operations. I was right on the edge of the drop to deep water when hail and winds that were reported to be 87 mph slammed the boat. Seas of 6 ft and hurricane force wind pushing against the towboat as well as the 37 ft boat in tow made it impossible to maintain heading. The bow of my towboat got pushed perpendicular to the vessel in tow and the tow line tightened, causing the boat to take the next wave broadside.
Then the unthinkable happened. A towboat trip, or roll over. It happened very fast! By the grace of God I was able to get my enclosure unzipped and swim free. Surfacing about 20 ft from my now capsized towboat, I managed to swim back to the boat and grab the bow eye. Luckily, again by the grace of God, was able to hold on for about 40 minutes until the storm let up. As the visibility increased, I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw my neighboring towboat company's boat (that was also towing in the area) had also capsized. His story also includes a happy ending of survival. He and myself were both rescued by a good samaritan on a large catamaran. This has been a humbling experience, and no matter your equipment or experience level, one thing I can take away is that mother nature ain't to be messed with.
Our towboat operations resumed just hours after the event with no lapse in service to our customers. We are and always will be ready to be there for you in your time of need on the water.
