The U.S. Coast Guard rescued two missing men off of oil platforms in Galveston Bay on Wednesday.
Michael Watkins and Raymond Jacik went fishing Monday morning, and were reported missing when they did not return. Coast Guard air and boat crews, local law enforcement, and state parks and wildlife officials searched for the men, finding their boat upside down and partially submerged on Tuesday.
The search continued Wednesday morning, and a Coast Guard Air Station Houston MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew spotted one of the men waving a t-shirt on an unmanned well-head platform just after 10:30 a.m. The other man was found a short time later on a nearby platform, the Coast Guard said.
The men told their rescuers that the boat had begun taking on water Monday, and they had trouble with their bilge pump. A wave then capsized their boat, sending them into the water without life jackets. They were able to cling to their cooler, floating with the current and sharing a sandwich and some water, before being separated.
The men found their way to separate oil platforms, clinging to those until they were rescued on Wednesday morning and taken to area hospitals.
"After last night, I had a long talk with God," Jacik told local NBC affiliate KPRC. "You get out there, the middle of the night, holding onto a pipe that feels like it's full of nails, or razor blades, and don't know how long you're going to be bear-hugging that thing."
Watkins released a statement to the media: "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."
"Especially as the boating season starts, it's important to remember you may not have time to put on your life jacket in an emergency," said Capt. Brian Penoyer, the commander of Coast Guard Sector Houston-Galveston. "We were all very lucky this accident happened where it did and they could climb up on a nearby platform. Check that your life jackets are serviceable, and wear them — it could mean the difference in surviving."
