Video: Anglers Try to Save Boaters from Collision with Massive Tanker
OutdoorHub Reporters 12.22.15
What would you do if you see a stalled boat about to be hit by a massive, 50,000-ton Venezuelan tanker? Either hope they can follow directions, or hope that whoever is piloting that tanker is able to move the massive ship just a few feet to one side to avoid a collision.
This was a very close call that could have easily ended in disaster.
These anglers moved in to help a pleasure boat after it stalled in the path of the tanker Horizon Athena. Massive watercraft like the Horizon Athena are very hard to maneuver and take upwards of 20 minutes to come to a full stop, so the anglers realized that if anyone was going to act, it was going to have to be the people they were trying to rescue. Also notice the buoy on the other side of the boat, which may very well be a channel marker. It is not known when or where this video was taken.
The anglers come as close to the boat as they can, and tell its occupants to ready the anchor line. Perhaps that request was not heard, ignored, or otherwise not followed, because the two people on the boat only watched as the massive tanker sailed past. Luckily, the tanker was far enough and slow enough that its passing was relatively uneventful—if still incredibly close.
Also, taking off your life jacket in this situation may not have been the best idea.
What do you think?
