Men survive sinking boat and cold night in swamp

Anglers’ bass boat takes on water, slips into the Dragon Run

by Tom Chillemi – 

A simple disposable Bic cigarette lighter helped three stranded men survive a frigid night after their boat sank in the Dragon Run.

Three Gloucester men were fishing from a 19-foot bass boat on Sunday, March 14, about 3:30 p.m., when the bait well hose became disconnected and the small boat started taking on water, said Billy Wilson. In two minutes they were in the frigid water that was about 54 degrees. The boat went down close to shore and they pulled the bow to shallow water so only the stern was submerged. 

Fortunately, they were near the land and were able to wade to the Middlesex County side. 

Drying their wet clothes was essential to survival.

Luckily, Wilson had the disposable lighter. They collected cattails for kindling and pushed over dead trees to get dry wood. They got a fire going and hung their wet clothes by it.

Bad to worse

Sometime after midnight, the tide started coming up threatening to put out their campfire, plunging them into pitch blackness. “With the wind blowing, it wasn’t putting out much heat, just a little light,” said Wilson. “Without a fire, I probably wouldn’t be telling this story.”

They huddled so close to the fire that Wilson burned a hole in his boots.

Breaking out

At daybreak on Monday, March 15, Wilson decided to head for power lines that cross Dragon Run. He knew their only hope was to go for help because it was cold and chances were slim that anyone would be fishing on a Monday.

So, Wilson set off alone to find help. After two hours of trudging three-quarters of a mile and swimming across a six-foot-wide stream, Wilson made it to a private dirt road at a hunting cabin. Hoping to find a home where he could get help, all he found were fields, woods and a few deer stands. After walking about three miles, at about 9:30 a.m. Wilson banged on the door of Glenn Priddy at Stormont near Cooks Corner. They called 911.

Rescue

Middlesex County Sheriff David P. Bushey knew the area where the men were stranded. He and a deputy launched the sheriff’s office’s smaller boat from a private landing and headed north to rescue Danley and Sanders. “They were lucky to be alive,” said Sheriff Bushey. “If they hadn’t gotten the fire going I don’t know what we would have found.”

Lesson

What has Wilson learned from the harrowing experience. “Tell people where you are going in your boat.”

And, from now on, he’ll also have a waterproof case for his cell phone. “I guarantee it.”