The Sinking Sailboat 1-29-24:

In the 30 years we’ve been doing aerial photography, the most common question we get asked is, “What’s the strangest thing you’ve ever seen from the air?” And while there have been a few OMG moments, like the brand new, bright red (stolen) Corvette sitting down a hillside, or the couple in their hot tub when we were hired to take a picture of their home… I’m sure you get the picture, but the strangest thing was this sinking sailboat.

We had just finished a shoot in Oakland and were flying south over the San Francisco Bay, not far from Oakland airport. It is a very busy airspace that had Pat talking with the Oakland tower, then approach control, and requesting clearance for us to exit Oakland’s airspace, all while avoiding the incoming Southwest 737. Having finished MY work for the day, I’m just enjoying the view when I see IT. “PAT,” I yell (like any good wife would), “There’s a sinking sailboat at our 10 o’clock!” Pat answers me, “I’m a little busy right now.”
We’re finally able to call it in to the Coast Guard that scrambled a boat and helicopter, and we’re feeling like heroes.

The next day I called the Coast Guard to ask about survivors. The young officer said, “Oh yeah, they’re fine.” HUH?? “Yes, ma’am, when we got to the vessel, we located the captain, and he said he was fine. (WTF…) Are you sure you were at the right sinking boat? “Yes ma’am,” he refused help, refused a tow back to port and he said, “He’s fine.” The officer helpfully explained that mariners have a very loose interpretation of what “fine” is… as long as their head is above water, they’re fine.
So while we aren’t heroes, we do have a good laugh every time we hear, “I’m fine.”