Boating Safety

Siblings Survive 14 Hours in the Water After Boat Sinks

Dan Suski and his sister Kate are outdoor enthusiasts who enjoy being on the water.

Dan Suski and his sister Kate were on a charter fishing boat off St. Lucia with Dan fighting a 400-lb. (181.44 kg) marlin. During the battle, he happened to look over his shoulder and noticed water sloshing around the cockpit. This isn’t unusual when backing down on a fish, but then the captain came out of the cabin with two orange horse-collar-style lifejackets.

Things Got Real

“When the captain showed up with the lifejackets, I remember thinking I’m actually going to need this,” said Dan. “Within maybe two minutes, we were swimming in the water with those lifejackets on.”

The boat disappeared into the abyss about 11 miles offshore in rough seas with passing squalls. In the water with Dan and Kate were the boat’s captain Griffith Joseph and mate Tim Cooper. Joseph said he had radioed another boat and was told it would arrive in 30 minutes.

The inboard-powered flying bridge fishing boat went down quickly.

The four agreed to stay together and wait for rescue. After about two hours in the water, a helicopter arrived and hovered between the four people in the water and land. Dan tried swimming toward the helicopter waving his arms. Kate had followed. When they looked back, they couldn’t see the captain or mate.

A Risky Decision

At this point, the siblings decided to start swimming for the island. They stayed in communication and when one would get down, the other would pick them up. Finally, after about 12 hours in the water, they got to St. Lucia, but the part of the island they arrived at was a sheer cliff. They had to swim for about another hour until they found a beach. It was nighttime, so they slept on the beach and set out in the morning to find help.

Imagine being in the water for 12 hours and when you get to land, you’re faced with sheer cliffs.

They made contact with the local police and were admitted to a hospital. After about 10 minutes, they found out that Joseph and Cooper were en route.

Moving Forward

A month after the ordeal, Dan Suski bought his own boat and Kate often accompanies him on board. “A lifejacket saved my life, and the first thing I do when I get on a boat is put on my lifejacket,” said Dan. “I can’t imagine not being on the water.”

Dan Suski is serious about wearing his lifejacket at all times when he’s on his new boat.

While the story had a happy ending, the United States Coast Guard always recommends wearing a lifejacket when at sea and staying on the scene after reporting a boat’s sinking, especially if you were able to radio coordinates before the vessel went down. Additionally, it’s recommended that a captain file a float plan telling others when he plans to depart, where he expects to go and when he plans to return.