Man and Dog Rescued After Sailboat Sank During Hurricane

A Florida sailor and his beloved Golden Retriever were rescued from certain disaster after the boat they were on sank in the midst of Hurricane Helene.

NBC affiliate Earl Barcome, 64, moved into the 36-foot sailboat with his 10-year-old friend Gunn after ending a 30-year relationship on land about a year ago. WBBH reported. Barcome's sister, Shirley, said on the GoFundMe page that it was “the perfect boat to turn over a new leaf” even though she had to “overload” her credit cards to complete the purchase. Shirley explained that it was “the culmination of a lifelong dream that offered her solace and purpose after a difficult period in her life.”

As Helene loomed over Florida, Barcome planned to head to a protected part of Sanibel Island. Unfortunately, his boat's engine broke down during the journey. Shortly afterwards the bilge pump burst and the ship began to fill rapidly with water rising up to her breast.

“He was moving mountains of water. No matter which way you turn. And these waves were everywhere you looked,” Barcome said. WBBH. But he was determined to get out of this disaster alive. “I said Gunn, this is not the day we die,” he recalled. “I'm calling the Coast Guard.”

The U.S. Coast Guard dispatched rescue swimmers from the USCG Air Station outpost in Clearwater, who were able to locate Barcome and his companion. Dramatic footage of the rescue showed swimmers descending into the water as waves crashed around them. “He falls into the water and swims with power towards my boat,” Barcome recalled. “And he said: 'I need you guys [off the boat] Now.'”

Although he and Gunn were rescued unharmed, Barcome was tragically forced to watch his beloved home sink into the ocean. “Earl lost everything,” his sister wrote. “With no funds and his dream shattered, it feels impossible to rebound from this tragedy without help.”

But Barcome doesn't waste time focusing on what he's lost. “I have a new understanding. And that's a beautiful thing,” he said. “The realization that life is a little more important…it was a new day. So what do I have to complain about? I bought a shirt and trousers. So what happens next?” “Time will tell, you know,” he thought.

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