MCRD/ERR PARRIS ISLAND, S.C. -- A 26-foot Bayliner sank near the Depot Criminal Investigation Division pier at 3 p.m., July 30, after four-foot swells filled the boat with water, leaving the two adults and four teenagers on board stranded on the oyster bed under the dock.
Personnel from the Depot Provost Marshal's Office, along with the Parris Island Fire Department and the Depot Natural Resources Environmental Affairs Office, responded to the call within minutes to provide security boats, rescue divers and life preservers to aid the stranded vacationers, who were left without shoes or their personal possessions.
The Charlotte, N.C., natives rented the boat from Hilton Head and were driving across the Beaufort River when strong rip currents began to engulf the boat, causing it to sink. They were near the CID pier, so the boat captain attempted to get to the pier and evacuate his family and friends as quickly as possible, according to military policemen.
Despite trying to save the boat, it took a nosedive, catapulting the family into the water and, since it was low tide, they had no other option than to seek safety under the dock on an oyster bed, leaving behind all personal possessions.
"We were stranded under the dock for about 45 minutes when someone finally noticed us and called for help," said Kenneth M. Poulton, the boat captain.
Fortunately, rescue divers were able to get the family to safety, suffering little to no injuries.
Poulton reportedly lost more than $2,000 worth of valuables including cameras, phones, car keys, clothes and other personal possessions, but said he's just glad that everybody came out with nothing more than a few scratches.
"We realized how lucky we were," he said. "If we had been another two miles out, we would've been in Port Royal Sound where the current was much stronger and would've swept us away."
The next day at 1 p.m., rescue personnel spent nearly four hours retrieving the submerged boat from the river, while representatives from NREAO helped to control a fuel spill that occurred as a result.
"It was a good coordinated effort," said Staff Sgt. Timothy Warren, platoon sergeant, PMO. "We joined up with other agencies and, with minimal communication, worked together to complete the mission. The safety of the rescue divers was our top priority, and we were able to get the boat out without injury and with minimal damage to the boat."
The arduous efforts of the men and women that helped save them and the boat didn't go unnoticed.
"We totally appreciate the [rescue personnel] on the boat," said Poulton. "They were very nice and very accommodating. They helped me to make all the necessary phone calls and basically helped to make a bad situation that much more bearable."