Page 54 - Discover Summer 2021
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Under Tow CONTINUED
hands and yelling for Barry to “turn There was not a boat in sight. Finally,
around”. Finally, in an attempt to quiet during the last phone contact they were
the guy down before he had a heart attack to have, the boy said in a controlled, but
or stroke, Barry turned his rig around and clearly frightened voice, “Sir, my phone
took him toward the bridge, a landmark is dying.” By this time, on a hunch, Barry
even the passenger could remember in his checked the opposite side of the island
drunken state. “You see that?” He asked. the young man had led him to and there
The man nodded in response. “The State was the boat. The stranded youth was
park is over that way. The way we were cold and scared but relieved to see help
going.” The man finally was subdued for arrive.“When I took him home his mother
the trip home. This was just one example was on the boat dock waiting for us,”
of how disoriented you can become on Barry said, “I will never forget the look on
the Lake at night. “We’ve responded to her face when she saw us and knew that
calls where people have run aground and her son was safe.” It was a look, he says,
they are within just 3 or 4 feet of a shoal he’ll always cherish.
(shallow water) buoy and they didn’t
Sometimes a captain will take along
see it,” Rick said. “If you aren’t totally
a deck hand to help but in most cases the
familiar with the Lake or it is night time,
captain goes alone and does not leave his
you are easily confused.” Adding alcohol
or her boat. There is, however, always the
compounds the problems.
exception: “Once we got a call for gas and
Barry’s favorite rescue was of a boy upon arrival determined the vessel was
who was about 15 or 16 years old. He had full of people incapable of driving either
gone out alone on the water during the because they were impaired or, in this case,
day and before he could get home that the one woman who wasn’t drunk didn’t
evening his boat broke down. He had his know how to operate a boat,” Nancy said.
cell phone with him and he gave Barry “That time Rick drove the boat full of
directions as to where he was stranded. By passengers and I drove our boat.”
the time Barry reached the area, darkness
Imagine, if you can, Barry being
had set in and the boy was no where to
called right at dusk to tow a disabled boat.
be found. It was the middle of November
It could have been a simple operation.
and the balmy day had turned into a
Instead, he was met by “a bunch” of
cold, damp night. Barry called again to
college-aged kids who had spent a large
verify the directions. He had followed
portion of their day partying on a friend’s
them exactly. He searched the area again.
dock because their boat broke down and
52 Discover Smith Mountain Lake SUMMER 2021
