By Rich Johnson, WTOP.com
WASHINGTON — They had no luck fishing on the Potomac River. But Brad Stemcosky and Charlie Frend made their own luck when the seas turned ugly and their boat capsized just before sunset on Dec. 20.
“In a matter of five, 10 seconds, all of a sudden everything is changed, and you’re in really cold water,” Frend says.
But the two were prepared — already wearing life jackets that automatically inflated once they hit the water. And Stemcosky had a waterproof VHF radio on his belt. He used it to reach the Coast Guard.
“Mayday, mayday, mayday mayday,” he can be heard to a recording of the call. The Coast Guard radio center used that signal to direct an MSP helicopter to the men’s location. By then, a boat from St. Mary’s County was able to rescue him and Frend.
The pair spent about 75 minutes in the water — usually more than enough time for someone to fall victim to hypothermia.
“With our extra aerobic activity [trying to stay afloat and near the capsized boat], maybe we warmed ourselves up — had enough to keep us going,” says Stemcosky.
Also, he credits his survival to the time he has spent on the water, scuba diving and sky diving.
“I know how to look at a situation, and calm myself down. If you panic, that’s when you have a lot of other problems.”
Four agencies took part in the rescue operation: The U.S. Coast Guard, the Maryland State Police, the Maryland Dept. of Natural Resources Police and the St. Mary’s County Volunteer Fire Dept.
At an event at Coast Guard Station Annapolis, Stemcosky and Frend were reunited with the responders who saved them.
The two men praised the coordinated response, and Coast Guard Cmdr. Michael Keane returned the compliment — praising the pair for not adding to Maryland’s 21 water-related fatalities in 2015.
“Due to [the men’s] prudent seamanship, in which they were wearing their life jackets,” Keane said. “That saved their lives. You cannot put on a seat belt during a car accident, and you cannot put on a life jacket during a boating accident.”
