Photo by Fred Wondergem
It was a matter of being in the right place at the right time.
Fred Wondergem, Captain of Blueline Fishing Charters in Grand Bend, didn’t know the morning of April 29th that he would be responding to a distress call on the unforgiving waters of Lake Huron.
Wondergem said he had two passengers when the call came through the radio.
They were fishing off the point of Port Franks and Kettle Point.
Two other vessels answered the call. Wondergem said the boat was going down fast and there were 4 people on board the sinking vessel.
Thankfully, all four passengers were saved and no injuries were reported. Wondergem tied a buoy to the nose of the boat so others don’t hit it. Although they sank in only 9ft of water, hitting the boat could cause significant damage.
Wondergem says the sunken boat had a mechanical issue that caused it to take on water and the motor to stall.
Wondergem says during this time of year, there are added risks with being on the water.
Thankfully, it was a calm day on Lake Huron.
Wondergem highly recommends getting a marine radio and taking a course. He says it could defiantly save your life one day. Wondergem also says he is thankful the situation ended how it did, and not the other way around.
Written by: K. Close
