Don't know all the facts , but Jimmy saved a family who had just been involved in an over turned boat on Sunday at Palestine.

Coming to my house he spotted them in the water coming across the big 155 bridge. Called 911 and happened to flag another boat down to fish them out. I know we would be reading about a drowning if not for him. Jimmy your a good dude.

Title is misleading. I was just in the right place at the right time.

Saw some very scary stuff yesterday. I was driving over the big 155 bridge going to Chuck's house to drop a battery off, and I looked over the south side of the bridge. Not sure why, I usually look north when going that way and south when coming back, but I did. Saw what looked to be a capsized boat, so I called 911. Hauled [censored] across the bridge and made a u turn, while I was on the phone with 911 I saw a few heads bobbing up and down next to the boat. I parked on the side of the road next to that church or whatever it is now and started running down there. There just happened to be a ski boat heading down the lake and I started screaming and yelling as loud as I could. They saw me and I was trying to yell boat and point towards the boat and they saw the flipped boat and drove over to it.
There was one man who was in obviously bad shape and they got to him first. There was a man and his wife in the ski boat, and they were both in pretty good shape, but they could not get the drowning man over the side of the boat. They got a lifejacket halfway on him and circled around him again in their boat, put the back of their boat next to him, and put the ladder down. They finally got him in the boat and went towards the other group of people. There were three kids and another adult hanging onto the top of the boat, which is barely above water at this point. They get the three kids and the other adult in the boat very quickly, and there is one more person left that is holding onto those old pier pillars that are sticking out of the water close to the same bank that church is on. Get him in the boat, and we tie his boat up best we can to a little dock on that seawall on the bank. The guy that was almost drowning is still in shock and is going in and out on us. We put all our dry clothes on him and someone else that was on the bank had some blankets in his car and we got those on him too. He finally wakes up and comes to and is able to talk and communicate pretty good. The EMS and ambulance arrives after 20 minutes or so and he is carted off in an ambulance. Everyone else, including the three kids, were alright but visibly shaken up.
There was 6 people in what appeared to be an aluminum boat out on Palestine with 20-25 MPH South winds in worst part of the lake with a South wind. It was absolutely horrifying to have to sit there on the bank and watch all this happen, knowing good and well there's nothing I can do. The man in you wants to swim out there and help bring them to shore, but they were so far off the bank there's nothing you can do, especially with the lake like it was. The man and woman were in a brand new Sea Ray 21' boat, and the man driving the boat had definitely driven a boat before. His wife was a nurse and there's no doubt that they were the perfect couple to drive up and help them at the time. They did a perfect rescue of those people, and had all 6 of them out of the water in less than 5 minutes. On very rough water on top of that. So thankful they were coming across the lake at that exact moment in time. It was at least 30 minutes before we saw another boat go across the lake. His boat got pretty scratched up from rubbing on the dock, but boats can be fixed. It was a crazy chain of events that put everyone all together at that moment of time, but luckily everyone came together at that right moment and everything worked out alright.

Wow. A families lives were saved due to the fast action and willingness to get involved by you and the couple in the ski boat. That's heroic in my book.

I salute you Mr. Jpowell for getting involved.The world is a much better place because of people just like you and the Couple in the other boat.Big Props to you SIR!!

WTG Jimmy
You sir are a HERO!
Jigum

OUTSTANDING!





Side Note: Prayers up for the man who had to be taken to the hospital. Judging by the story it could have been a whole lot worst. Thank God there were people in the right place at the right time.

Good job Jimmy! For having a keen eye & a level head!

Yeah, Jimmy said it was a "Lucky" thing but I believe it was a little more than that.

No doubt about it. I had a very weird series of events that made me be in that place at that time. I left biting fish, didn't take my boat out, and was made to get a plate of food from a friends house all before driving over that bridge at that time. He works in mysterious ways sometimes for sure. Those people driving the boat deserve th credit, they were just out riding around and happened to be in the right place at the right time too.

GOD had both in the right place at the right time as others have forestated....GOD bless all those involved and the family as well.

Good job Sir.

Wow, scary stuff.
Good job Mr. Jpowell!

You're a good man Jimmy.

I talked to Jimmy last night and you could still hear the adrenaline in his voice. Great job bud! Also simply amazing that the man and his wife in the Sea Ray were able to pull them out of the water and drop them off so quickly. Obviously he was very skilled because it was downright nasty on Lake Palestine yesterday afternoon.

Agree with Penwell. Glad you were willing to get involved. Living on the lake we don't see many boats out on a windy day .... like yesterday. Prays for thanks and healing for all including the Guy that was taken to the Emergency room.

tks,

folks...