05/03/2026
HEY EVERYBODY!!!!
Glad to be typing this message right now - I had a pretty severe boating accident Monday night, April 27.
I was by myself, driving my boat to my house from the marina after running 2 two charters and taking delivery of 42' boat in the morning. My second charter of the day finished around 8:30, heading home in the dark around 9pm. After a busy day, trying to reply to some text messages, I stopped paying attention to water. Being comfortable making that drive nearly every day, in the daytime and night time, it was another normal night for me. I had bright light bars to light up the water clearly in front of me, and not seeing any boats close, I started typing up a text. One second im moving 37mph looking at my phone, the next second, smokes clears and I'm looking at a 8' wide concrete power line pole. (see in the pictures below). Here in the Florida Keys, our main power lines are constructed in the water along side the islands. With several hundred feet between each concrete pole, we normally never run anywhere close to these poles, there's no lighting or reflective tape on these poles but with my lights, I should have seen it coming.
I immediately knew what happened when I hit the pole. I knew how bad it was about to be, I was in total shock to be awake still. Still gripping the phone in my had and still sitting up right, I look down to dial 911 and the blood from eye began dripping into water around my feet, boat is beginning to sink fast. After 911, I call a close friend that was in the area with his brother and then I call my parents. after explaining on all 3 calls where I am located, my phone dies mid conversation with my parents, scary call for them. After the calls I had enough time to rip the lithium battery out from under my console before the boat flipped over and rested on the bottom. only being 6 feet of water, I was able to hold onto the boat.
By the grace of god while all of this was going on, there was a man towing a boat back to the boat ramp through the flats nearby. He had driven by close enough for me to scream to get his attention. I was screaming bloody murder, I was scared and hurting. When he realized what was going on, he dropped the boat he was towing, zoomed over to me and ran me back to the boat ramp, 1 mile away. Ems waiting for me, they quickly brought me to the hospital and straight to the helicopter and took a flight to Miami. At this point in the night, I was thrilled to be alive, and seriously questioned how I was alive.
At Jackson South hospital in Miami, they ran the CT scans and the X-rays and there was no serious injury. Severe bruising and sprains in my feet and legs, 16 stitches to my eyelid and a hurt ego. Yes I was distracted, yes I was on my phone, yes it was the fastest life altering accident in my life. It was a blessing in disguise, an eye opener that will change the trajectory of my life. I'm not sure if there's a lesson for anybody reading this, other than stay the F*** off your phone while driving, ESPECIALLY while driving a boat, but for me, I am looking at this situation as a second chance at life. Some would say I am living the dream, and I am, I have to wake up and pinch myself sometimes! My dreams have continued to grow and the ideas flow like water. I know im capable of so much much more. I have started from nothing and I know I can accomplish anything, manifestation of what you want if real. If there is one thing I have found in my 28 years of living, and the ONLY person that will stop you from living YOUR dreams, is YOU!!!
I cannot thank everybody enough for the support and love. I value everybody's care for me like you wouldn't believe. Each and every person that has reached out, offered and given help, I have a big hug waiting for you! I truly am the one of the luckiest guys to have an army of good people in my life. I apologize for any lost sleep, I know a lot of yall were worried sick, I was scared myself. Thankful is an understatement for my amazing friend and his family that recovered my boat and most of my gear. The boat is completely totaled and will not be covered by insurance, I had just payed it off in December, bought a new motor for it in the beginning of April, as well as a new sound system with the motor. It was a loss, but nothing money can't buy back. Walking is difficult, my eye is sore and I can't dive or crank in big fish for a little while. I'll take that any day to walk away alive.
One door closed but I see many new doors to open! My mother Angie started a Gofund me to help me fund a new boat and I can't believe how many people were ready to help.
I owe all of you big time, I hope I can repay everybody one day with some kind of favor or boat ride. You will never know how much it means to me having the help and love I have received from all of you. Thank you Thank you Thank you 🙏💙
