The pair were stranded at sea as they got caught in the hurricane
A sailor caught in a hurricane in the US has shared the heartbreaking words he told his Golden Retriever as his vessel sank.
Hurricane Helene has left a path of destruction across Florida and Georgia over recent days, with at least 105 known to have died since it made landfall on Thursday, the BBC reports.
Earl Barcome was living on his 36-foot sailboat when he got caught in the hurricane. He had been living on the boat, called Selkie, for a year after the end of a 30-year relationship.
Joining him on the vessel had been his 10-year-old Golden Retriever, Gun.
But when the pair were caught in Hurricane Helene, they had to be rescued by the coast guard, and Earl lost his beloved yacht.
Earl had been aware of the approaching storm, and planned to move away from Helene to a protected inlet. However, the boat’s motor failed, leaving them stranded.
Recalling how the boat started to sink, he told WBBH: “It was moving mountains of water. Every which way you turn. And these waves were just everywhere you look.”
As the vessel filled with water, he decided to reassure his beloved pooch that everything was going to be alright, telling Gun: “Gun, this isn’t the day we’re going to die, I’m calling the Coast Guard.”
Using his onboard radio, Earl managed to get in touch with the coast guard, and a helicopter was sent to his location, 25 miles west of Sanibel Island, Florida.
Rescuers eventually spotted Earl and his dog, who had to dive into the water to escape the sinking boat.
The coast guard shared heart-stopping footage of the rescue on social media, saying that both Earl and Gun were in “good medical condition.”
The pair were lifted into the helicopter, as Earl left his yacht and life at sea behind him.
Looking back on the harrowing experience, he said it had given him a new perspective on life.
He said: “The realisation that life is a little more important was, that was a new day. It was a new day. And, what do I got to complain about? I got shirt and pants.”
His sister Shirley has since set up a GoFundMe for the sailor to so that he can rebuild his life.
She wrote: “Earl’s sailboat was more than just a home. It was the culmination of a lifelong dream, offering him solace and purpose after a difficult chapter in his life.
“But in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, everything he cherished was lost to the Gulf of Mexico,” she revealed.
“Earl has lost everything. With no funds and his dream shattered, rebuilding from this tragedy feels impossible without help.”
The page has so far raised more than $16,000 of its $100,000 target.
