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Buyers learn why shrimper wants out
By JAMIE JONES, Times Staff Writer HERNANDO BEACH -- Joseph Sougstad has fished the sea for years, but he doesn't want to do it anymore. He's tired of the long, salty nights and of not making enough money. So on Monday, he invited two shrimpers aboard his 28-foot boat, R+L, for a test run to see if they wanted to buy it. The group, along with Sougstad's 11-year-old nephew, left Hernando Beach at about 6 p.m. They had a good night of shrimping and before sunrise headed toward land. But about 8 miles from shore, water filled the wooden boat. It came quickly, and Sougstad, 38, picked up the radio. "He said, "We're going down; we're taking on water,' " recalled Petty Officer Stewart Yoon of the U.S. Coast Guard. "He was pretty calm and very cool. We knew we were dealing with an experienced captain." The boat, in about 9 feet of water, began sinking. The crew climbed atop the cabin and waited, hoping someone had heard their call for help. They talked to pass the time, and were grateful that the water was warm. "The sun's coming up," said Sougstad's nephew, Joey Zellmann, of Long Island. "I can't stay here any longer. I've got a plane to catch." Zellmann planned to return home late Tuesday. "He wasn't scared at all," Sougstad said of his nephew. The group managed to grab a pack of flares and launched them into the air. Another boat saw the light and made its way toward the vessel, arriving about the same time as the Coast Guard, which had been searching to find the R+L. The group was taken to shore. Sougstad of Shady Hills said he did not know why the boat, named by a previous owner, sank. He said he did not know exactly how long they were in the water but believes it was for several hours. He said he is working to have the vessel retrieved from the Gulf of Mexico. The Coast Guard has sent out alerts about the boat, which sank in a heavily traveled area, authorities said. County officials said they circled the boat to search for pollution, but leakage appeared minimal. Sougstad said he hopes he can salvage his boat, although he doubts his guests, whose names were not available, will make an offer. For now, he will continue driving a truck and doing home repairs to pay his bills. "Shrimping," he said quietly. "It's too unpredictable." -- Jamie Jones can be reached at 754-6114. Send e-mail to jjones@sptimes.com.
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From today's Hernando Times Letters |
