I watched one coast guard one sheriff boat and a SC DNR boat watch a 50 foot motor yacht sink in the ICW with people on board without lifting so much as a finger. I tried to tow that boat into a shallow spot but I only had the little boat with me with a 20 hp outboard while those ........... insert expletive here just sat in their boats and watched. I told the lot of them what I thought of that bunch of we rags.

It was definitely their A team that plucked my tail out of the water.

Odd.....in my area , you are REQUIRED to render any assistance you can to a fellow boater in distress. I thought that was everywhere. Scuba1 obviously sees the benefit to aiding a vessel in trouble.

Years ago , buddy and I were in my boat fishing , saw a canoe capsize in the middle of the lake , 2 occupants aboard. Pulled in our fishing lines as quickly as we could and zoomed over to render aid. Two neophytes trying to learn how to use a canoe for a company team building event/canoe race. They could not get back in the canoe without help. They had no PFD's in the boat. Lost both paddles that we retrieved. Clearly a bit out of their element and needing help.

Can't believe someone CG or whoever just watching a vessel sink with occupants aboard and do next to nothing.

I once rescued a blind dog that walked off a draw bridge. The bridge tender called us on the radio. He thought the dog was ours. I was going off watch so I drove to the bridge and pulled the spaniel out of some old rotten pilings that had it confused. Never got a medal or ribbon, just wet feet and a good feeling.

The old Coast Guard was a great service. We were important to small fishing communities and even to volunteer fire departments. Everybody was our friend back then and we were good neighbors in rural coastal towns.

I don’t know how it is in the lower 48 states, but God bless them here in Alaska. More than a few have given their lives to render assistance to boats in serious life threatening weather. Sometimes it’s pain when they board your vessel, but I have the utmost respect for them.

We had a CG station on the warrior when I was growing up. It was over 300 miles inland from the coast. I never knew just what they were there for. Figured they had something to do with the Corps of Engineer and dredging and keeping the channel clear.