Replace Sunken Boat for Brave Heroes

On July 22, 2020, Jeremy Johnson, Russ Terrell, and Kyle Claunch launched kayaks with their sons to enjoy an afternoon of fishing for speckled trout on the North Bay in Panama City, FL. What began as a lovely afternoon turned into a treacherous situation very quickly.

This fundraiser is a way for Kyle, Jeremy, Russ, and their sons to express their deep appreciation to a man named Gene and his two sons. Gene and his sons watched from their home on the bay as Kyle, Jeremy, Russ, and their sons were trapped in kayaks in the middle of a violent storm at the mercy of the wind and the waves. The fierce storm arose over the bay without warning. Our brave heroes set out in a small fiberglass boat powered by a 35hp outboard motor in an effort to rescue the struggling kayakers. As Kyle and two of his sons were literally being tossed by the wind and waves, clinging desperately to a kayak to stay afloat, Gene and his sons approached on their boat. They helped to pull Kyle and his sons aboard and began navigating their way to the safety of the shore. Unfortunately, the high swells were too much for the small boat. After a few dozen yards, the boat was overwhelmed and sank completely leaving six people floating haplessly in the storm-tossed waters. A few minutes later, a much larger boat arrived, pulling all six people to safety. Russ and his son were already aboard the larger boat, having been rescued earlier. The boat then set out in search of Jeremy and his son as well as one of Kyle’s sons whom Jeremy had pulled from the water during the storm. Thanks be to God that all those who set out on a fishing journey that afternoon were eventually rescued from the stormy waters.

 This fundraiser is being started in hopes of raising funds to help Gene and his sons be able to replace the boat they lost in the storm that day. They risked their lives and their boat in an effort to save the lives of people they had never met. Gene did not ask that we replace his boat, and he does not know about this fundraiser. After losing the boat, all Gene could say was that he is thankful everyone is safe. “Boats can be replaced,” he said. Because of his efforts to save that which cannot be replaced, we want to help him with what can. All of the money we raise here will be given to Gene in order to help defray the costs of another boat.

 Kyle, Jeremy, and Russ want to be clear that we all feared the worst outcome when we found ourselves trapped in that severe storm. We all found ourselves to be completely and utterly powerless against the wind and the waves. Kyle watched his sons’ kayaks flip over and was unable to get to them. Jeremy found himself without a paddle, drifting with an overloaded kayak weighed down with water, wondering if they would stay afloat, if they would survive the storm. Russ’s kayak capsized with his son aboard. Even though he was able to get his son and himself back on board, he had no ability to navigate the kayak in the brutal elements. All three men and their sons cried out in desperation and deep faith to the one true and living God that He would have mercy on us and our sons and that He would deliver us from the wind and the waves. The Lord heard our cries for help, and He delivered us. Gene and his sons were heroes that day. The captains of the larger boat, Zach and his father, were heroes that day. We owe them a great debt of gratitude. But we know that those brave people were in the position they were because of the mercy of the Lord who was watching over us. We could each tell countless stories of the Lord’s faithfulness that day. Circumstances that appeared to be problems turned out to be lifesavers. The loss of a paddle and a rope too short to tie the kayak down are the only explanation for Jeremy being in position to pull Kyle’s youngest son from the water, saving his life. One child’s disappointment at having to use a smaller kayak turned out to be the only way he had a floating seat to cling to, which saved his life. A kayak holding too many passengers was full of water and riding low, but that is almost certainly the only thing that kept it from capsizing far from shore and a long while from the arrival of a rescue boat. As followers of Jesus Christ, we want it to be known that all the praise and glory for our deliverance that day goes to the one true God. On that day, we all cried out to him in desperation, and he mercifully answered us with deliverance. As followers of Christ, we also want it to be known that we have all experienced a far greater deliverance than the one on the water that day. We were cut off from God and from his love because of our sins. We were helpless to save ourselves, but God so loved us that he gave His Son Jesus Christ to die for our sins and rise again so that we could have salvation through faith in him (see John 3:16, Romans 5:8, Romans 10:9-10, 2 Corinthians 5:21).  This deliverance is what matters most, and it is the reason we know to cry out to God in any and all situations where help is needed. Even if circumstances had turned out differently that day, our deliverance would still be certain, and we would still praise Him.