This is the remarkable moment fishermen rescued some fellow anglers from a rapidly sinking boat during a competition off the coast of Grenada, in the Caribbean, on Sunday (28 January).
Carlos Cabral and his colleagues were taking part in the 49th Annual Spice Island Billfish Tournament 2018 - aboard the boat known as Cool Runnings - when the incident took place.
According to Cabral, as he and his crew were wrestling with a big fish, they received a mayday call from a nearby boat.
"We heard a report over the radio of a boat taking on water, we continued to fight the fish as we weren't sure who it was. About a minute later mayday calls came across the radio and they gave their coordinates a couple times," wrote the filmer.
The crew realised that the boat in question, the Godda Go - a 35ft Cabo-manufactured vessel - was the same one they had seen less than an hour ago.
According to a local report, the crew of the sinking ship were anglers from Trinidad and Tobago.
"It was a no-brainer to cut our Marlin loose and proceed to the suspected boat in distress," explained Cabral.
"As we reached, we could see the boat halfway sunken and that is where the first rescue video takes up (the story). The whole rescue process took about 10 minutes and the boat actually dipped below the surface before the last man was aboard the rescue boat."
Luckily for the crew of the sinking vessel, the Cool Runnings was nearby - any other boat in the area would have taken 20 to 30 minutes to arrive.
"It is still unknown why the boat took on so much water in such a short period of time. This boat sank within 20 minutes from start to finish," Cabral added.
Video was filmed Sunday, January 28th, 2018 ( Fighting Blue Marling 12:24 pm AST, Rescue Approach 12:38 pm AST, Rescue Continued 12:40 pm AST, Rescue Final 12:42 pm AST)
Video filmed in Grenada (Caribbean) about 25-30 miles West South West of St Georges, Grenada during the last day of the 49th Annual Spice Island Billfish Tournament 2018 in about 7000ft of water.
The video was filmed to capture a record of the event for the men aboard the sunken boat for their recollection, insurance purposes, future safety procedures and location of the sunken vessel.
The day started out a little slow fishing wise. There were about 6 boats including both boats Cool Runnings(rescue boat) and Godda Go (sunken boat) heading in West South West direction a few miles off a fishing area called the Hump (goes from 7500ft of water to 1000ft of water, good fishing grounds but to many barracuda caught wasting anglers time).
Eventually, the other boats changed course and only the two of us remained. Soon after we were hooked up on a Big Blue Marlin and I glanced across and notice the other boat had also slowed down. Immediately I thought they must be hooked up to a fish as they actually were. The boat that sank already had 2 Yellow Fin Tuna aboard well over 100lbs and hooked up on another fish. Cool Runnings the rescue boat was about 40mins into the fight with the big Blue and then we heard a report over the radio of a boat taking on water, we continued to fight the fish as we weren't sure who it was. About a minute later Mayday calls came across the radio and they gave their coordinates a couple times. I then checked personally the coordinates against theirs and I suspected that it might be them. I informed our crew and we still weren't sure completely as they were pleading for help but calling out another boat name (Magic Lady). Soon after we determined that they must be the boat in distress. At that point, it was a no-brainer to cut our Marlin loose and proceed to the suspected boat in distress. At that point, the boat was still sitting up on the ocean from our view, soon after we saw 2 flares shoot off and we knew for certain it was them. The captain at the time pushed the full throttle in 8-10 foot waves. It probably took less than five minutes to reach the scene. As we reached we could see the boat halfway sunken and that where the first rescue video takes up.
The whole rescue process took about 10 mins and the boat actually dipped below the surface before the last man was aboard the rescue boat. They were extremely lucky that we were also hooked up on a fish and remained in the area. If not the nearest help might of taken 20-30 mins to arrive at which they would have drifted a far distance from where the boat sank. Without no boat, as a reference point, it would very difficult to find them in those conditions far less waiting a couple hours for the coast guard to arrive in the vicinity.
It is still unknown why the boat took on so much water in such a short period of time. This boat sank within 20mins from start to finish.
The men aboard the sunken boat did all the right things (mayday calls, gave coordinates, put on life vests, grabbed other floating devices, let goes flares.
Aboard the rescue boat was Cool Runnings Owner/Captain Brian Hamel-Smith (seen fighting the fish at the time), Co-Captain Colin Hamel-Smith (Driver at the time), Derrick Tardieu, Danny Swanson and myself, Carlos Cabral. Everyone aboard Cool Runnings has numerous years of boating and fishing experience expect myself as this was my first Billfish tournament (however I do a bit of local fishing)