DAUPHIN ISLAND, Ala. — The past two weeks have been a whirlwind for Easton Barrett after he and his four fellow fishermen made headlines when a TikTok video went viral following the sinking of their boat in the Gulf of Mexico.
Barrett recorded the video while clinging to a YETI cooler moments after the 28-foot boat the group was aboard mysteriously sank miles off the Mississippi Coast during a fishing tournament on May 25.
On Saturday, April 1, the men and their families reunited with the United States Coast Guard on Dauphin Island, Ala., just 12-15 miles east of where they were rescued after nearly 4.5 hours lost at sea.
"It was emotional," Barrett told WWL Louisiana in New Orleans. "We are forever grateful for the job they do and they shared their gratitude for our getting the message out regarding the need for Personal Locator Beacons (PLB) because we want to use our experience to help the Coast Guard help others."
While none of the men were injured, both Barrett and the Coast Guard credit emergency equipment like EPIRB (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon) or a Personal Locator Beacon (PLB) deployed can make all the difference for survival.
"Without a doubt, the EPIRB saved our lives," he said. "The lifejackets we had were only good for about an hour or so, once they were soaked, they were useless and weighed us down. The EPIRB's signal alerted the Coast Guard and that made the difference.
"EPIRBs should be a requirement for all boaters."
One of the Coast Guard rescuers agrees.
"Looking for five men bobbing in the Gulf is like looking for a needle in a haystack," Petty Officer 2nd Class Nick Dockery told WWL. "So needless to say, we were just as happy to find them as they were to be found."
As of April 5, the Coast Guard had over 4,700 cases nationally with nearly 1,500 lives saved and over $31 million in property saved in 2024.
When asked about the feeling of making 1-2 rescues per week, on average approximately 100 per year, Dockery says it's like winning the jackpot every time.
"It's one of the best feelings in the world," he said. "That’s the main reason we do this – to save lives. It's like winning the lottery and finding those men was a reminder of why we do our jobs."
https://www.tiktok.com/@eastonrbarrett/video/7377861506114800938?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7374805248945063470
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