Angler and son rescued after five days at sea

Publish date:

Considering what might have happened, tuna fishermen Jim Clayholt and his son, Tom, are two very lucky guys. They left Astoria, Ore., last week, but their boat's battery died overnight. Then the real adventure began.

The planned fishing trip called for a several-day hunt for albacore tuna.

"Tuesday we woke up and we were dead in the water," said the elder Clayholt. The boat he had just bought in Astoria had a bad battery. So for the next four days, their fishing boat was more like a sailboat with no sails.

They even tried using a sleeping bag to harness the wind, but they really had nothing but the ocean current to guide them along.

And instead of fishing, the men had to pump water because the huge ice packs for the fish weren't insulated well.

"It was nerve-wracking a little bit," said the father.

Click here for the full report and click here for the official Coast Guard press release with video of the boat being towed to shore.