Miracle Rescue: Man Overboard During Storm Survives

Chesapeake Bay sailor, Mark Wheeler, went overboard in pitch darkness and a 40-knot squall. This is the remarkable story of how his friends got him back.
Wheeler went overboard a few minutes before midnight. He was in the middle of Lake Michigan, 30 miles offshore in 40 knots of wind. As he fumbled for the lanyard to inflate his lifejacket he watched his racing sailboat, Meridian X, disappear into the night at more than 18 knots.
SpinSheet covered this amazing story in 2017. Many thanks to Jeffrey Moag and the U.S. Coast Guard for this insightful video and recap.
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[@abrispal]

This video is so underrated. Love it thank you

[@JimEmmons4]

What a great story! It reminds us all that it's so important to be prepared for whatever the seas throw at us at any time! Be prepared, double check your safety gear regularly and always wear your life jacket.

[@SpinSheetMagazine]

Well said Jim! Thank you!

[@NortyNige]

Go in prepared of become a statistic. If that upsets you then death is really going to ruin your day.

[@lukeingram7655]

This deserves so many more views, very well done.

[@markrickel1632]

Congrats on getting Mark back. I’m going to add lights to the PFDs and marking the chart plotter or radio with MOB to my MOB drills.

[@hectatusbreakfastus6106]

It doesn't get more scary than that. You called it. It's a miracle he survived.

[@ianredsell7976]

Interesting story but no explanation of why you did not use the lifejacket AIS to locate and recover. Surely that is exactly what it is for? No mention of harnesses too. Its a great story with a good outcome but lessons learned could be perhaps expanded

[@danielerichbaum9625]

Yes I World liek to know, Wetter this ais System was working or not? Surely in it World habe worked the yacht Could have navigated there clone to 2 meter...

[@onthebeaches]

My thoughts as well. Seems like safety took a back seat. No harness and why aren't you using the MOB and AIS system to drive right to him?

[@TheBigWWI]

What an amazing and harrowing story! Well done by all finding and recovering a needle in a hay stack!

[@chase4116]

Excellent. Thank you for the vid.

[@SpinSheetMagazine]

Thank you Chase!

[@spelunkerd]

Even boats that do not have AIS will usually have a navigation system that allows marking an MOB position. Of course wind, tide, current, and any delay in pressing that MOB button will alter where he is, but it pins a good starting point. It's also helpful from the perspective of communication to other boats and coast guard who come to help. The hard part in the frenzy of the spin douse is to ask somebody to press that MOB button.

[@Daveinet]

That was the first thing I thought of. Any boat of that size should have a navigation system with a MOB. I'm also surprised each person was not wearing a EPIRB. They are not expensive. The biggest issue is that you never want the tyranny of the urgent to cloud your judgement.

[@boyzildjian5207]

like this video, best camaraderie.....long live

[@justinf1343]

Thanks for sharing.

[@rickcbenson7453]

Read about this online -great education- thanks for sharing the experience

[@matiasgibbs251]

The light not working... what brand/model was it?

[@Mesozoic_mammal]

Thats the right question to ask

[@laurenm9222]

Cool video

[@SpinSheetMagazine]

Thank you for watching Lauren!

[@francismontocchio9910]

Grea video of a tough story that ended really well. Thank you. What brand of life jacket was it that was so hard to buckle up? I ask because I have come across Spinlock jackets that are really hard to buckle. I now have a German one, Secumar, which has a really easy buckle a little like a car seat belt.

[@listigt]

I suppose the other boat found him using AIS? Why didn't his own boat?

[@lordsneed9418]

The should make a movie of this called "the legend of the miracle prince"

[@Norminator1]

I would have went back and asked for my money back for that lifevest

[@hectatusbreakfastus6106]

Yup. Also it would be important for the manufacturer to know their buckles are trash.

[@geraldvanwilgen]

Did he toss his PFD in the trash?