BoatUS Magazine
When I think of TowBoatUS, I picture a reassuring sight: a red-and-white boat appearing when the engine quits, the fuel gauge hits empty or the keel finds bottom. It’s an essential service, and one that keeps countless days on the water from ending badly. But every so often, the work goes beyond a routine assist. Sometimes it becomes a matter of life, death and judgment under pressure.
Each year, the organization recognizes those moments and the people behind them, and it’s worth pausing to reflect on what that kind of professionalism really looks like on the water.
This year, four captains were honored for actions that exemplify high standards of seamanship and service. At the top of that list is Capt. Rick Boone of TowBoatUS Lake Allatoona, recipient of the Woody Pollak Award, the organization’s most prestigious honor.
Last June, Boone responded to a call from a marina manager in northwest Georgia about a man treading water far from shore, without a life jacket, in a busy stretch of lake. By the time Boone arrived, the man was exhausted, incoherent and belligerent, ignoring warnings from passing boats and openly threatening to take his own life. This was no ordinary rescue. Boone didn’t rush the moment or escalate it. Instead, he stayed calm, patient and firm, talking quietly about the dangers of the situation and, more importantly, about the value of the man’s life. Eventually, the man agreed to get aboard.
Boone helped him into the boat, put him in a life jacket and returned him safely to the marina, where he received further help. Boone later reflected that had he not arrived when he did—and taken the time to connect—the outcome could have been tragic. It’s a powerful reminder that sometimes the most important tools on board aren’t horsepower or gear, but judgment and care.
Quick thinking also defined the actions of Capt. Ryan Foster of TowBoatUS Palm Beach. While on patrol near Jupiter, Florida, Foster heard a Pan-Pan call over the VHF radio about a missing swimmer off Blowing Rocks Preserve. Multiple agencies were already searching, but Foster assessed the conditions—wind, current and sea state—and decided to expand the search north of the swimmer’s last known position. About a mile and a half beyond the main search area, he spotted the swimmer in the water. Foster recovered the exhausted swimmer and transferred him to a Coast Guard vessel. It was a textbook example of situational awareness and the confidence to trust one’s instincts.
On Lake Texoma, Capt. Michael Tucker faced a different emergency when a sudden storm threw an adult and four children overboard in rough conditions. None were wearing life jackets, and the remaining teenager on board had fouled the propeller when he tossed a line overboard to the people in the water. Working in 20-plus-mph winds, Tucker searched a wide area of choppy water and eventually located and rescued everyone.
Finally, Capt. Axson Smith III answered a VHF radio call on North Carolina’s Pungo River after a 69-year-old man fell from his dinghy. Spotting the victim after a 10-mile run downriver, Smith—with assistance from a local crab fisherman—pulled the exhausted man into the boat after what was likely 45 minutes of treading water. He escaped without injury, thanks to fast action and local knowledge.
These stories are different in detail but united in spirit. They show what happens when experience meets empathy, and when professionals are willing to go beyond the call sheet. It can be easy to take safety services for granted, but these captains remind us that boating is still built on people looking out for one another. Sometimes, the quiet heroes are the ones who simply show up, stay steady and do the right thing.
Jeanne Craig
Jeanne.craig@firecrown.com
This article was originally published in the April 2026 issue.
