Live Like EWE
Geoff is well known and loved as someone you could call in an emergency and who was generous with his time and resources.
Today, we are excited to launch a new program to encourage others emulating these invaluable traits.
Our 'Live Like EWE' program recognizes those going above and beyond in ways that remind us of Geoff's spirit. Those “caught in the act” of living like EWE will receive a special gold EWE sticker.
We are proud to recognize our first recipient:, Alan Bomar, skipper of the J24 Roundabout. On the way home from sailboat racing, Alan and his crew identified a potentially deadly situation. Two lifejacket-less swimmers were in danger and didn’t even know it. They had drifted too far from the boat to get back to it in the strong current. Alan’s crew threw out lifejackets and lines to get them back to their boat safely. Here’s what happened in his words:
On Sunday August 7, 2022, when the sailboat racing fleet was returning to Hampton Creek from the CCV-R Founders Race out in the Bay, there was a 30' or so blue power boat anchored a top the Hampton Roads bridge tunnel ( aka HRBT) near the north island.
The boaters were swimming off the stern and having a good day. The current was near "max flood". Little did they see the risk.
When we came by, I saw a fellow on the stern of the boat wave. I thought - Is he waving at me? I looked and he did not wave a second time. However, l looked around in the water and there was a woman, Ginger, on a small blue float: Without a life jacket, 25 to 50 yards down current from the boat, and kicking toward the anchored boat in a 2+ knot current and not making way.
We also saw a second swimmer swimming to help Ginger, without a life jacket or supplemental flotation. (Later, he told us he was ok and did not need a life jacket. We disagreed.)
Neither Ginger nor her rescuer were making it back to the boat without help. We decided this was a degrading situation and they needed our help. They did not realize the danger they were experiencing.
We threw a 30' line overboard and brought it to Ginger who we had don a life jacket and put her under a slow protected tow. We towed her to her "rescuer", who we had don a life jacket and towed them both to the anchored vessel that did not have enough skill onboard, with the swimmers in the water, to haul anchor and get underway.
Safe to say, we think everyone was glad to have Alan out on the water that day.
If you catch someone going above and beyond and living like EWE, we want to hear about it! Please email mary@ewespirit.org with nominations — and keep an eye out for those gold stickers!
Special thanks to Alan Bomar, Lin McCarthy of Southern Bay Racing News You Can Use and Molly Winans of Spinsheet for the story.