PALATKA, Fla. — Elite Series angler Dale Hightower was competing in the AFTCO Bassmaster tournament on the St. Johns River Friday afternoon, when he heard a cry for help. Across the way, Palatka, Fla., resident Blake Wallace was clinging to his upturned boat.
“I heard him screaming, so I put my stuff up and tried to get over there as quick as I could,” Hightower said. “(Fellow Elite Series angler) Greg Hackney got to him about the same time that I did.”
Wallace had spent most of the day on the river in his 2015 Gheenoe Super 16, a popular shallow water canoe-shaped boat big enough be outfitted with an outboard motor. Wallace’s rig was powered by a 40-horsepower Mercury engine. Wallace said he’d done some bass fishing in various canals and boated to Silver Glen Springs to “check on the manatees.” It was a beautiful day to be on the water as temperatures climbed into the 80s.
“I came back up through the river, and I was passing about mile 36 of my trip,” he said. “My steering cable snapped, which caused my engine to turn. My boat flipped immediately. I was in about 4 or 5 feet of water. I was wearing my life jacket. I got on top of my boat and just waved my arms.”
Hightower, who is from Mannford, Okla., and Greg Hackney, who lives in Gonzales, La., arrived to help Wallace at the same time.
“We pulled his boat up into the (lily) pads,” Hightower said. “We were pressed for time, and I just said, ‘Hey, man, jump in the boat with me. I’ll take you back, and we’ll get law enforcement to come help with your boat.’ He was shook up. The good thing is, he had a life jacket on. That’s what saved him. If he hadn’t had that life jacket on, there’s no telling what would have happened. It looked like he hit his head, and he was cut on his ankle.
“It was my first time to ever encounter something like that. I’m glad Greg and I were there and were able to help him.”
Wallace said he was fine physically, just shaken mentally. But mostly he was grateful the incident ended like it did.
“Please say ‘thank you, Dale Hightower,’” Wallace said. “He was the guy who brought me in. I told him than you plenty of times in the boat, but please tell him thank you again.”