DETROIT (WXYZ) — A veteran sailor was rescued after spending more than an hour in Lake Huron during the Port Huron to Mackinac race when high winds caught the crew by surprise.
Pete Pryce was one of 13 crew members aboard the 70-foot sailboat Trident when unexpected weather conditions caused him to fall overboard.
"The weather came in quicker than anticipated, and it just laid the boat over unexpectedly," Pryce said.
The incident occurred after what had been a promising start to the race for the Bayview Yacht Club crew from Detroit.
"We had a really great start. We were ahead of our class," said Kent Colpaert, captain of Trident.
The crew noticed clouds rolling in and other boats in the race dropping their sails before high winds took them by surprise.
When Pryce went overboard, he managed to avoid injury during the fall.
"I didn't hit any rigging or winches. It was a clean fall," Pryce said.
Web extra: Sailors talk about going overboard in Bayview Mackinac Race
The Trident team immediately initiated rescue procedures, throwing flotation devices to their crewmate.
"Everything but the kitchen sink in for me to grab onto something," Pryce said.
After Pryce's team and spotter lost sight of him in the waves, other boats in the race joined the search. He remained in the water for over an hour before being rescued by another sailboat competing in the race.
"They did a real first-class rescue operation and threw out what is called a life ring," Pryce said.
Colpaert credits his team's training for handling the emergency situation effectively.
"It takes patience. Everyone has to stay calm, cool, and collected because it's a very tough moment," Colpaert said.
Pryce ultimately finished the race aboard the boat that rescued him.
"Shout out to the boat who rescued me. Amantei 2, a boat from Bay City. These guys were first class all the way," Pryce said.
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