A sailor who was lost at sea for 10 days with another sailor and his dog described the ordeal as “an experience [he’ll] never ever forget.”
Kevin Hyde, Joe Ditomasso, and their dog Minnie left Cape May, New Jersey, on Nov. 27 for Florida on a sailboat, according to ABC 6. The sailors were last seen in Oregon Inlet, North Carolina, according to a tweet by the U.S. Coast Guard.
#USCG & #FDNY members welcome rescued boaters to CG Station #NewYork today. Kevin Hyde & Joe Ditomasso drifted on the #sailboat Atrevida II for days w/out power or fuel before being rescued by the crew of the tanker vessel Silver Muna.
📸Petty Officer 3rd Class John Hightower pic.twitter.com/yuc8FX0iny
— USCG Atlantic Area (@USCGLANTAREA) December 14, 2022
“We were sailing along great for like three days. We were moving. Then that first storm hit. When that hit, that’s when the problems start[ed]. The sail broke first, then the steering broke. Then after that, we just battled the sea,” Ditomasso said, reported ABC 6.
The group survived by rationing beans and honey, ABC 6 reported. Ditomasso’s family grew anxious for news of the two sailors.
The Silver Muna tanker ship eventually spotted Hyde and Ditomasso on Dec. 13 off the coast of Delaware, according to New Jersey News 12. The men then boarded the Silver Muna, which took them to New York. (RELATED: Search For Missing Diver Suspended After Equipment Found With Damage From Sea Predator)
“It’s nothing short of a miracle he’s with us today; he’ll be with us for many more years to come,” Ditomasso’s daughter Natalie said, according to the outlet.
Ditmoasso will not sail anymore after the trip, according to ABC 6. However, he would like to write a book about his experience.