A solo sailor has described the moment her boat came close to a U.S. Navy submarine on the St Mary’s River in Florida, saying she was left shaking and briefly unable to speak.
Savannah Deasy was sailing alone along the Florida side of the river on 4 June when she noticed an unidentified object in the distance. As she drew nearer, Navy officials instructed her to leave the area immediately.
Deasy turned her vessel around and followed the orders, apologising to the crew as she moved away. Footage she later posted online showed her recounting the encounter in visibly distressed terms.
Solo sailor was also battling strong current
She said the situation was made more difficult by a shortage of diesel and a current running at about 10 knots. Unable to refuel, she feared the engine could fail while she was still in the river.
The class of submarine involved and its precise speed have not been confirmed.
“That was absolutely insane,” Deasy said. “That was up there in the top 10 scariest things that have happened to me while driving.”
She accepted responsibility for the near-collision and said the incident had highlighted the need to improve her communications equipment. Deasy said she planned to obtain a new handheld radio and increase the volume on a back-up device to help avoid another close call.
