When John Genther, a 23-year-old commercial fisherman from Madison, Conn., signed up for a CPR and first aid safety class hosted by Connecticut Sea Grant at UConn Avery Point, he never expected that two weeks later, he would be using his training to save a man’s life.
On Nov. 6, Genther had been driving his boat around Long Island Sound off the coast of Madison, CT, pulling in his whelk and conch fishing gear for his job at Indian River Shellfish Company, when he spotted a blue dot floating in the water.
“The sun was setting, and it was around 4:15 at the time. I started to pack it up, and I was flying back home to the east when I spotted a blue dot in the distance. As a fisherman, you’re always looking around, seeing everything and checking on what’s going on around you,” Genther said.
When he approached, he discovered the dot was a blue boat flipped over. His immediate reaction was to help.
“At first, I thought, ‘Whoa, what is going on?’ My heart starts racing, and I’m like, ‘Where’s the guy?’ Then I see the guy. He’s hanging on to the boat, so I started talking to him to make sure he’s okay,” Gunther said.
It was then that Genther called back to his safety training, which included teaching on hypothermia.
“When I was in the class, they were telling me cold water is 70 degrees, and hypothermia can set in within 10 minutes. At the time, the water was mid to high 50s in temperature, and at this point, the man had been in there for an hour and a half. He was severely hypothermic,” Genther said.
He then pulled the man out of the water and called 911, letting them know where he would beach his boat so the man could receive medical assistance. He then covered the man in warm clothes. Once the man received medical assistance, he was okay.
When reflecting on the moment, Genther is glad he was able to stay in a steady state of mind and call back to his training. He believes that the class is what prepared him to not panic in the situation.
“If I hadn’t taken the class and hadn’t been refreshed on the dangers of hypothermia, maybe I would have said, ‘Okay, maybe you just need to get back on your boat, and it’ll be fine.’ If I had done that, he probably was going to die because he was cold, wet and still out on the water,“ Genther said.
The first aid and CPR for fishermen class Genther took was hosted by the Connecticut Sea Grant at Avery Point, and it was taught by Fishing Partnership Support Services. The class featured trainers who were former Coast Guard personnel and commercial fishermen, according to Nancy Balcom, associate director and extension program leader for Connecticut Sea Grant.
She explained that Sea Grant has been holding survival and safety training for a while, but this training class was the first of its kind, in Connecticut for fishermen.
“This past fall, Kyra Dwyer, a fishing safety examiner for the Coast Guard and my long-time partner for these safety training, asked if we could host the FPSS so they could offer First Aid and CPR training in Connecticut. This was the first time we sponsored this particular training,” said Balcom.
When hearing about Genther’s actions, Balcom said that although you hope no one ever has to face that kind of situation, she was impressed with his ability to think fast.
“Someone was very lucky that John came across him when he did. I was impressed with John’s presence of mind in what was a stressful situation,” she said.
Both Genther and Balcom were recognized for their roles in the rescue in a ceremony presented by the Coast Guard, along with Dwyer and the trainers. Genther received a Meritorious Public Service Award from the Coast Guard, making him a decorated civilian.
“It was really cool to get something from the Coast Guard and have them congratulating me and thanking me when I was trying to thank them for all that they do on a daily basis,” Genther expressed.
Balcom also felt very honored by the ceremony, saying that although she only played a small role in the story, it was the highlight of her career.
“I was very happy the Coast Guard recognized John and his trainers so publicly as they truly deserve the accolades. It was great that a number of fishermen showed up to support this young man as well. I appreciated having my small role recognized,” Balcom said.
Overall, Genther felt that the moment was a culmination of the hard work of other people throughout his life and fishing career.
“I’m just thankful for everyone, thankful that I was there, and thankful that it all turned out alright,” Genther said.