Red Alert

摘要

While trolling late one evening I spotted what I thought was a red running light on the horizon. It faded and then reappeared, and seemed somehow odd, until I realized that it was not a running light-it was a red emergency flare. A minor course change and major increase in throttle brought me to a husband and wife who were stranded aboard a 30-foot powerboat. Not only had they burned all their gasoline, they had used all three of their flares. Fortunately, I saw their last-ditch call for help. Had I not recognized the signal they may have spent the night in the middle of Long Island Sound at the mercy of wind, currents and traffic on the shipping lanes.