Hanging onto the raft are three men, a Canadian, a Brit and their captain, JP DeLutz, a dual citizen of America and France. The waves repeatedly toss the men out of their tiny vessel, and JP, with nine broken ribs, is hypothermic and on the verge of death. The captain, however, is a tough-minded character having survived a sadistic, physically abusive father during his boyhood and now he’s got to rely on those same inner resources to outlast the storm.

Trying to reach these survivors before it’s too late are four Coast Guardsmen battling hurricane force winds in their Jayhawk helicopter. They know the waves in the Gulf Stream will be extreme, but when they arrive they are astounded to find crashing seas of 70 feet, with some waves topping 80 feet.

To lower the helicopter and then drop a rescue swimmer into such chaos is a high-risk proposition. The pilots wonder if they have a realistic chance of saving the sailors clinging to the broken life raft, and if they will be able to retrieve their own rescue swimmer from the towering seas. Once they commit to the rescue, they find themselves in almost as much trouble as the survivors, facing several life-and-death decisions.

Three other vessels with 10 people aboard were caught in the storm, and only six survived. Four Rhode Islanders perished on the sailboat Flying Colours. This 2007 disaster prompted one of the largest and most intense rescues in Coast Guard history.

Amazingly the Coast Guard helicopter crew photographed the men in the raft being pounded by towering waves.

“I enjoy doing these programs,” said Tougias, “because I like to transport the audience into the heart of the storm so that they ask themselves ‘what would I have done.’ I don’t like to do author readings because I think they are boring, but with a slide presentation, the viewer can visually relive the adventure. It’s like watching a movie with the author giving behind-the-scene details.”

Tougias, known for his fast-paced writing style and character-driven stories, tells this true saga in the present tense to give the reader an “edge of your seat, you are there” experience.

A book signing will follow the program. The dramatic and inspiring program is free, open to the public, and suitable for all ages. “A Storm Too Soon” will be featured on ABC Television’s 20/20.

Copy the Story Link