Towboat operators are often among the first on the scene when someone is in distress on the water. In a situation last August on the Potomac River, a towboat operator was not only one of the first on the scene, he saved five peoples’ lives.
Nearly six months later, that lifesaver, Capt. Gilbert “Gil” James of TowboatUS Potomac Marine, has been honored with a Meritorious Service Award from BoatUS. James is among eight TowboatUS captains nationwide to be recognized for “selflessly acting to provide good Samaritan lifesaving assistance.”
On the afternoon of Aug. 18, 2024, a good Samaritan called TowBoatUS Potomac Marine to report a boat in distress near Fairview Beach in King George County, Virginia. A thunderstorm had just passed through, carrying gusts up to 39 knots and waves over 2 feet, and prompting a small craft warning.
James and the crew of the towboat Aquia—who happened to be his son, Ryan—found a capsized pontoon boat with five people in the water and another missing. No one was wearing a life jacket. The father and son were able to rescue the five people clinging to the capsized pontoon.
Fortunately for the five victims, Gil James wasn’t just the first boat on the scene, he was also a 23-year Prince George’s County firefighter paramedic. He was able to quickly check the victims for any medical attention needed while he got them safely back to EMS crews waiting on the shore. One person was transferred to the hospital with minor injuries
Sadly, first responders eventually located and recovered the sixth victim’s remains. The missing person, a woman, was tangled in the wreckage of the pontoon. James returned to carry out salvage operations and hoisted the pontoon to right it.
As the Fredericksburg Free Press first reported, James knew the storm was serious… and it had come up very quickly. “One of our neighbors recorded 40-miles-an-hour [sic] gusts at one point,” said James, who lives in Fairview Beach.
Thankfully, the worst of the severe weather passed in time for James and his son to save the lives of five victims.
