Coast Guard Rescue on Alaska's High Seas | Black Line | 1

0:00Audible subscribers can listen to all episodes of Against the Odds ad-free right now. Join Audible today by downloading the Audible app. A listener note. Against the Odds uses dramatizations that are based on true events. Some elements, including dialogue, may be invented. But everything is based on research.

0:23Chief Warrant Officer Bob Doyle trudges down a long hallway at the Coast Guard Air Station in Sitka, Alaska. He could really use a drink right now, but he needs to be sober for the meeting he's about to have. It's June 1996, and Doyle has been summoned to the office of the base's new commanding officer, Ted Lefevre. Captain Lefevre didn't give a reason for the meeting, but he didn't really have to. Doyle knows it's because he hasn't been showing up for work. Or showing up drunk. Doyle has served in the Coast Guard for nearly 20 years, ever since he enlisted at 18. It's everything to him. But his personal life is in shambles, and it's been affecting his work as a supply officer.

1:12He just hopes Lefevre will give him a chance to explain himself. Lefevre's door is ajar. Doyle pauses just outside and takes a moment to smooth the wrinkles on his uniform. Then, softly, he knocks. Captain Lefevre, you wanted to see me? Lefevre looks up from his desk. He's got gray hair, bushy eyebrows, and an air of quiet authority. Stacks of paperwork cover his desk. Ah, yes, it's Doyle, right? Come in and close the door behind you. He gestures to a chair in front of his desk, and Doyle sits. There's an awkward silence as Lefevre fishes a folder out of his stacks. He opens it, scans the report inside, then looks at Doyle through wire-rimmed glasses.

2:01So, Mr. Doyle, I understand that you've been missing a lot of work lately. I guess that is true, sir. Care to tell me why? Doyle takes a deep breath and launches into his story. A few months ago, he discovered that his wife was having an affair with another guy on the base, a flight mechanic. When he confronted her, she asked for a divorce and threw him out of the house. Now his wife and the flight mechanic are living together, and he's sleeping in the barracks with the enlisted men. She won't let him see their kids, and he has to face his wife's lover on base every day. The stress and humiliation have been more than he can bear.

2:46The story pours out of him. Captain Lefevre listens patiently, then cuts him off. Look, Bob. Do you mind if I call you Bob? No, sir. Doyle braces himself for a stern reprimand. He knows missing so much work could lead to a demotion, or even a dishonorable discharge. But the expression on Lefevre's face softens. Bob, listen. I understand what you're going through. I honestly even sympathize. My wife, she left me too. Not that long ago. Now, it's Captain Lefevre's turn to tell his divorce story, which also involved his wife having an affair. As he talks, Doyle tries to keep a sympathetic expression on his face.

3:35But inside, he's rejoicing. What a lucky break. His commanding officer can relate to him. Maybe Lefevre won't punish him after all. When Lefevre is done, Doyle shakes his head. Sir, I'm so sorry. That really must have been awful. It was. Yeah. But here's the thing, Bob. No matter how bad things got, you know what I always did? No, sir. I came to work, Bob. And I came to work sober. I did my job. Now, there's no trace of kindness on Lefevre's face. He's all business. Do you understand what I'm saying? Doyle feels himself withering under the base captain's icy glare. Yes. Yes, sir. I understand.

4:23Good. That's good. That'll be all, Mr. Doyle. Doyle shuffles out of Captain Lefevre's office, stunned. He was so sure the captain was on his side. Instead, he knows that if he screws up again, he won't get another warning. He'll be out. And that means his days in the Coast Guard are numbered.

4:57We are live from Fetty's house. Hundreds gathered around the TV, all connected to reliable Wi-Fi from Xfinity. I'm Josie on a video call krilling the referee. Get reliable fiber-powered gig Wi-Fi with Peacock included to stream the beautiful game this summer. Xfinity, imagine that. Restrictions apply. New gig internet members only. Speeds vary. Use of fiber coaxial cable. Peacock offer for Peacock Premium with ads currently$10.99 a month value. Activation required to access content. Terms apply. Peacock must be activated within first 90 days. Manage existing subscriptions to avoid multiple charges.

5:26Third-party subscriptions continue until cancelled. I heard a rumour that the CIA poisoned my granddad. Gordon Banks, the world's number one goalkeeper. It happened in Mexico, supposedly, at the World Cup in 1970. Sounds crazy? I'm an investigative journalist on the hunt for evidence. We needed to do some extraordinary things to counter the Soviets. This is Foul Play, an unbelievable tale of sports, spies and family secrets. Listen now wherever you get your podcasts or early and ad-free on Audible.

6:01From Audible Originals, I'm Mike Corey and this is Against the Odds.

6:15The U.S. Coast Guard calls southeastern Alaska the most demanding flight environment for Coast Guard aircraft operations. There, the men and women of Air Station Sitka are responsible for patrolling 12 ,000 miles of remote and rugged coastline, as well as search and rescue operations on both land and sea. You may remember their heroics from past seasons of this podcast, including Alaska Bear Attack and Fire at Sea Cruise Ship Rescue. In 1996 and 97, Air Station Sitka was also the home base of a troubled chief warrant officer named Bob Doyle, who would go on to play a role in one of the most infamous shipwrecks and improbable rescues in Alaska's history.

7:05This is Episode 1, Black Lime.

7:16Bob Doyle stands on the sidewalk outside a two-story clapboard house that's seen better days. Actually, that's an understatement. The house is a dump. But right now, it might be the last place in Sitka that will have him. It's an overcast afternoon in November 1997, seven months since Bob was finally kicked out of the Coast Guard. After the meeting with Captain Lefevre, Bob tried to clean up his act, but as divorce proceedings dragged on, his drinking got worse. Things came to a head about a year ago when he was arrested for drunk driving. To avoid a dishonorable discharge, Bob opted for early retirement and the meager pension that came with it.

8:05He's bounced around various places in Sitka ever since. Motels, a rented trailer, friends' apartments. He's been kicked out of all of them. For drinking, running out of money, or for both. He's tried looking for work, but there's little to be had in Sitka at this time of year, when much of the town shuts down for winter. The best he's been able to find is a part-time gig fixing gear for a shrimp boat. And with only that meager income and his small pension, he can't scrape together enough for rent, child support, and his bar tab. Now he's here, outside the town's grubbiest boarding house, with all his worldly possessions in two cardboard boxes.

8:49He's heard that the old lady who owns the place has a soft spot for down-on-their-luck fishermen, Maybe she'll take kindly to a disgraced former Coast Guard officer too. The front door appears to be nailed shut, so he walks down the narrow driveway past cast-off tools and rusty car parts until he comes to a side door. Hello? Hello? He peers through the door's grease-stained windowpane and sees a kitchen cluttered with dirty dishes and empty beer cans. A few minutes later, a man smoking a cigarette appears and he opens the door. Can I help you? Hi, my name's Bob Doyle. I called about the room. Oh yeah, you're the coastie.

9:35Ex-coastie. Well, come on in, Bob Doyle, the ex-coastie. You want a drink? The man pours a couple of vodka shots and explains the house rules, such as they are. The bedrooms? They're all taken. But seven bucks a night gets you a couch. If you're broke, you can sleep on the floor. No fighting, no weapons, and no trashing the place. As they're downing shots, the kitchen door opens, and another man strides in. He's tall and lanky, with a ponytail and a scar across his nose. He sizes up Bob. Who is this? The man with the cigarette answers before Bob can speak. Bob Doyle, ex-coast guard. Bob, this is Mike DiCapua.

10:20Bob extends a hand, and Mike shakes it warily. Ah, I hate coasties. They think they know everything. Hey, Gino, pour me a shot, will ya? Want another one, Bob? Yeah, sure. Why not? They down another round of vodka shots, then move into the living room, where Mike flops onto a battered recliner and lights a cigarette. Then Mike starts to talk. Bob realizes quickly that Mike DiCapua loves to talk, mostly about being a fisherman and how he's one of the only good ones left. You ever fish, Bob? No, but I'd like to learn. Bob explains that he tried all summer to find work on a fishing boat, but no one was willing to take on a 39-year-old newbie.

11:06Maybe Mike could help him? But Mike just laughs and pours himself another shot. Me teaching a coastie how to fish. Now that'd be something. Mike keeps talking, telling one yarn after another about how he first came to Alaska to skip out on parole, about women he's been with, ships he's sailed on. And Bob decides to keep listening. He hopes that if he listens long enough, Mike will change his mind and help him find some work.

11:43Mike DiCapua walks along the main pier of Old Thompson Harbor, pulling his collar tight against the wind. Bob Doyle walks with him. It's January 1998, and by now the two men have been fishing together for a few weeks. Mike hates to admit it, but he's been impressed with how quickly Bob is learning the job. But Mike doesn't like their skipper, so they've decided to switch boats. They're looking for a ship called the Laconte, which they've heard needs two deckhands. They'll be catching rockfish out in Sitka Sound, and the pay is 10 % of the catch, which could be a lot of money. Rockfish usually fetches a good price.

12:27Then they see her, the Laconte. She's a large, narrow vessel, about 80 feet long and made of wood, which is unusual for a fishing boat. Mike likes the look of her right away. Ah, she's a schooner. Don't see many of those anymore. On the dock, they meet the ship's captain, a burly man named Mark Morley, and the crew boss, Gigi Mork, a native Alaskan with jet black hair and boyish features. He flashes a grin at Mike. Hey, I know you. Long time no see, Mike. With Gigi vouching for Mike, it seems like the job is theirs. But Morley eyes Bob skeptically. You, what's your story? Mike sees Bob hesitate, so he jumps in.

13:15He's green, but I'll vouch for him. He's ex-coast car, knows his way around a boat. I've been showing him the ropes, and he's a fast learner. With Mike's assurances, Morley agrees. He'll give Bob a shot. Okay, we leave day after tomorrow. We'll be out for a week. If you guys do good work, I'll keep you on. Sound good? Everyone shakes on it. And then Mike asks if they can see the boat. As soon as he sets foot on deck, he can see that the Le Conti is in bad shape. She was built way back in 1919, and parts of her look like they haven't been updated since. The decks are creaky and buckled in places.

13:57There's black mildew streaking the cabin walls, and a bilge pump is sucking water out of her hold. Even in dock. But something about the Le Conti makes Mike smile. She may be old, but she's got soul. He sees that Bob is less impressed. She needs a lot of work. Ah, I've seen worse. The way they build these old ships, man, they hold up better than you think. If you say so. And Giggy? That guy, man, he knows how to fish. We'll make some good money crewing for him. As far as Mike's concerned, it's decided. Tomorrow, they'll tell their old skipper they're leaving. And the day after that, they'll set sail on the Le Conti.

14:49Bob Doyle lets out a groan as he hauls in another long line. Like every other line they've cast for the past three days, it's nearly empty. Just a few grey cod and none of the more expensive rockfish they've hoped to catch. So far, their first trip on the Le Conti has been a bust. And the 20-foot swells haven't made for a pleasant ride. But Bob doesn't mind. He's learning a lot from Mike DiCapua and Giggy Mork, who are both excellent fishermen. And more importantly, he hasn't been drinking. Being at sea and working a demanding job have given him a sense of focus and purpose he hasn't felt since his divorce.

15:33It's helped him stay off the bottle. The Le Conti is a long-line fishing vessel. That means it casts out fishing lines several miles long, each with hundreds or even thousands of hooks. And each hook has to be baited and set by hand. It's delicate work that has to be done quickly, often with hands that are numb from cold Alaska winds. Bob is getting better at it, but he still marvels at how fast Mike and Giggy are. Hauling the lines back in is no easy feat either. The fish have to be unhooked and sorted by species, and they have to toss back any bycatch, fish they don't have a license for. The lines often get tangled.

16:19Hooks get damaged or lost. Everything has to be repaired and coiled before it can be cast out again. When the last of the long line is retrieved, Bob makes his way carefully across the slippery deck to the bait shed, where Mike is prepping their next line. Need a hand, Mike? Mike doesn't look up, just jerks his chin at a pile of tangled line. Good luck with that, though. It's all frayed to hell. What kind of skipper tries to fish with gear like this anyway? Bob sits down on an overturned bucket and starts disentangling the line. Sounds like you don't like this boat so much anymore. Nah, the boat's fine.

16:57It's the captain I'm worried about. You think he doesn't know what he's doing? Well, he doesn't know where the fish are. That's for damn sure. The bilge alarm goes off. Again. Gigi Mork appears in the bait shed doorway and tells Bob to go turn on the pump. Bob clambers below deck and finds ankle-deep water sloshing around the engine room. He fires up a little Honda generator, and after a few minutes, most of the water has been pumped out. But he knows that in an hour or two, he'll be right back manning the pump again. Maybe sooner, if the seas get rough. He knows that Mike still has faith in the Le Conti, but Bob is starting to have his doubts.

17:49Mark Morley sits at the wheel of the Le Conti, guiding the ship out of the harbour and into Sitka Sound. For once, he's taking his vessel out for pleasure, not business. And it's a perfect day for it. Barely a cloud in the sky, and the ocean's calm surface is shining like glass. After their unsuccessful fishing trip, Morley thought his crew could use a break, so he invited them to join him, his fiancée Tamara, and her teenage daughter Kyla, for a day of whale watching. Only Bob Doyle accepted, bringing along his nine-year-old son Brendan. Morley hears the pilot house door open, and Bob appears with Brendan in tow.

18:32The little boy stares wide-eyed at the wheel, and Morley motions to the captain's chair. Hey, little man. Want to steer? Maybe your dad can show you how. Brendan nods, and Morley gets up to let Bob take the controls. Brendan hops into his father's lap and grabs the wheel with both hands, grinning ear to ear. Bob looks up at the captain and mouths the words, thank you. Morley steps out to give father and son a little alone time, and finds Tamara and Kyla standing at the port railing, gazing out to sea. Tamara sees him approaching and points. Mark, look! There they are! Morley follows her finger and sees two spouts of spray in the distance.

19:19Humpback whales. He wasn't actually sure if they'd see any this time of year. Most humpbacks have migrated to Mexico by January. He takes it as a good omen that they've spotted some, and Morley could use a few good omens. He didn't want to alarm the crew, But that last unsuccessful run put him on thin ice with Le Conti's owners. They took a chance, giving him the skipper job, and he doesn't want to let them down. Plus, he recently learned that Tamara is pregnant, and he's promised her a diamond engagement ring and a nice wedding. Wow, look at that! Wow! One of the humpbacks breaches, and Morley puts his arms around Tamara and Kyla.

20:05He can't believe that soon their own little baby will be in the picture too. He's so grateful for his new family, and he'll do anything to make sure they're provided for.

20:25Bob Doyle shoves a few more cans of soup into an already overstuffed cupboard, then latches it shut. He and Giggy Mork are in the Le Conti's galley, packing away all the food they'll need for their next fishing trip. It's a little before 4 a.m. on January 23, 1998. The crew has already been up for over an hour getting the ship ready. Besides the food, they need to check the engines, bilge pump, and winches, and organize all their bait and fishing gear. Since their first trip was a bust, Captain Morley has decided to venture out into deeper waters in search of rockfish. He's set his sights on a notorious spot called Fairweather Ground.

21:10Despite its name, it's known for rough weather and high seas at this time of year. But it's also a prime fishing spot. And to maximize their time there, Morley has brought on another deckhand, an indigenous man named David Hanlon. He's quiet, so Bob hasn't gotten a read on him yet. But judging from how muscular he is, he should be a welcome addition when they're hauling in the lines. When Bob's done helping Giggy with food, he goes to check on their safety gear. He finds everything they're required to have. Emergency beacons, waterproof survival suits. But there's one glaring exception. He climbs the steel deck stairs to the pilot house to ask Morley about it.

21:56Hey, Skipper, do we still not have a life raft? From his Coast Guard days, Bob knows that their first fishing trip was close enough to shore that they weren't legally required to have a life raft. But Fairweather Ground is open ocean, more than 60 miles from the nearest land. Not having a raft that far out isn't just illegal. It's downright dangerous. But Morley seems unconcerned. Nah, couldn't find one on short notice. Bob doesn't love that answer, but he decides to drop the subject. He needs this fishing run to go well as much as anyone else. There's no sense in jumping ship over a missing life raft.

22:39Finally, the Le Conti is ready to go. Morley fires up the engine, the crew unhitches the dock ropes, and the ship chugs slowly out of the harbor. Mike DiCapua calls out to Bob. Hey, Skipper says we can get some shut-eye. You coming? Nah, I'm going to stay up here and have a smoke. Suit yourself. Mike and the other two crew members head downstairs to their bunk rooms, leaving Bob alone on the stern. He lights a cigarette and watches the lights of Sitka as they start to recede. When the ship passes some outcroppings called the Old Sitka Rocks, Bob looks for a series of faint yellow street lamps.

23:21He knows that just beyond one of those lamps, there's a duplex where his ex-wife now lives with their two kids. And that bastard flight mechanic. Bob tries to picture his children curled up in their beds. Brendan and his little sister Katie. He wonders when he'll see them again. He only gets them every other weekend. And if the Le Conti is away for too long, he'll miss his next visit. When the street lamps are barely visible on the horizon, Bob stubs out his cigarette and heads below deck. It's an 18-hour voyage to Fairweather Ground, and there's still a lot of work to be done before they get there.

24:05He needs to get some sleep.

24:24Get him, Bob! Bob Doyle pins a wriggling fish against the deck of the Le Conti, trying to stab it with his knife. But this one is massive, and it's refusing to go quietly. He tries to go for the fish's gills, but it twists around and bites him. Ah, son of a bitch! The rest of the crew is watching with delight. Mike DeCapua is doubled over with laughter. I think he likes you, Bob. Hey, shut up, Mike. Finally, Bob manages to kill the fish with a stab to its head. It's got to be at least a 40-pounder, one of the biggest they've caught. Bob guts it, a little haphazardly, and muscles it into a bin that's already stuffed with rockfish.

25:13When they first arrived at Fairweather Ground a few days ago, it looked like another bust. Just after they set their lines, a storm rolled in, and they were forced to take shelter in a cove. They left their lines behind, anchored in place with weights and marked by buoys, to let them soak, as the fishermen say. A few days later, on January 29th, the weather forecast called for calmer seas, and they headed back out in search of their lines. They found them around 10 p.m., but most of the fish on the hooks had been reduced to skeletons, picked clean by predators. At that point, half the crew wanted to go home, including David Hanlon, who was battling seasickness, and Mike DiCapua, who felt sure this whole trip was a waste.

26:01But Captain Morley insisted they try two shorter lines, less than a mile each, as a last-ditch effort. They let them soak overnight, into the morning of January 30th. And, to everyone's surprise, those lines have hit the jackpot. Bob's never seen so many fish in his life. Even the veteran fishermen seem giddy with their haul. Each set of hooks, called a skate, is practically full. Dozens of fish per skate, adding up to hundreds of pounds. As Bob wrestles another fish off a hook, he hears Mike call out, Hey Cap, how much fish does one of these bins hold? 800 pounds. Hell yeah, we got two full already.

26:46Just started a third. Once each bin is full, the crew ices it down, then lowers it into the hold. They work at breakneck speed, gutting fish, icing them, then cleaning the skates and coiling the lines so they can throw out more sets. But as they work, Bob starts to notice a problem. With all that fish in their hold, the Le Conti is riding lower in the water. And after hours of calm seas, the swells are starting to pick up again. The bigger waves are crashing over the railings, sending spray across the decks and into the engine room. Giggy Mork calls out. Somebody turn on the bilge pump! While Mike scrambles below deck, Bob watches David Hanlon stagger to the railing and puke over the side.