Tragedy on Mobile Bay — 2 Dead and 5 Missing in Dauphin Island Regatta

Posted on by April 27, 2015
Dauphin Island Regatta in Sunnier Days Photo: Press-Register/Michelle Rolls)

Dauphin Island Regatta in Sunnier Days Photo: Press-Register/Michelle Rolls)

In  a letter about the Fairhope Yacht Club, Commodore Gary Garner describes the local sailing on Mobile Bay in Alabama.  He writes: “We are blessed with a moderate climate, steady afternoon sea breezes and fantastic sunsets. Our generally laid back lifestyle is occasionally punctuated with bursts of extreme intensity, usually right before the starting gun, or during a jubilee!” On Sunday at around 4:30 in the afternoon, the “burst of extreme intensity” was not a starting gun or a jubilee, but a powerful squall traveling at over 50 knots, and packing winds reported to reach close to 70 knots, that struck the fleet of more than 100 sailboats participating in the yearly Dauphin Island Regatta. Two sailors are reported to have died and five remain missing.

The sea had been relatively calm with a 15 knot breeze blowing. When the squall hit, waves rose to what has been reported to between eight and eighteen feet. The high winds and waves, knocked down many boats in the fleet. Ten boats were capsized or damaged. U.S. Coast Guard Capt. Duke Walker said that 40 people had to be rescued from the water. The two videos after the page break include comments from survivors and video of the storm.

Fairhope Yacht Club is a sponsor of the regatta, which has been held yearly for close to 60 years.  Dauphin Island is a barrier island at the south-west corner of Mobile Bay.

Dauphin Island Regatta Disaster Bo Brodbeck April 25, 2015

Dauphin Island Race Disaster

Thanks to Brian and Irwin Bryan for contributing to this post.

Comments

Tragedy on Mobile Bay — 2 Dead and 5 Missing in Dauphin Island Regatta — 6 Comments

  2. For God’s sake!
    What’s the first thing you do before going out on the water?
    Even I know this from boating on Lake Erie for 60 years.
    Check the damn marine weather forecast!
    You can judge the weather because its a nice day!

  4. In regard to the above post does he believe that nobody in Mobile, sailor or citizen, failed to check the weather? Or that freak squalls do exist and can come most unexpectedly? It is unfortunate that we live in a “shoot from the lip” world where posts that condemn all involved are taken with sincerity.

  5. Phil’s right. This same intense storm system was cancelling flights in Texas days before this race. West Mobile was being blasted by hurricane-force winds hours before they hit the Bay. This storm was entirely predictable.