FURTHER, MANY OTHERS ARE WONDERING WHAT REALLY HAPPENED?
JENNIFER AND TASHA ARE JOINING
US EXCLUSIVELY. GOOD MORNING.Y.
GOOD MORNING. PHYSICALLY, EMOTIONALLY, HOW ARE
YOU GUYS DOING?
>> NBC HAS BEEN PHENOMENAL. "USS ASHLAND" MADE THE WORLD A
DIFFERENT PLACE FOR US.
>> I SEE THE SMILES.
YOURE HAPPY TO BE BACK ON DRY LAND. HAPPY TO BE BACK ON DRY
LAND.
>> YES.
>> LETS START WITH THE FIRST DAY.ETS START WITH THE FIRST
DAY.
MAY 3rd. YOU SAY THAT FIRST NIGHT, YOU
FACED A MAJOR STORM, FORCE 11,
HIGH WINDS.
HIGH WINDS.
AND IT LASTED FOR SOMETHING LIKE THREE DAYS.ED FOR SOMETHING LIKE
THREE DAYS.
WHAT WAS IT LIKE TO RIDE THAT
STORM OUT?
>> IM A HEAVY SLEEPER. WHEN SHE SAID, BUNKER DOWN WITH
THE BOYS, I KNOCKED OUT LIKE THE
DEAD.
DEAD.
>> WHAT WAS IT LIKE BEING ON THAT SAILBOAT? LIKE BEING ON
THAT SAILBOAT? 50-FOOT SAILBOAT?
50-FOOT SAILBOAT? >> IM USED TO SAILING IN THE
HAWAIIAN WATERS.
HAWAIIAN WATERS. IM USED TO SMALL STORMS COMING
UP.
I DIDNT EXPECT IT TO BE WHAT IT WAS.DNT EXPECT IT TO BE WHAT IT
WAS.
I SAID, TASHA, IF I MAKE A MISTAKE DOING THIS, WERE GOING
TO DIE TONIGHT.
AND SHE SAID, I TRUST YOU, GO
AHEAD, HAVE FUN.
>> BY THE WAY, IM A BOATER, I
SHOULD TELL YOU THAT.
IF IM ON A THREE-WEEK TRIP FROM
HONOLULU AND TAHITI, THAT
HAPPENS TO ME ON THE FIRST
NIGHT, IM TURNING AROUND AND
GOING BACK.
GOING BACK.
YOU DIDNT DO THAT. >> WELL, MADE MODIFICATIONS TO
THE HULL OF THE BOAT.
SO, THE KEEL, THE BOTTOM PART OF
THE BOAT WAS 86".
THE TWO CLOSEST HARBORS, MANILA
BAY, IS SIX FOOT DEEP.
>> YOU CAN SIGNAL TO SOMEONE
YOURE IN TROUBLE.
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
SAYS THERES SMALL CRAFT
ADVISORIES, THEY HAD NO RECORD,
NO PREDICTION, NO REPORTS OF A
STORM OF THE SCALE THAT YOURE
TALKING ABOUT.
TALKING ABOUT. HOW DO YOU COME TO TERMS WITH
THAT?
THAT?
>> I UNDERSTAND FISH STORIES. I BELIEVE THAT THE STORMRIES.
I BELIEVE THAT THE STORM ADVISORY THAT THEY PUT OUT FOR
THE AREA WEST OF THE BIG ISLAND
WAS ANTICIPATED TO BE SMALLER
THAN SOME OF THE DOWNDRAFTS THAT
WE SAW.
WE SAW. I WILL AGREE THAT IF YOU WERE
THERE, YOU WOULD SAY THE SAME
THING I DID.
>> IT FELT BIG IF YOU WERE ON
THAT SAILBOAT.
THAT SAILBOAT. >> YEAH.
>> YEAH. >> LET ME MOVE FURTHER INTO THIS
ORDEAL.
ORDEAL.
MIDDLE OF JUNE, JUNE 15th. THE COAST GUARD SAYS ON AN
UNRELATED SEARCH MISSION, THEY
HAD RECEIVED A PHONE CALL FROM
FRIENDS OR FAMILY MEMBERS OF
YOURS, SAYING WE HAVENT HEARD
OF THESE LADIES.
THEY GOT INTO RADIO CONTACT WITH
A BOAT THAT WAS CALLED THE "SEA
NYMPH."
NYMPH."
THEY HEARD FROM THE CREW OF THE
"SEA NYMPH," WERE FINE AND WE
SHOULD GET TO TAHITI TOMORROW. WHO DID THEY TALK TO?TOMORROW.
WHO DID THEY TALK TO? >> I HAVE NO IDEA.
BUT GARMON MAKES A GREAT
PRODUCT.
PRODUCT.
THIS IS ONE OF THE GPSs WE HAD
ON OUR "SEA NYMPH." IT SHOWS THAT WE WERE NOWHERE
NEAR TAHITI.
NEAR TAHITI. >> YOU NEVER SPOKE TO THE COAST
GUARD?
GUARD?
>> WE DID SPEAK TO THE COAST GUARD, ON THE THIRD DAY, AFTER
WE CAME THROUGH THE STORM.
WE SAW THEM AFTER WE WERE AT
CHRISTMAS ISLAND, WHEN WE WERE
DENIED ACCESS TO STOP IN AT
CHRISTMAS ISLAND.
CHRISTMAS ISLAND. AND THE NEXT TIME WE SAW THEM
WAS AFTER "THE ASHLAND."
>> CAN WE TALK ABOUT SHARKS?
THERE WAS A PART OF THE ORDEAL
WHEN YOU SAID SHARKS WERE AROUND
THE BOAT FOR HOURS.
AND THAT THEY ACTUALLY RAMMED
THE HULL ON OCCASION, IN ALMOST
A COORDINATED ATTACK.
WHAT WAS THAT LIKE?
>> TERRIFYING.
>> TERRIFYING. >> ABSOLUTELY TERRIFYING.
>> WE DIDNT -- WE WERE TOO
IGNORANT TO REALIZE WHAT WAS
GOING ON.
GOING ON.
AND THE SHARKS WERE TELLING US, YOURE IN OUR LIVING ROOM ANDUS,
YOURE IN OUR LIVING ROOM AND YOURE NOT LEAVING FAST ENOUGH.
AND WE DIDNT REALIZE THATS
WHAT WE WERE BEING TOLD UNTIL
TOO LATE.
TOO LATE.
>> TWO THINGS ABOUT THAT. SCIENTISTS SAY SHARKS DONT
BEHAVIOR THAT WAY.
WELL TAKE YOUR STORY AT ITS
WORD. AGAIN, IM A BORTE.
THATS
THATS BOATER.
BOATER. THATS WHEN I WOULD HAVE PUSHED
THE DISTRESS BEACON.
LETS CALL FOR HELP.
YOU NEVER USED THE DISTRESS
BEACON.
BEACON.
WHY?
>> THE SHARKS WERE SIX INCHES AWAY.E SHARKS WERE SIX INCHES
AWAY.
AND USING AN EPERB MEANS THAT IN THE LOCATION WE WERE, ITSTHAT IN
THE LOCATION WE WERE, ITS PROBABLY FOUR HOURS TO A DAY
BEFORE THE COAST GUARD WOULD
HAVE FOUND US ON A FLYOVER.
SO, WE TOOK OUR CHANCES WITH THE
MAN UPSTAIRS WHO GAVE US GRACE
AND ALLOWED US TO STILL BE HERE
TODAY.
TODAY.
>> YOU SURVIVED ON DRY GOODS. AND YOU HAD A WATER PURIFIER.
>> KATADINE.
>> KATADINE. >> FINE.
>> FINE. YOU WILL GO BACK OUT.
YOU WILL DO THIS AGAIN?
YOU WILL TAKE A TRIP LIKE THIS
AGAIN?
AGAIN?
>> WE WOULDNT TAKE A TRIP JUST LIKE THIS AGAIN.KE A TRIP JUST
LIKE THIS AGAIN. WE WOULD TAKE A TRIP WITH MORE
PREPARATION.
PREPARATION.
>> YOU LIVE FROM YOUR MISTAKES.
YOU PREPARE FOR WHAT YOU
HANDLED.
>> GOING THROUGH WHAT YOU WENT THROUGH, DOES IT BOTHER YOU THAT
YOU COME BACK AND PEOPLE ARE
QUESTIONING WHETHER THIS ORDEAL
EXISTED IN THE PACIFIC OCEAN OR
EXISTED SOMEWHERE UP HERE?
>> ITS A UNIQUE SITUATION.
WE WERE NOT EXPECTING IT.
WE DID NOT CALL THE MEDIA, THE
NAVY DID.
NAVY DID. SO, WERE ENJOYING THE RIDE.
AND WERE GLAD TO BE HERE.
WERE GLAD TO BE HERE WITH YOU.
>> WERE GLAD YOURE SAFE AND