Video: Solo sailor avoids near-collision with U.S. Navy submarine in Florida
Sailor recounts near-collision with Navy submarine
A solo sailor was left terrified and shaking after a near-collision with a U.S. Navy submarine on St. Mary’s River.
FERNANDINA BEACH, Fla. - A solo sailor was left terrified and shaking after a near-collision with a U.S. Navy submarine in St. Marys River, according to video footage and statements posted online.
Florida submarine encounter
What we know:
Shay Love was sailing alone down the Florida side of St. Marys River on Thursday, June 4, when she noticed something strange in the distance. She thought it was a large boat. Navy boats pulled up on her and told her which way to go. Officials ordered her to leave the area. Love turned around and started traveling perpendicular to the submarine.
She admitted in a video that the situation was her fault. Love said her handheld radio was turned down low when officials tried to call her. She said she was stressed because she was fighting 10 knots of current, running out of diesel, and trying to avoid the vessel. Love said, "I was so terrified that I was shaking and couldn't speak." She added, "That was absolutely insane. That was up there in the top 10 scariest things that have happened to me while driving."
Sailor recalls Navy submarine close call
A woman who was on a solo sailing trip from Miami to Charleston got the shock of her life when she encountered a Navy submarine as she was trying to cross St. Mary’s River from Florida to Georgia.
Navy vessel response
What we don't know:
Naval officials have not publicly confirmed which submarine unit was involved in the encounter. It remains unknown whether any formal investigation or warning was issued following the incident.
Eastern seaboard voyage
The backstory:
Love was on a journey from Miami to Charleston. The trip typically takes four to five days, but Love made stops along the way in St. Augustine, Jacksonville, Cumberland Island and Savannah, turning the voyage into a multi-month trip. June 4 marked only her second time sailing alone, a journey she began after leaving Jacksonville. She reached Cumberland Island the day after the incident and eventually made it to Charleston. Despite the scary encounter, Love plans to continue sailing and hopes to travel up the eastern seaboard to Maine next year.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered through a one-on-one interview with Shay Love and through video footage and public statements.