77-Year-Old Man Saved After Being Stranded in Lake for 5 Hours. He Begged His Rescuer, ‘Don’t Let Go’

A 77-year-old man was pulled to safety after spending more than five hours in the water when his fishing boat partially capsized on Oneida Lake in New York.

Joseph Davis and his friend Brian Palmer, 66, had set out on the lake around 8:30 a.m. on Saturday, July 27, when their 16-foot vessel began taking on water due to a mechanical failure and rough waves, according to the Oneida County Sheriff’s Office. The boat eventually capsized, forcing both men into the water.

Oneida County Sheriff Robert Maciol told ABC affiliate WSYR that three-foot waves overwhelmed the boat. “They couldn’t get the water out fast enough, and the boat partially sank,” he said.

For hours, the two men drifted in the lake, clinging to floating debris. It wasn’t until around 2:25 p.m. that the sheriff’s marine patrol received a report of a capsized boat and a person in the water near Godfrey Point.

But before emergency crews could arrive, a couple celebrating a birthday happened upon Davis.

Gary and Rachel Jennings were boating with their children when they spotted a seat floating in the lake. As they approached, they saw Davis hanging onto the debris from the capsized boat. “We asked him if he was okay or needed help. He indicated he did need help,” Rachel told NBC affiliate WKTV.

Gary threw Davis a rope and pulled him aboard. “As soon as he got the rope and reached me, he grabbed my hand, looked in my eyes, and said, ‘Don’t let go,’” Gary recalled. “I said, ‘I’m not going to let go, buddy. Don’t worry.’”

Though Davis had some bruises, he was able to alert the couple that Palmer was still in the water. Not long after, another boater located and rescued Palmer.

Both men were brought to shore and evaluated by emergency medical personnel. Sheriff Maciol credited their survival to one critical precaution: “If it weren’t for the life jackets they were wearing, we would definitely have a different outcome,” he said.

Authorities are continuing to investigate the incident, but emphasized the importance of life vests and boating safety in open waters.