Four people were rescued from the Pacific Ocean last week after their sailboat collided with a whale while they chowed down on pizza.
Rick Rodriguez, 31, and three friends were sailing to French Polynesia on March 13 when the 44-foot boat, namedRaindancer, suddenlymade contactwith the whale, according toThe Washington Post.
“The second pizza had just come out of the oven, and I was dipping a slice into some ranch dressing,” Rodriguez told the newspaper. That’s when the back half of the vessel “lifted violently upward and to starboard,” he added.
Rodriguezspotted a bleeding whalein the water shortly after impact, perThe Washington PostandToday.
The Rainmaker.Rick Rodriguez Instagram
“It was just like, such a surreal moment,” Alana Litz, who was also aboard, toldToday. “And even when the boat was going down, I felt like it was just a scene out of a movie.”
Friends after boat sank.Rick Rodriguez Instagram
Before the rescue, Rodriguez sent outmultiple text messagesto friends and family to inform them of the situation, perToday. One of those dispatches was sent to Tommy Joyce, who was sailing in a “buddy boat” behind them.
Joyce later responded with, “We got you bud,” and “We have a bunch of boats coming” according toThe Washington Post.
Friends aboard life boat.Rick Rodriguez Instagram
On Instagram, Rodriguez thanked the catamaran’s “good hearted” crew for coming to their rescue. “We were all smiles for making it out of that situation alive and rescued,” he wrote.
Rick Rodriguez and friends.Rick Rodriguez Instagram
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Rodriguez went on to mourn the loss of his beloved sailboat, which he said was his “ticket to exploring the world.”
source: people.com
