“Fire rescue…what’s the address? I don't know. The ocean!"
That's the start of a 911 call made two miles off the coast of Stuart on Sunday.
RELATED: Martin Co. marine units rescue kayaker
Monday, Tony Prezioso says he's getting goose bumps listening to the call his friend Juan Eguia made.
“We’re about a mile out, my buddy’s kayak is taking on water," Eguia tells dispatchers.
Prezioso and Eguia had gotten in their kayaks early Sunday for a day of offshore fishing. They had been on the water about two hours when Prezioso ran into trouble.
“I was paddling paddling paddling and not getting anywhere and I look behind me and the entire back section, the entire stern was completely submerged," said Prezioso.
A few minutes later, Prezioso went overboard.
“I started going down… I was freaking out.”
Thinking about his wife and kids, Eguia told Prezioso to stay calm as the Martin County Marine Unit arrived.
“When we got there one of the kayaks was partially submerged and a gentleman was hanging on to it," said Deputy Jeffrey Read.
Deputy Read says what Prezioso did before he even got into the kayak, made a big difference.
“These guys were prepared not only did they have life jackets they were wearing their life jackets. They also had visual distress signals and had their cell phones in waterproof cases," said Deputy Read.
Read says any one on the water shouldn't wait to call them. That the worst that could happen is you don't need them and they go back to where they were before.
Prezioso says he won’t let this near death experience keep him out of the water thanks to an experienced team of rescuers.
“Now knowing how fast and efficient they are, makes me that much more determined to get out," said Prezioso.
Prezioso says the next step is to figure out where the leak is in his kayak is so he can plug it up.
