At the break of dawn, just before the sun rose on April 12th, 1990, Nathan Neesmith, a 31-year-old man, pressed down on the gas pedal of the fishing vessel he was piloting near the Georgia shoreline. He expected the boat to surge forward, but it barely moved, crawling at a fraction of the speed he anticipated. Confused, Nathan stepped back and headed towards the boat’s deck where his younger brother, Billy Joe, the captain of the fishing boat, was dozing off. Nathan believed that if there was an issue with the boat, Billy Joe would be the one to fix it.
Nathan and Billy Joe were on the first day of a seven-day fishing trip. Originally, the crew was supposed to include Billy Joe, the skipper who had leased the vessel, Billy Joe’s nephew, and two other professional fishermen. At the last minute, the two professional fishermen backed out, so Nathan and a friend filled in to complete the crew.
Though both brothers came from a fishing family, it was Billy Joe who had dedicated himself to the family’s fishing business. Nathan, despite being skilled and knowledgeable about fishing and operating boats, wasn’t as experienced as Billy Joe. Nevertheless, the brothers shared a deep bond, and Nathan immediately offered to help when he learned Billy Joe needed additional crew members.
As Nathan reached the deck to wake his brother, he informed Billy Joe that the boat was malfunctioning. Despite Nathan’s imposing figure, standing over six feet tall and weighing 250 pounds, he was not mechanically inclined and began to question his decision to join the trip. Billy Joe, remaining calm, suggested they check the engine. Upon opening the hatch, smoke erupted, revealing a major issue with the engine. Billy Joe, now exasperated, instructed Nathan to wake the other two crew members.
Nathan headed to the bunk room, where he found about a foot of water in the hallway and bunk room. Panicked, he screamed for the other fishermen to wake up. As they rose and saw the rising water, they too began to panic. Nathan quickly returned to Billy Joe, who was attempting to troubleshoot the engine. Realizing the boat was taking on water, Billy Joe told Nathan to grab buckets and start bailing water while he sent out a mayday call.
Nathan and the others donned life jackets and began the arduous task of bailing water. However, the water was flooding in faster than they could bail it out. The lights on the ship dimmed and then went out completely as the engine failed, plunging them into darkness. Billy Joe’s mayday calls went unanswered, leaving them isolated and cut off from communication.
With no other choice, the crew inflated their life raft, loaded it with as many supplies as possible, and abandoned the sinking vessel. Despite the initial panic, they believed rescue was imminent, thinking someone might have heard their distress call. They rationed their supplies and maintained a hopeful attitude. However, their hope quickly waned. Within 30 minutes of being in the raft, Nathan heard a hissing sound—the raft was leaking. Without a patch kit, they could only attempt to cover the hole with their hands, but it wasn’t enough. The raft deflated completely, and the four men found themselves floating in the icy waters.
They managed to cling to a large log from the debris, using it as a makeshift raft. The log wasn’t large enough to hold all four at once, so they had to take turns resting on it while the others remained in the water. As they watched their fishing vessel drift away, their situation seemed increasingly dire.
Despite having recovered some supplies, they were not protected from hypothermia. The cold ocean water took its toll, and they began to show signs of hypothermia within hours. Faced with grim decisions about who would stay on the raft and who would go back into the water, Nathan made a bold choice. Understanding that his absence would allow the others more space on the log, he decided to swim to the wreckage, hoping to make another makeshift raft.
Despite his brother’s protests, Nathan set off on what seemed like a suicidal mission. Swimming in the open ocean is grueling, especially without proper gear or visible landmarks for navigation. Against all odds, 11 hours later, Nathan reached the sinking vessel, severely dehydrated and hypothermic. He managed to climb onto the structure, secure himself, and wait through the night, clinging to hope.
As the sun rose the next day, Nathan spotted a large cargo ship on the horizon. He believed the ship would rescue his brother and the other two fishermen first, then come for him. However, after making circles around the area where he thought his brother was, the freighter changed course and disappeared, leaving Nathan devastated.
Three days later, another ship found Nathan and brought him to safety. In the hospital, he asked about his brother and the others, but there were no reports of their rescue. The cargo ship he believed he had seen remained a mystery, with no records of any such vessel in the area. Authorities concluded that Billy Joe and the others were likely deceased, but Nathan’s family remained hopeful.
Months later, strange phone calls began. Nathan’s mother and the boat owner received calls from a Spanish-speaking person who repeated the names and numbers of Nathan’s sister and the boat owner. These calls persisted for weeks, leading the families to believe Billy Joe and the others were alive and possibly being held captive.
Despite thorough investigations, no evidence of the ship’s presence was found, and the calls stopped. Nearly a year after the incident, Nathan’s sister received a call in English saying, “I’m bringing him home.” Authorities scanned the shoreline for Billy Joe and the others, but they were never seen again.
To this day, the mystery remains unsolved. Nathan insists he saw the cargo ship, but without concrete evidence, it remains unclear what really happened to Billy Joe and the other fishermen. The families hold on to hope, believing their loved ones are still alive and will return home someday.