Group Thankful to Be Alive After Boat Capsized Off South Carolina Coast

— -- A fishing trip turned into a nightmare for a group of boaters off the coast of South Carolina after their boat capsized miles from shore.

Keith Judy, his 11-year-old son Reece, Reece’s 12-year-old friend Justin Stancil, and Kenny Winningham were on the trip a week ago Sunday when the engines and batteries died, and the boat started taking on water.

After the group jumped into the water, the boat overturned. The four clung to an ice cooler and each other, floating.

Day turned to night. The group tried to stay optimistic despite the precarious situation.

“With these two kids, we were all coming back one way or another. They kept saying they wanted to see their mom,” Keith Judy said.

The overturned boat was spotted by rescuers at 6:30 a.m. last Monday, but no sign of the boaters.

At that point, Sommer Judy, Keith Judy’s wife and the mother of Reece, said she started to panic.

“It was the scariest hours of my life, not knowing if they were coming home,” Sommer Judy said.

At 10 a.m., Coast Guard crews spotted people waving their arms in the water. The boaters were brought back to shore, dehydrated but grateful to be alive and reunited with their families. The group credits Keith Judy’s boating experience and teamwork for their survival.

Jennifer Stancil, Justin’s mother, was thankful everyone was OK.

“I started to walk, and I couldn’t even contain myself, I just ran,” Jennifer Stancil said. “I had to hug all of them.”

The boys said they will eventually get back in the water, but they might wait until next summer.