Survivors of Ore. boat explosion include 2 cats

http://cfnews13.com/content/news/cfn..._2_cats.htm l
Survivors of Ore. boat explosion include 2 cats
By STEVEN DUBOIS,
Last Updated: Wednesday, August 14, 2013
PORTLAND, Ore. --
(AP) When the engine of their tuna boat exploded last week, owners Mark and
Cynthia Schneider had no choice but to jump into the ocean and leave behind
their two cats on the doomed vessel.

After being rescued by a nearby boat, they were stunned when they looked out
at their sinking boat and saw one of the cats a tabby named Jasper on the
bow. The other cat, a calico named Topaz, was in the ocean and eventually
swam through the debris to safety on the rescue boat.

Jasper remained stranded at sea on the bow. As the boat sank deeper into the
ocean, he was forced to jump in and swim toward his owners about 100 yards
away. The cat made it to safety unharmed.

"They've got pretty good survival instincts," Mark Schneider said.

The 60-foot Sea Princess departed from Winchester Bay in late July and sank
80 miles off the coast on Aug. 5. The Schneiders, who have been fishing
together for 27 years, lost their boat, $40,000 worth of tuna and most of
their possessions. The story was first reported by KPTV of Bend.

Mark Schneider, 52, said he checked the engine room about 45 minutes before
the explosion and nothing seemed amiss. Then the engine backfired several
times before a blast that tore off the side of the boat. The Schneiders
suffered flash burns to their faces, but did not require hospitalization.

Not immediately realizing the extent of the damage, he headed to the engine
room to assess the situation. When he looked over his shoulder, he saw ocean
and sky where there should have been hull. Water started pouring in, and he
and Cynthia knew it was time to abandon ship but not without Jasper and
Topaz.

"I kept calling for the kitties and calling for the kitties, but I'm sure
they were traumatized by the blast and didn't know what the heck was going
on," Schneider said. "Cynthia finally snapped me out of that and said: 'We
gotta get off the boat. We gotta get off the boat. Get in your survival
suit.'"

The couple went overboard and spent 15 to 20 minutes in the water before
they were rescued by their friend and fishing partner Rick Goche.

Mark Schneider said the bow of the boat was a natural spot of refuge for
Jasper.

"When we were in port he would just sit up there on the bow and watch the
seagulls and people walk by on the dock," Schneider said. "That was kind of
a secret hiding place for him, and I'm sure that's where he went when he
didn't feel safe."

The couple lives in Central Oregon when they are not at sea, and were there
Wednesday as they try to figure out their next move. They sold their old
boat a few summers ago to upgrade to the larger Sea Princess, a wooden boat
built in 1924 that provided more stability in choppy seas and had more
storage capacity. It was a fixer-upper that took a lot of time and money to
repair, Schneider said.

Matthew wrote:
http://cfnews13.com/content/news/cfn..._2_cats.htm l
Survivors of Ore. boat explosion include 2 cats
By STEVEN DUBOIS,
Last Updated: Wednesday, August 14, 2013
PORTLAND, Ore. --
(AP) When the engine of their tuna boat exploded last week, owners Mark and
Cynthia Schneider had no choice but to jump into the ocean and leave behind
their two cats on the doomed vessel.

After being rescued by a nearby boat, they were stunned when they looked out
at their sinking boat and saw one of the cats a tabby named Jasper on the
bow. The other cat, a calico named Topaz, was in the ocean and eventually
swam through the debris to safety on the rescue boat.

Yeah, however much they dislike getting wet, cats CAN swim if they have to!

"EvelynVogtGamble(Divamanque)" wrote:



Matthew wrote:
http://cfnews13.com/content/news/cfn..._2_cats.htm l
Survivors of Ore. boat explosion include 2 cats
By STEVEN DUBOIS,
Last Updated: Wednesday, August 14, 2013
PORTLAND, Ore. --
(AP) When the engine of their tuna boat exploded last week, owners Mark and
Cynthia Schneider had no choice but to jump into the ocean and leave behind
their two cats on the doomed vessel.

After being rescued by a nearby boat, they were stunned when they looked out
at their sinking boat and saw one of the cats a tabby named Jasper on the
bow. The other cat, a calico named Topaz, was in the ocean and eventually
swam through the debris to safety on the rescue boat.

Yeah, however much they dislike getting wet, cats CAN swim if they have to!

Wow! I'm glad everyone made it through unharmed. When I first read this,
I wasn't sure that both cats were saved (it sounded like Jasper was going
to go down with the boat), so I was relieved when I read the full story.
That must have been incredible for the people in the rescue boat to see
their cats swimming toward them!

That's a shame about their boat, though.

--
Joyce

I've gone running from the devil
At times I've beaten down his path

On 8/17/2013 4:19 AM, Bastette wrote:
"EvelynVogtGamble(Divamanque)" wrote:



Matthew wrote:
http://cfnews13.com/content/news/cfn..._2_cats.htm l
Survivors of Ore. boat explosion include 2 cats
By STEVEN DUBOIS,
Last Updated: Wednesday, August 14, 2013
PORTLAND, Ore. --
(AP) When the engine of their tuna boat exploded last week, owners Mark and
Cynthia Schneider had no choice but to jump into the ocean and leave behind
their two cats on the doomed vessel.

After being rescued by a nearby boat, they were stunned when they looked out
at their sinking boat and saw one of the cats a tabby named Jasper on the
bow. The other cat, a calico named Topaz, was in the ocean and eventually
swam through the debris to safety on the rescue boat.

Yeah, however much they dislike getting wet, cats CAN swim if they have to!

Wow! I'm glad everyone made it through unharmed. When I first read this,
I wasn't sure that both cats were saved (it sounded like Jasper was going
to go down with the boat), so I was relieved when I read the full story.
That must have been incredible for the people in the rescue boat to see
their cats swimming toward them!

That's a shame about their boat, though.

Yes, I feel bad about their boat, too. I'm glad everyone including the
cats escaped unharmed. Cats can swim when they need to, which is a good
thing.

Jill