He Walked On Water

Story by Bob Fringer

Some time back in the mid 70s the scary movie of the year was JAWS. It was a story about a Great White Shark, which treated the bathing beaches of Cape Cod, Massachusetts like a smorgasbord, devouring swimmers and fishermen whenever it felt hungry. The scenes were rather vivid and after watching it I never felt comfortable swimming in the ocean. I could just visualize that shark prowling the shallow coastal waters like a starved person looking for a tasty morsel at a buffet table. I didn’t want to be a meal-even though JAWS was only a movie; I was left with a bad impression of sharks.

Several years later, a good friend, Walt Hunt, and I went fishing Striped Bass fishing along the two rock jetties at Barnegat Light, New Jersey. We both had fished the jetties for a number of years, with Walt having many more years experience than I. Usually, we fished the early morning or late evening hours, preferring high tide and the two hours preceding and following it. We would run a boat parallel to the jetties and cast our lures along the rocks in the same manner a bass angler would fish a shoreline of a lake or pond. Most of the time we would slowly run the boat along the jetties on the down- current side so that we could drift off the jetty if we hooked a fish or something happened to the boat. However, there were times when we would fish the other side of the jetty when the wind would blow us off the rocks or the tide was not running too swiftly.

Most of the time we used Walt’s boat, a rugged 29-foot Jersey Sea Skiff that Walt had remodeled to suit his style of fishing. He had removed the boat’s superstructure and installed a sturdy chair over the steering wheel and gearshift so that he could use his feet to maneuver the boat along the jetties. His hands were free and he kept direct control of the boat at all times. He became quite adept at keeping the boat in the proper position for casting as he fished the jetties. The skiff, christened the Recluse, was shaped underwater somewhat like a banana, with the stern being narrowed so that it could take a following sea without difficulty. The sides of the boat from the stern (back) to midship extended about four feet above the waterline.

On this particular trip, we fished the evening in-coming tide. We had worked our way on the down-current side of the north jetty without catching a fish. Since the current wasn’t running too hard, we moved to the other side of the jetty near the beach and began to fish our way out toward the end. Walt had to put the boat in gear every three or four minutes to keep the boat off the rocks. The action picked up and we caught several fish as we worked along the jetty. By that time the sun had set and darkness had overtaken us. Even though it was dark it was easy to see the jetty as the incoming tide washed up against the rocks.

We had fished about two-thirds of the way down of the jetty when Walt put the boat in gear to pull it away from the rocks. However, this time the motor stalled. Walt immediately restarted the engine and put the boat into gear. The motor stalled again. Seeing that we had a problem, I quickly moved to the front of the boat, grabbed the anchor and threw it overboard. We drifted several yards toward the jetty before anchor took hold and stopped our drift toward the rocks. By now, we were only about five yards off the jetty but were securely anchored.

Walt grabbed his flashlight and lifted the engine box and then the deck hatch over the propeller shaft. There didn’t appear to be anything wrong with the motor or shaft connections. However, the propeller shaft wouldn’t move even when the transmission was in neutral. Walt then looked over the boat’s transom (rear) and saw a large piece of polyethylene trailing out from behind the boat. Apparently, that sheet of plastic was wrapped around the boat’s propeller.

Walt said that we would have to go overboard and cut the plastic off the propeller. I quickly responded by telling him that it was his boat but that I would be happy to hold the flashlight. After all, what are friends for? Walt could see by my immediate reaction that he had to go swimming. After removing his shirt, pants and shoes Walt reluctantly slipped over the side of the boat into the dark water. I handed him the knife and bravely held the flashlight. Grasping the knife, Walt began to dive repeatedly under the boat. As he cut the polyethylene loose the pieces floated away with the current. I continued to do my courageous job of shining the flashlight.

After about a half dozen dives under the boat, Walt finally cut all the plastic from the propeller. As the last piece of plastic was removed it floated up and rubbed up against Walt’s leg. His reaction to that foreign object against his leg was immediate and furious. In the blink of an eye, he was hurdling himself up and over the side of the boat. He was for an instant, literally walking on water. I have never seen a grown man jettison himself out of the water and over a four-foot side of a boat. He looked like one of those acrobatic dolphins from Sea World. I was impressed, to say the least. After wiping himself dry and gaining his composure Walt explained that he, too, remembered the movie and kept thinking about that Great White Shark. He thought that he was a goner when that piece of plastic sheet hit his leg.

We fished our way out to the end of the jetty and decided to head back to the dock. We had experienced enough excitement for one evening. At least Walt had! It was the day remembered as the time Walt walked on Water.

We laughed about that fishing trip for many years. That situation, coupled with many other adventures and mishaps, served to create a wonderful friendship which we both enjoyed for many years. We had some wonderful memories.



Bob Fringer
December 31, 2003



Epilogue

On October 30, 2003, Walt Hunt passed away after a spirited and valiant battle with Alzheimer’s Disease. He will be remembered as a devoted husband, loving Father, and a true, faithful friend. His zest for life was unsurpassed. I savor the memories of the many pleasant days we both enjoyed together. He is missed.