Ventura Man Survives Boating Accident but Friend Is Killed

A Ventura man survived a frightening 15-mile ordeal through the cold and choppy waters off Santa Barbara after a boating accident in which a friend died.

Mark Lowe, 24, spent 18 hours floating and swimming in the dark, shark-filled waters before landing safely on Santa Cruz Island. He was discovered there on Friday, more than a day after he reached shore, by a group of people who had sailed to the island to look at wildlife.

“I feel extremely lucky,” Lowe said by telephone Saturday. “I could see the island in the moonlight. And I guess the wind and current and waves helped me.”

Merle Lindsay, 28, of San Diego, died in the accident. Lowe, a commercial oil field diver, suffered minor injuries and was released after spending one night in a hospital.

Lowe said the two had been fishing for sea urchin for two days when the rear of his 25-foot boat, Shell Games, suddenly started taking on water about 8:30 p.m. Wednesday. Lowe signaled for help with flares while Lindsay jumped into the boat’s dinghy.

‘He Got Cast Away’

When he stepped out of the cabin of the slowly sinking ship, Lowe realized that Lindsay and the dinghy were gone. “Apparently he got cast away in the rocky waters and couldn’t get back to the boat,” Lowe said of Lindsay.

Lowe immediately started making his way toward the island, buffeted by the wind and waves. He floated when he got tired, but said that he spent most of the 18 hours swimming. Several hours into the journey, Lowe discovered Lindsay’s body floating face-down in the water.

Lowe reached Santa Cruz Island about 3 p.m. on Thursday and spent the next day and a half walking barefoot across the rough terrain. He was discovered by the sailing party at about 6:30 p.m. Friday.