ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. — A day that started as a leisurely fishing trip for three friends turned into a tense rescue operation just a short distance from shore on Monday afternoon when their boat overturned near the St. Augustine inlet.

Elijah Gomez, Nathan Weiss, and Weiss’s brother began their excursion from St. Augustine, anticipating a serene day on the water. However, problems arose as they were returning.

The boat’s engine began to sputter, barely reaching five miles per hour.

“We decided just to go slowly on the way back,” Weiss recalled.

As they neared the inlet, water started flooding the back of the boat, and the bilge pump failed. Suddenly, a wave crashed over the bow.

“It started capsizing pretty fast without warning,” Gomez said.

“It pretty much sank instantly, and then just started to roll over,” Weiss added.

The three scrambled for safety in the shallow water, only a few hundred yards from a crowded beach.

“I’d like to admit that I wasn’t panicking, but I’m pretty sure I was a little bit,” Gomez said.

Despite their phones being soaked and barely functional, Gomez was able to use Siri to dial 911. He also managed to contact his wife, Kayla Gomez, a well-known influencer who was at home with their three children.

“Right when he told me, the boat flipped, his phone cut off, and I started panicking,” she said. “I was just home with the three kids. I had no clue what was going on.”

Within minutes, first responders from the St. Augustine Fire Department, the U.S. Coast Guard and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission arrived on the scene.

Crews safely pulled the boaters from the water. Fortunately, no injuries or pollution were reported, and all occupants were wearing life jackets.

The friends lost nearly everything from wallets, fishing gear and even shoes.

“We kind of just showed up pretty defeated with all our stuff gone,” Weiss said.

“I was pretty grateful getting back,” Gomez said.  “I showed up with like, one shoe, and that was it.”

Despite their losses, the families are simply thankful everyone made it home safely.

“Thank you to all the first responders and FWC who did show up and how fast they responded,” Gomez said.

As the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission investigates the cause of the accident, the survivors urge other boaters to take every safety precaution.

“If you’re having any sort of mechanical issues with your boat, you should just call either a tow boat or the Coast Guard,” Weiss emphasized. “You think you could make it back in, like us, but it just takes one mistake, and the next thing you know, it’s underwater.”

For the families, what matters most is holding each other a little tighter tonight, grateful for a safe return.