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Now that the coverage of Joe the Plumber and Tito the Construction Worker seems to have ended with more than we ever wanted to know about these two men, I suggest that we consider Jake the Fisherman.
Jake Gilman was a 22 year old who last month headed out to the Bering Sea for his first season. He was on the F/V Katmai, a “head and gut” 95 footer. For those who do not know what a head and gut vessel is, it’s a boat that catches and processes fish at sea. It saves time and money while providing a good living. Two months at sea can mean $10,000 to one man, depending on the catch, and depending on his contract.
Jake won’t be worrying about whose tax plan will benefit him most when paying taxes on that $10,000, not that he would have made that much since Jake was a greenhorn. Jake won’t be wondering how $150,000 was spent on Sarah Palin’s wardrobe, if Obama is a Socialist, or if Palin has gone rogue with the McCain campaign message.
Jake is dead.
The Katmai submerged at approximately 1am last week Wednesday. The final verdict on what happened will take some time, but based on the five fishermen who survived, the boat took on water and lost its steering in waves at least two stories high.
Seattle is accustomed to these stories. The Alaska Ranger sank earlier this year, the Big Valley sank in 2005 and the Arctic Rose sank in 2001, among others throughout the years. Seattle has remained a fishing town, where the Captains of Deadliest Catch on Discovery Channel are local superstars.
I’ll admit it – I'm a Deadliest Catch fan, and I find it hard to believe when a captain on the show turns to the camera and explains how someone could have died in some situation on the boat. It doesn’t seem real. Even meeting the captains, it didn’t seem real, until Captain Phil of the F/V Cornelia Marie told me how he was thrown across the cabin against the wall during rough seas, breaking ribs, dislodging blood clots, almost dying and still “taking it day by day” to try and return to the sea. It’s real, more real than the inundation from the 24 hour news cycle.
It’s easy to get distracted with the daily, last minute antics of this Presidential election, since it could get uglier, or sillier, before it ends. If it does, I’ll think about Jake, even though I didn’t know him. He's more real.
[In honor of fishermen, I'm including this picture of some of the Deadliest Catch Captains and me. Specifically, I'm with Captain Andy, Captain Phil, Captain Johnathan and me with Discovery Channel and Comcast staff.]
Published October 27, 2008 by Jennifer Schwaller |
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Alaska
Employment
Comments (1)
your right you dont know Jake. I do and still think of him everyday even though its been 5 long months. I have no clousure and so many questions. Jake was a great young man who died way to young. He had always wanted to go to Alaska and become a fisherman, but some how we always talked him out of it. I wish we could of this time so we could still have him with us making us laugh and picking us up when we were down cause god knows we need it now. The only way i feel we can move on is clousure but will we ever get it? I doubt it! no amount of money or sorrys can give us back our Jake! He is missed more and more everyday! Jake has truly touched my life in the 22 years he was alive and that im thankful for! I Love you forever! STDSWTL
Posted by melissa
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March 24, 2009 11:35 PM
Posted on March 24, 2009 23:35