In a heart-pounding ordeal, veteran sailor Nathan Thomas and his friend narrowly escaped the fury of Hurricane Debby after losing the main sail of their newly purchased sailboat off the Gulf Coast of Florida. Battling treacherous 20-foot-plus waves, Thomas and his sailing partner, Adrian, found themselves adrift and at the mercy of the raging storm.

Thomas, a seasoned 69-year-old sailor, described the experience as being "like being in a washing machine." After making a desperate SOS call, they anxiously waited for nearly three hours, aware that their survival rested on the prompt arrival of the U.S. Coast Guard.

Reflecting on the harrowing situation, Thomas shared, "I knew that if the Coast Guard didn't get to us, we had less than a 50% chance of surviving. I knew that." The duo had high hopes as they purchased the 34-foot sailboat for $5,000 and set out from Marathon, Florida, intending to sail it to their home in the Tampa area, believing they could outrun the approaching hurricane.

However, Hurricane Debby arrived faster than anticipated, catching them off guard. "The storm came across faster than I anticipated. I knew it was there, but I thought I could beat it," Thomas admitted. Unfortunately, their luck ran out, and the sailboat was no match for the powerful storm.

Operating the 40-year-old racing-style boat, Adrian, a retired Merchant Marine, overcompensated while steering, causing a steel cable to snap. The loss of the main sail left them helpless, adrift in the midst of towering waves in the Gulf of Mexico.

Remaining calm, Thomas emphasized the importance of not panicking in such dire situations. "If s--- goes wrong, maintain it. Be in control. Even though it goes wrong and stuff, you still have to maintain what's going on. The minute you panic, it's over for you," he shared.

As they lost their sail around 8 a.m. on Sunday, Thomas and Adrian found themselves approximately 35 miles northwest of Clearwater, Florida, and 35 miles southwest of Tarpon Springs, their intended destination. The U.S. Coast Guard had already launched rescue aircraft in response to their missed check-in reported by a concerned friend.

With accurate information and the aid of safety equipment, the Coast Guard successfully located the stranded boaters in extreme conditions. The men were found drifting in 15- to 20-foot seas and enduring 50-knot (approximately 60 mph) winds. Despite limited visibility, a fixed-wing rescue aircraft managed to spot them, with an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter executing the daring rescue.

As his friend was being hoisted to safety, Thomas took the decisive action of sinking the sailboat to prevent it from running aground in a protected nature preserve. "I scuttled my own boat is what I did. I'm not going to have my boat run ashore in some protected area," he explained while recounting the sinking of his vessel, which carried valuable equipment and resources.

Hurricane Debby later made landfall as a Category 1 hurricane in Florida's Big Bend region with wind speeds of around 80 mph. Despite the terrifying ordeal, Thomas remains undeterred in his love for the sea, stating his intentions to acquire another boat in the future.

Having sailed since the age of 17, Thomas never expected to find himself in need of a rescue. "When I was rescued, I told the Coast Guard, 'I never thought I'd be rescued by you guys. I've been through too many storms, and this storm actually got me,'" he admitted.

This thrilling tale of survival serves as a reminder of the unpredictable power of nature and the invaluable role of rescue teams in safeguarding lives amidst perilous conditions.