www.oceanrowing.com
Feb. 20, 2001--
The long journey of Utah's rowing grandfather has ended abruptly on a tiny island in the Bahamas.
Richard Jones is safe and sound, but he's stranded and wondering how he'll finish his voyage to Miami.
News Specialist John Hollenhorst has details.
After 4 months at sea, Richard Jones is on dry land today.
But his bright yellow rowboat is capsized, his equipment is waterlogged and useless, and he can't go any further.
He spent ten years planning, building his boat, and rowing to get ready for the big one.
He nearly made it all the way, from the Canary Islands to Miami.
But after entering the Caribbean a few days ago, he ran into serious trouble.
Winds pushed him toward disaster in an obscure patch of The Bahamas called The Ragged Islands.
KATHY JONES/ROWER'S DAUGHTER: "HE WAS ONLY 6 MILES FROM THE SHORE OF THE ISLANDS. AND HE WAS GETTING CLOSER."
His children in Utah have been following the odyssey for a third of a year. Their father called to explain how it ended.
SCOTT JONES/ROWER'S SON: "HE FLAGGED DOWN A BOAT AND TRIED TO GET A TOW AWAY FROM THE ISLAND."))
KATHY JONES/ROWER'S DAUGHTER: "WHEN THE FISHERMEN WERE TOWING HIS BOAT, THE WATER CAME IN AND THAT'S HOW IT CAPSIZED. SO HE WAS NOT IN THE BOAT WHEN IT CAPSIZED."
All his navigation gear was ruined. He could go no further.
KATHY JONES/ROWER'S DAUGHTER: "OBVIOUSLY HE WAS PROBABLY A LITTLE UNHAPPY THAT HE DIDN'T GET TO FINISH. BUT HE SEEMED LIKE HE WAS IN GOOD SPIRITS AND JUST GLAD THAT HE WAS ALIVE."
The head of the Ocean Rowing Society in London affirms, Jones stays in the record books for crossing the Atlantic, a very tough journey.
KENNETH CRUTCHLOW/OCEAN ROWING SOCIETY, FROM LONDON: "OBVIOUSLY TO BE OUT, ALONE, IN WHAT IS VIRTUALLY SOMETHING THE SIZE OF YOUR BATHTUB FOR 130-ODD DAYS, HAS GOT TO BE AN INCREDIBLE ACCOMPLISHMENT. AND I HOPE THAT RICHARD SEES IT THAT WAY. IT'S FANTASTIC."
KATHY JONES/ROWER'S DAUGHTER: "THIS IS JUST THE GREATEST ACCOMPLISHMENT, WE ARE SO HAPPY AND EXCITED FOR HIM."
Relatives say Jones' only motivation was personal, to set a goal and accomplish it. Now, they're looking forward to what he does with the rest of his life.
SCOTT JONES/ROWER'S SON: "I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THAT MIGHT BE. BUT I THINK IT COULD BE BIG."
The fishermen helped Jones get ashore and to communicate with relatives. At last word, the fishermen were trying to help get him to Miami. The plan is to hitch a ride on a boat big enough to carry his rowboat.
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