Sailor beats death under moonless sky

Chicago Yacht Club to Mackinac racer reveals details of Lake Michigan rescue:

Shawn Dougherty told himself to keep calm or he would likely die.

The 56-year-old from Seattle struggled at times not to swallow water as Lake Michigan waves crashed over his body while bobbing in darkness broken by lightning strikes on Saturday, July 13.

“If you start panicking, you lose your critical thinking skills,” he told Shifting Gears. “You first check if you’re injured or bleeding. Then you cinch up your foul weather gear around your wrists and ankles so the water inside has a chance to warm up. People can start hyperventilating and inhaling water as waves are hitting you in the face. It’s the middle of the night and you can’t see anything.” – Full report