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Anglers survive Baja nightmare
DAVE STREGE
Register columnist
OUTDOORS
dstrege@ocregister.com
One hand was on the edge of the fishing boat, the other held a machine
gun, finger on the trigger, muzzel pointed at them.
The memory of a Mexican Navy gunman remains vivid in the mind of Dan
Olswang of Ladera Ranch.
It could've been worse, Olswang said of the nightmare he and three other
anglers experienced with the Mexican Navy last week while fishing off
San Quintin, Baja.
"Finger on the trigger and the boat is going up and down? Tell me right
there how close we were from getting injured or (killed)," he said. "I'm
thankful nobody got hurt."
As it was, the four anglers were not happy about becoming "prisoners" of
the Mexican Navy for more than 31 hours and helplessly watching their
fishing gear disappear into the Pacific Ocean, along with the 28-foot
boat they chartered out of Tito's Pangas.
The Mexican Navy accidentally sank the boat.
The episode began the morning of Sept. 11. Olswang was fishing with
William Ramos of Rowland Heights, Mike Chavarria of Temecula, Alex
Sanchez of Riverside and a Mexican fishing guide. Conrad Sanchez, Alex's
father, and his girlfriend remained in San Quintin.
Ramos has been fishing out of San Quintin for 20 years. When he buys a
package deal, he always ensures that the price is all inclusive, Mexican
fishing licenses included.
They were enjoying a second day of fishing for rock cod when a skiff
from a navy ship approached with eight crew members wearing uniforms and
ski masks. An officer and the gunman boarded their boat and asked for
passports and fishing licenses.
Ramos, who speaks a bit of Spanish, told them he and Alex had passports
back on land, and that their guide had the fishing licenses.
Ramos said the officer also asked the guide for his captain's license
and he said he didn't have one but that he hasn't had a problem before.
An hour later, Ramos said the officer told them they were fishing
without licenses and were in the country illegally, and were told to
motor over to the mother ship.
There, they were told they'd be taken to Ensenada to face a judge in
court, Ramos said.
"We had no idea what was going to happen," Olswang said.
While driving toward the mother ship, the guide called Tito, who
retrieved the passports for Ramos and Alex Sanchez and the fishing
license paperwork, then boated to the mother ship.
Tito failed to satisfy the officer as the licenses were missing stamps
and the anglers' names, and were undated. The ship took off toward
Ensenada, towing the fishing boat.
"We asked if we could take off the equipment (from the boat)," Olswang
said. "They said no, it's part of the confiscation, I guess."
Fishing rods and reels, tackle boxes and ice chests remained in the
boat, which started taking on water at 3 a.m. Sept. 12. The navy pulled
the boat in, pumped out the water and retied the tow lines. At 8 a.m.,
the navy couldn't prevent the boat from sinking. The boat and gear were
lost.
"When that boat sank, the fear goes in you that we're 10 miles out to
sea and these guys can knock us off and say nothing happened," Olswang
said. "That's what went through my mind."
At 6 p.m., they reached Ensenada where Ramos and the guide signed papers
supposedly admitting guilt to fishing without licenses and passports
(the papers were in Spanish). They were given physicals and released
without seeing a judge.
"We were pretty much tired, worn out and in shock," Ramos said. "All we
wanted to do was get to the border and get across it."
Ensign Abraham Villalobos, who was on the ship, told 976-tuna.com that
the fishermen were picked up because of invalid fishing licenses.
"The case is still under investigation and all documents are being
reviewed, but it appears that Tito's Pangas was selling invalid fishing
licenses at this time," he told 976-tuna.
A spokeswoman at Tito's refused comment and Tito was unavailable. But
Tito told 976-tuna that he doesn't sell fishing licenses and refused
further comment.
"It's just uncalled for," Olswang said of the navy's boarding their boat
and intimidating them with a machine gun. "To do that is just not
right."
The anglers each lost $1,400 to $2,600 worth of equipment. Ramos said
Tito was confident about getting a reimbursement from the navy.
"I won't hold my breath," Ramos added.
Earle Robitaille of Huntington Beach is an expert on fishing in and
traveling to Baja. He said never leave it up to the charter company to
obtain Mexican fishing permits.
"They will tell you they have licenses and permits and they don't," he
said.
If you boat on your own, he said to make sure to have proper boat and
fishing permits.
"If they get you in your boat without a valid license, they take your
boat and motor and all of your fishing gear," he said. "It's confiscated
and you can kiss it goodbye."
With his name on the documents Ramos signed, Olswang is hesitant about
ever returning to Baja.
"It would be crazy to go down there again, really," he said.
Contact the writer: 714-796-7809 or dstrege@ocregister.com |
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