As a parent, you love to have quality time with your child.
You’ll love to have bonding activities with your kids, right?
Fishing is a great way to bond.
In the case of Maike Hohnen, he loves to go fishing with his son, Julian.
One trip took an unexpected turn.
They were out fishing on a summer day and everything was going great.
And then it wasn’t.
Their boat capsized.
It happened off the coast of Caloundra, Queensland’s Sunshine Coast.
And they will remember this night forever not because of trauma, but because of the inspiration it brought to many.
The accident happened 70 miles away from the shore.
The boat went down.
They were about eight miles from the coast, and the temperature was around 70 degrees Fahrenheit.
Maike and Julian were with Stephen, a good friend of Maike.
The three decided to sleep on their boat to have early fishing the next day.
But around 2AM, the rope angled in the boat’s motor and dragged them under within seconds.
The emergency kits sunk as well, but fortunately, a bucket popped up.
They kept afloat using the bucket while Stephen dialed for help from the coast guard.
Maike started to worry when he noticed that his son stopped responding.
But miracles do happen.
After 6 hours of floating in the ocean, rescuers finally came for the three of them.
Their rescuers were the Coast Guard Mooloolaba QF6.
The team found the three floating in the sea and found Julian unconscious.
Julian was “lifeless” when rescued.
He was resuscitated on the rescue helicopter and placed in a comatose state in the hospital.
According to the doctor, there was only a 5% survival rate for Julian.
Even if he pulled through, he might have to relearn to walk and speak.
The next day, Julian woke up.
And you know what? He was asking his Dad when their next fishing trip would be.
Yes, that’s a miracle. The three survivors had Hypothermia caused by prolonged exposure to very cold temperatures in the water.
The Editor’s Choice medal ceremony for the 2019 Pride of Australia awards recognized Julian’s incredible resilience and positivity despite the disaster.
Julian inspires many through this survival story.
According to Maike, Julian motivated him and Stephen to keep calm even in the middle of the sea, freezing, and with no help in sight.
Maike shared that Julian told them that rescuers will come. And they did.
Continue to fish and help.
Maike became a supporter of the Coast Guard Mooloolaba QF6.
Not only because Maike is thankful but also because he believes in what they are doing.
This father changed his views on fishing and hopes that more people take time to be prepared for this type of situation.
They still love to fish.
In 2020, a year after the accident, Maike did a Go Fund Me to buy a new boat for himself and Julian.
And here’s the boat with complete safety and emergency gear.
As of today, Maike and Julian continue to go out to the sea and go fishing together.
Hear Julian recount how he survived 6 hours floating in a cold sea in the videos below!
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