March 25, 2007

MasterCraft X-1 Saved By Airlift Helicopter

What do you get when you mix a helicopter, a stuck MasterCraft X-1, and $2000?

Ummm - only the most awesome air rescue footage ever.

Someone, somewhere on a message board I won't mention snarked that they were secretly wishing that the cable would snap during the course of this procedure. I think this footage is satisfying enough without the added spectacle of seeing one of the finest wake boats ever made plummet into a river. Not to mention how that would unbalance the load on the chopper and likely causing a pretty severe disaster. Plus if you're that sick minded, there's always this video. Anyway, those terrible thoughts aside, if it were my boat being airlifted out of Mud Island I would have slipped the pilot a $20 to ask him or her to place it carefully back into the water rather than watch my boat suffer a 5 foot drop like this X-1 appeared to have endured. But it is a MasteCraft and can probably take it. I also would not have nominated the person who had 97 cups of coffee to be the person responsible for recording the only occurance of this kind of which I am aware. It is mildly nauseating in parts and there are blotches of mud on the lens... but hey - it is what it is: the only footage we've got of a truly amazing procedure and for that, we thank the mudcaked videographer and his mudcaked camera. We also commend you Sir for getting it on the Web so quickly and on the best video delivery & sharing platform. This video is long by YouTube standards but entirely worth your time. And did I mention it is the most awesome thing ever?

I am off to call Boat U.S. to make sure my policy covers helicopter recovery. Wish me luck!

» More information and photos about this ordeal

Posted by erik