Not Without Hope

"Not Without Hope" is a very inspiring and real account of survival and loss written by Nick Schuyler. As I read it from the comfort of my own home, I was also carried away on the rough waves of the Mexican Gulf with Marquis Cooper, Corey Smith, Will Bleakley and Nick Schuyler. I experienced the very human mistakes as well as their sense of teamwork and friendship towards one another. I felt and empathetic loss as Nick described losing one friend, and another and another. We all make simple human mistakes everyday. We seldom think about the consequences; not thinking things through completely. In this case of survival at sea led to the deaths of some very fine young men with promising futures. I learned alot from this book. I used to think of athletes especially football players as "dumb jocks." I no longer judge athletes this way. I think of them as loyal, hardworking individuals who love their families and are dedicated to improving themselves. I am less judgemental because of this book. Every time I work out now, I think about Nick Schuyler and what he went through to survive. I think about the extra effort it took him and his friends to save one another. I try to put that extra effort into my own life. "Not Without Hope" is not only a very honest book from one man's mind, but a lesson for all of us not to take life or nature for granted. The waves of life will carry you. It is up to us to have the strength to ride the waves. This is a good book for any one who has ever faced a personal tragedy. Who hasn't?

This was one of the best non-fiction books I've read in a long time. It's disturbing, but truthful. You know the ending, but this explains how everything went down that weekend. I cried a few days, and laughed a few, but mostly read it so intensely that I couldn't help from turning page after page despite the fact that my clock read 3:00 a.m. just a few pages from the end of the book.

I appreciated the honesty of the author. The story was very well told. Even though I knew the outcome it had me hoping for a better ending. The details sometimes made me feel as if I was there.

I followed this story on the news as it was happening and live in the same area, but I am one who only heard what was on TV or in the paper and we all know how they easily twist the facts. I wanted to know more and how it really happened. I bought this book and could not put it down. It is so detailed, it makes you/me feel like I really knew him, and the others. Every time I say something like.... its cold, in my mind I think its not bad at all compared to what they went through, in the water! This was a very SAD story and I shed a few tears for the men and families, but think the worst is those who dare criticize someone who lost his 3 best friends. I would love to see the tables turned.....

On February 28, 2009 four friends... excited as little kids... headed out on a fishing trip in Clearwater, Florida. The fact that all four young men were exceptionally physically fit makes the tragedy at sea that occurred hours later even more shocking to their loved ones... and the world at large. The four men were Nick Schuyler a physical trainer... Will Bleakley a former college football player... Corey Smith a professional football player... and Marquis Cooper a professional football player. The "excuse" for the fishing trip (as if an excuse was needed)... was that Marquis was getting ready to head out to the Oakland Raiders training camp. Marquis owned a twenty-one-foot, three-thousand-plus-pound boat and he wanted to get one more day of fishing in before succumbing to the brutality of an NFL training camp. All the guys were almost giddy with anticipation. Will and Nick were best friends and Corey and Marquis were new friends and training associates. Sandwiches were made... beer was packed... and Marquis had an unbelievable collection of fishing necessities. The morning of the fishing trip Nick's Dad Stu who knew of the fella's fishing trip woke up early "TURNED ON THE TELEVISION AND SAW THAT A FORCEFUL UPPER AIR DISTURBANCE WAS APPROACHING THE SOUTHEASTERN UNITED STATES FROM THE NORTHWEST." Stu called his son and his call went directly to voice mail: "NICK, IF YOU GET THIS MESSAGE, HEAD BACK EARLY. A BIG STORM'S COMING IN." What would follow is the death of three of the four men. This story is told in an unrelenting... heart pounding... literally spell binding manner... that will continue to assault your senses... as assuredly as the next wave would unmercifully pound Nick, Will, Corey... and Marquis. The author (Nick) states: "THIS IS WHAT I RECALL AFTER BEING IN THE WATER FOR FORTY-THREE HOURS, FRIGID AND ACHING AND SCARED, SO HUNGRY AND THIRSTY THAT I FELT I WAS EATING MY TEETH. THIS IS THE BEST I CAN DO AFTER HAVING THREE FRIENDS DIE, TWO OF THEM IN MY ARMS. THE SADDEST THING ABOUT THIS STORY IS, I AM THE ONLY ONE LEFT TO TELL IT." What led to this disaster was their anchor getting stuck when they decided to head back. When normal efforts to dislodge the anchor failed... they made (according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission) a deadly mistake: "IMPROPER TYING OF THE ANCHOR LINE TO AN EYE BRACKET ON THE PORT SIDE OF THE BOAT'S TRANSOM: ATTEMPTING TO THROTTLE FORWARD TO PULL THE ANCHOR FREE: AND FAILURE TO LEAVE ENOUGH SLACK IN THE LINE, WHICH LED THE STERN TO SUBMERGE AND THE BOAT TO CAPSIZE." Please believe me this is not a "spoiler". The author then takes you through a first person account of every frigid wave... crashing onto and into each man who was clinging in one way or another to the over turned boat AND EACH OTHER. The mental as well as the physical beating these poor souls were forced to endure... will undoubtedly affect every reader possessing even the smallest bit of empathy. As these brave young