John K. Fulweiler’s A Swim: The Rhode Islander Who Refused to Drown
True stories often make for the best sea tales. Last summer, 51-year-old Rhode Island angler Joe Gross fell off his 23-foot powerboat without a life jacket and spent the next 11 hours treading water while creating a remarkable account of survival.
A Swim: The Rhode Islander Who Refused to Drown by maritime lawyer John K. Fulweiler needs just 75 pages to tell the life-or-death story. Gross had one foot on a rail when a wave hit the boat. He fell overboard and watched the boat motor away. Beyond the survival tale, Fulweiler explores topics such as the science of drowning, the professionalism of Coast Guard rescuers, small boat design and a human’s response to stress. The book has a lesson, too: Wear your life jacket.
John K. Fulweiler possesses a deep appreciation for coastal waters, oceans and the adventures that unfold when plying either. A licensed captain who worked in the commercial marine sector before going to law school, John has practiced maritime law for the last fifteen years and his litigation skills have garnered the attention of publications such as Soundings Magazine, TradeOnly Today and TradeWinds. “Writing and the salty topics I encounter in my practice,” he’ll tell you is what keeps him interested. And it’s not all legal writing, John has built a long list of publications and authorships. After many years in Manhattan, John now sails out of Newport, Rhode Island.
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