"On March 23, 2008, the 184-foot fishing vessel Alaska Ranger sank 120 miles west of Dutch Harbor. All forty-seven members of her crew went into the water. Forty-two were rescued..."
Excerpt from dedication at the end of the July 22nd episode of Discovery's crab-fishing reality show "Deadliest Catch," which I just watched on the DVR.
It recounts an event I remember very well. For video and details, click on this link from Popular Mechanics.
I was sitting in Washington-Dulles Airport on that very day, grabbing some lunch in a pub between flights on my way back to Los Angeles when I looked up at the soundless TV screen and saw that a fishing boat had gone down in the Bering Sea. Afraid that it was one of the crab-boat captains I'd come to know from the show, I pulled out my cellphone and tried unsuccessfully to log onto the Internet for more details.
Then I called a publicist in L.A. who handled the show and left a panicky message. She called back by the time I reached my departure gate and relayed that she had already heard about the report and it wasn't one of the boats featured on the show -- which made it no less of a tragedy.
Say what you like about reality TV not being real, but the fear that this L.A. TV critic felt, sitting in D.C., looking at a news dispatch from Alaska, sure felt real. TV has the unique ability to lift us out of our world and drop us into a world we would never otherwise see.
Even when the news is sad, that's a remarkable thing.
My name is Karen Jacobsen, the daughter and first born of the late Captain Eric Peter Jacobsen of the Alaska Ranger which went down on March 23rd. I live in M***achusetts and heard the news from my step-brother Scott over the phone. It was shocking news to say the least. Our family has been grieving ever since we got the news. A friend of mine, Lisa Hagerty, and I are in the process of making a do***entary about my father-his early years-his transition to the west coast-our relationship-and the family history of merchant marines. I feel as if the do***entary is helping me deal with my loss. I appreciate all the good words and help the Deadliest Catch has said and done conserning the sinking of the Alaska Ranger.
Please accept my condolences for your loss. I'm glad to hear you're making the do***entary. I'll be happy to learn more about your father and his story. I'll p*** your message to the guys at DC.
My condolences also the the families of Alaska Ranger. I have been watching this series with great interest and have come to feel like they are family, much like Kate O'Hare. It is a very hard business and very dangerous, but I am glad we got to know them. Irish