Good Samaritan who rescued San Francisco Bay boat victims works to rebuild life
Volare rescuer homeless, fishing to rebuild when he came across sinking ship
A homeless commercial fisherman who helped rescue passengers from a sinking boat in San Francisco is receiving support from friends to rebuild his life following an incident that cost him his livelihood.
SAN FRANCISCO - A Good Samaritan who helped rescue several people from a sinking 49-foot cabin cruiser in San Francisco Bay last week is now trying to rebuild his own life after a series of devastating personal setbacks left him homeless.
Mike Montoya was among the first bystanders on the water to spot the Volare in distress. Working alongside his friend and fellow fisherman Justin Marceline, the pair helped pull nine people out of the water before first responders arrived.
"Our first drop down, not even two minutes in, we see that smoke," Marceline said.
Montoya was the one to suggest that they ride over to the boat in distress. The pair threw life jackets into the water when they found multiple people hanging on to the side of the sinking vessel, saying they could not swim.
"It could be life or death, and it sure was," Montoya said. "I'm glad that we were able to get over there and save eight or nine people."
Deemed a 'hero,' fisherman needs his own hero
Dig deeper:
While Montoya was the hero on the water that day, he is facing an uphill battle of his own. Montoya is currently homeless following a serious traffic crash in Oakland in August 2023, when another driver ran a red light and broadsided his vehicle.
"I just remember hearing a big explosion and then waking up in the ICU with no spleen," Montoya said. "It all went downhill from there.
Montoya said the collision left him with fractures to his spine, ribs, and hips, as well as a lung infection. Doctors initially believed the injuries would prevent him from walking again, he added. Montoya spent nine months in a C-spine collar and underwent extensive physical therapy, leaving him unable to work for a year and a half.
2 fishermen pulled survivors from the water in SF boating disaster
Two fishermen say they noticed the boat in distress near Alcatraz on Tuesday. They sprang into action by throwing out lifevests and pulling victims from the water. The search continues for three people who are still missing, but officials say that search will be suspended at sunset.
The incident cost Montoya his livelihood as a commercial fisherman, forcing him to sell his boat and lose his home. Struggling with unpaid medical bills, Montoya is currently sleeping on a friend's couch and lacks necessities, including shoes and prescription glasses.
Before the crash, Montoya dealt with a series of losses after his parents passed away.
"So it was just like tragedy after tragedy after tragedy, and I'm not even supposed to be here like walking, you know? So when I saw [the sinking boat], you have to help, because it's a human life at the end of the day," he said.
Friends rally around him
What you can do:
Montoya had sold one of his boats to Marceline well before the crash before buying a bigger one to expand his fishing business, which later was sold during his medical journey. To help him make ends meet, Marceline brought Montoya back onto his boat last week to fish after the pair spent weeks fixing it up.
"I’m helping him right now… just to get him back on his feet, to feel like a human being again," Marceline said. "I told him, 'You could fish the boat. You know, we'll get you back on your feet.' We have a game plan for him. And we've been executing."
Montoya's friends have created a GoFundMe campaign to support his recovery. Meanwhile, the San Francisco Fire Department is working on a plan to formally recognize every bystander who assisted in the rescue efforts on the water.
The Source: KTVU Reporting and Interviews with Mike Montoya and Justin Marceline