PUNTA GORDA, Fla. (WFLA) – The fisherman was threatened by a charter captain on a viral video earlier this month, making his first statement.
NBC affiliate WBBH spoke with Gage Towles, a fisherman who posted a viral video of the moment Tarpon Coast Fishing’s charter captain Block Horner attacked the boat.
The 22-year-old said he was on the water every day, but the usual fishing days on the Heiwa River are something he will never forget.
While Towls fished on April 1st, the video showed Horner threatening him and ultimately boarding his boat.
Watch the full virus video of Florida charter captain and encounter between fishermen
“In the end, he slowly pulled the boat up to me, and when he jumped on my boat, it was when he just brushed this guy from me and went for now for fear of me going to die,” Towles told WBBH.
Towls told the news station that he had a gun in his boat but did not use it “because he didn’t feel he deserved to lose his life that day.”
He said that the situation has shaken him to his core, but will not stop him from fishing in the future.
“I still chase fish every day,” he said. “I love fishing. It’s my passion. It’s everything. It’s the motivation for me to get through life.”
