Former contestants on ABC’s “The Bachelorette” were rescued after their boat sank Monday in San Diego, leaving them stranded in the water for more than three hours.
Aaron Schwartzman, Brayden Bowers and three of their friends saw their boat completely sink about 17 miles from shore while they were fishing.
Charity Lawson’s 10th and 11th place finishes of the season told KSWB that they were helpless and had only hope until they were discovered.
“It’s like being trapped and helpless because there’s no service, we couldn’t send a distress signal at all, and the only thing you have there is the “Hope, hope that someone will find you, hope that a helicopter will fly over,” Schwartzman says.
Two men who were fishing for tuna eventually came upon the group and pulled them aboard their own boat, towing them to safety.
“We were looking for yellowfin tuna and then we found a school of men,” joked Chris Keeran, one of the two men who rescued the group.
Former “The Bachelorette” contestants Brayden Bowers (in life jacket) and Aaron Schwartzman (far right) were rescued after their boat sank off the coast of San Diego.
Aaron (left) and Brayden (right) spoke with FOX 5 San Diego about this great save
Brayden (left) and Aaron (right) in a photo from Instagram
Aaron – the owner of the boat that sank – said the group had gone fishing occasionally on the vessel before the problems started.
“I finally bought my dream boat, or so I thought, so it would sink on me,” the reality TV contestant told the San Diego outlet.
According to the men, the sinking occurred after the fishing line of one of the members of their group became tangled in the boat’s propeller.
“My buddy Gavin, he got his line stuck on the propeller of the engine, so Aaron just went to the back of the boat to lift the engine and try to untangle it,” Bowers said.
“All of a sudden, as soon as he was on the swim deck…the boat literally sank,” the travel nurse continued, describing the frightening moment.
The five men on the boat that day all hold first responder positions, including health care professions, the military and firefighters.
Aaron, a firefighter, told KSWB that their experience in high-stress situations prepared them for the terrifying incident.
“You think about the next steps, but what are the next steps when you’re 15 years old in the ocean,” Aaron said.
They linked arms and “tried to paddle to shore” but was unsuccessful until Chris Keeran and his cousin TJ – also out fishing – noticed the wayward group in the water.
Aaron Schwartzman (left) and Brayden Bowers in promotional photos for ‘Bachelor in Paradise’
Brayden and Aaron met while filming ‘The Bachelorette’ and have been friends ever since
Brayden (left) is seen on ‘The Bachelorette’ with Charity Lawson
Chris and TJ were tuna fishing when they saw something reflective in the water that caught their attention.
“For some reason we came over to see if it had any fish in it and that’s when we saw the guys in the water,” TJ said.
Both men said they made choices unusual for them that day, calling the discovery in the water an act from above.
Despite this, they say they did the right thing.
“We don’t see ourselves as heroes; we do everything any other fisherman would consider doing,” Keeran said.
“I’m so grateful, by the grace of God, that we actually saw something thoughtful,” he continued.
“Just the things that had to add up just to get there. I mean, once we found them, it was our best catch of the day,” the fisherman told the media outlet.
Aaron (pictured) is a firefighter in the San Diego area
Chris Keeran (left) and his cousin TJ were the ones who found the group in the water
Brayden (left) and Aaron (right) with former Bachelorette Katie Thurston
Both Aaron and Brayden are set to appear on the upcoming season of ABC’s “Bachelor in Paradise,” which begins airing September 28.
Aaron and Brayden met while filming Charity’s season of “The Bachelorette,” which aired earlier this year and ended with the therapist engaged to Dotun Olubeko.
During their season, Aaron and Brady gained notoriety for reaching the third and fourth weeks of the season, respectively.
Brayden – who has 25,000 followers on Instagram – stood out by wearing flashy earrings and voluntarily leaving the show in week four.
The two are set to appear on the upcoming season of ABC’s “Bachelor in Paradise,” which begins airing Sept. 28.