'Fatal Forecast' author presents survival story
By Nathaniel Weixel Contributing Writer

Author Michael Tougias signs copies of "Fatal Forecast" Aug. 2 at the Westborough Public Library. PHOTO/NATHANIEL WEIXEL

Westborough - Michael Tougias, author of the book "Fatal Forecast," presented a slide show detailing what he said was one of the most compelling survival stories he's ever heard. The event, which was held Aug. 2 at the Westborough Public Library, focused on the story of two fishing vessels caught in a storm.

"The challenge of my life was to find Ernie Hazard," he said.

Hazard was a lobsterman on the boat "Fair Wind" when it was hit by a storm soon after arriving on the George's Bank fishing grounds Nov. 21, 1980. Battered by hurricane force winds, the ship was capsized by a 90- to 100- foot wave. Hazard managed to climb inside a small, inflatable life raft and survived for over 50 hours in the stormravaged seas.

"Fatal Forecast" tells the story of Hazard, as well as the rest of the crew aboard the Fair Wind and another lobster boat, the "Sea Fever." Both vessels were tending their traps when the storm caught them all by surprise because the National Weather Service buoys that were supposed to track storms were broken. Hazard was the only survivor of the Fair Wind.

Tougias said he learned about the storm and the accident through a Coast Guard marine casualty report while he doing research for his other book, "Ten Hours Until Dawn."

"The story found me," he said.

So he tracked Hazard down in California, and spent several days interviewing him.

"Through the story, I became Ernie ... the best I could," Tougias said.

Tougias said Hazard's story was so extraordinary, a fictional story couldn't even match it. In addition to Hazard, Tougias spoke with survivors of the Sea Fever, and focused on making the story as accurate as he could.

"I was trying to get what really happened, without embellishing," Tougias said.