‘A life-changing experience.’ Bradenton fishing captain details Helene cleanup effort

Hurricane Helene's devastation left behind hours, days and weeks of cleanup for residents of Anna Maria Island and Manatee County's coastal waters.

Captain Jason Stock was one of those affected.

"I had 3 feet of water in my place and it is out of commission. I was able to get all my rods, reels and fishing tackle out and save it. I've been bouncing all over since," said the offshore captain who uses Blenker Boatworks on the Manatee River as a home port.

Despite his own home taking in water, Stock was one of the first to respond to Anna Maria Island the day after the storm cleared. Taking his Carolina Skiff with a crew of Christian Chamberlain, Cash Carter, Ryan Gargett and others, they loaded up cases of water and went to see the damage firsthand.

"The first day was heavy because I had to use the boat to get people on and off the island. Getting out there, it looked like a war zone. Where do you start? There were boats off lifts, houses full of water wet and ruined, debris everywhere. I'm a Florida boy, but that was the first time I've seen anything like this. We did a couple boatloads of moving cases of water. That will wear you out."

As the days wore on, more captains used their vessels to provide assistance. Stock was at the forefront, spending each day doing different tasks between the land and water to help those affected.

"I got with Darcy Duncan and Morgan at the community center on AMI. They gave us the top priority of people to help out, those who needed it most. We would go to different houses, get everything out or off the floor. With six to ten people per house, we were able to move out of the house pretty quick," explained Stock.

With a curfew of 7 p.m., he would head back to the mainland each day, but on the journey home wasn't done assisting with the cleanup.

"We picked up everything we saw floating. Probably 20 trash cans, benches, docks, chairs, sunken boats. There is a boat that sunk in the middle of Palma Sola channel causing issues as well," said Stock. "We've had to be real cautious running around."

After six straight days of trips to assist, Stock was exhausted. Moving thousands of pounds of water, countless shuttle trips of people back and forth and more trash picked up than he could imagine had worn him out. He took a day off to rest as roads started to open and more help began to arrive on the island. The rest allowed him an opportunity to reflect on what he had seen.

"It was a little overwhelming, getting pulled in different directions at times, but they've been very organized at the center with who needs help. I've noticed people from all over stepping up to help, but you also want to do what you can to help yourself. They still need man hours and many materials. I've seen so many restaurants stepping up donating food and drinks, so there has been plenty of good," Stock said.

"It's been a life-changing experience."