Florida captain seen in viral confrontation with fisherman arrested, charged
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FULL VIDEO: 'Boat rage' caught on camera
A Florida boat captain arguing with a fisherman was caught on camera. The video shows the boat captain climbing onto the fisherman's boat to demand an apology.
Fox - 13 News
A Florida boat captain has been has been arrested and charged after he was captured on camera in a viral confrontation with a fisherman.
The footage, titled "Charter Captain jumps on my boat and tries to fight me for no reason," has garnered over 500,000 views on YouTube. It shows the April 1 conflict between 22-year-old Gage Towles and 40-year-old Brock Horner.
Horner, owner of Tarpon Coast Fishing Charters, has since been arrested and charged with burglary with assault or battery following an investigation, according to Punta Gorda Police Department and the Daytona Beach News-Journal, part of the USA TODAY Network.
In the video, Towles is fishing alone in a boat near a bridge when Horner and four men approach him in another boat.
Horner asked Towles in the video if he was "cussing" him out earlier that day. "No," he responded.
Horner, convinced he was the same person, continued screaming at Towles in the video, who said he had him confused with someone else and told him he can't come "flying through the bridge area." That set off Horner even more, who at one point asked Towles if he "wants to (expletive) go."
Towles responds "I don't wanna go ... I want you to get the (expletive) out of here." He reminded Horner that he had approached him and he was just trying to fish.
'Best charter captain you will ever meet'
In the video, Towles asks if Horner is trying to be "tough in front of his buddies," and Horner responded that the three of them are veterans. Towles thanks him for his service.
But the video shows Horner continues to swear and yell. Towles keeps telling Horner it was the kid in the other boat, but Horner won't listen, talking about how the fishermen need to have their lights on in the morning, which Towles said he did, and it was the other boat without lights. "I'm sorry, I don't know if that's what you want to hear, bro," he tells Horner.
Horner continues, saying he's the "best charter captain you will ever meet in your (expletive) life," a line that has since gone viral on social media.
Then, the video shows him jumping into Towles' boat, hitting the throttle and the boat taking off with the two of them inside.
"Please, bro," Towles said in the video. "I'm a kid, bro."
"According to the investigation, Horner pulled his vessel alongside the victim's boat without permission and unlawfully boarded it," Punta Gorda Police said in a statement. "During the unauthorized entry, Horner reportedly threatened the victim, escalating the situation into a criminal offense."
Toward the end of the video, Towles drove him back to his boat, apologizing, while Horner continued threatening him.
In the caption of his YouTube video, Towles said he shared it to "save another person" or "possibly someone's life by getting this captain off the water."
According to police, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the U.S. Coast Guard have also opened investigations into the matter.
Florida crime: Man arrested after woman whispers 'help me' to Amazon delivery driver
Brock Horner since bonded out of jail
Horner's attorney said that his client has apologized to the Towles, and "is not proud of how he acted," Gulf Coast News reported.
"Since the video went viral, Brock's business has been destroyed, his reputation damaged, and his family — including his wife and mother—have been harassed and even threatened," the statement obtained by the outlet said.
The attorney's statement noted that Horner is a decorated veteran who served in Afghanistan and suffered "a traumatic brain injury in combat."
Jail records viewed by USA TODAY show that Horner bonded out of Charlotte County Jail on April 5.
Towles' attorney, Steven Leskovich, released a statement Monday asking people to stand down on threats against Horner's family.
"While no boater, no fisherman, and no person should ever have to endure the experience that Mr. Towles went through and the emotional aftermath that has followed, Mr. Horner's actions will be dealt with through the appropriate channels of the justice system," Leskovich said in the statement.
Taylor Ardrey is a news reporter for USA TODAY. You can reach her at tardrey@gannett.com.
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