It was a calling to get out from behind a desk and work outdoors that led Lisa Jenkins to resign from her job at North Star Publishing and become a boat captain for Florida West Coast Cruises in Clearwater, Fla. more than three years ago.

“I got a lot of the hours I needed to become a captain on Rainy Lake,” Jenkins said.

And while she has been working at her current job for just over two years, last month she was involved in her first rescue effort.

As she was guiding a boat full of 23 people on the afternoon of May 18, Jenkins said she noticed about seven or eight people in the water waving their arms and yelling for help.

“My first thought was that it was a rescue drill,” Jenkins told The Journal Monday.

She said that the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary frequently does practice rescues and the scene she came across that afternoon seemed well orchestrated – until she noticed the stern end of the boat submerged in water.

“Before we even approached, I called the Coast Guard,” Jenkins said. “Then, we moved in to do what we could to help.”

According to Jenkins, the accident happened in a harbor, which isn’t a typical site for similar incidents. There were 13 people on board a 26-foot pontoon boat, all of whom eventually ended up in the water.

“I don’t know exactly what happened, but I assume they were over their weight limit,” Jenkins said.

She said that while the boat was equipped to hold 13 passengers, the weight limit was set at 1,800 pounds. She assumes the group was over by 800-900 pounds.

“I was happy to be at the right place at the right time,” she said.

Jenkins said there was a child on board the boat as well as a woman who couldn’t swim. “Situations like that are our biggest concern,” she said.

However, the rescue effort went smoothly, and with the help of volunteers on Jenkins’ boat, all 13 of the pontoon passengers were pulled to safety.

“I haven’t been in a situation like this before, but have had a lot of practice on what to do,” she said. “One marine specialist on my boat was new that had never ran a man overboard drill, so it was a good experience for them, too.”

Jenkins said it was fortunate the situation had a happy ending with nobody seriously injured.

“Nobody panicked and we kept everyone involved calm,” she said. “Now I know what to expect if I am faced with a similar situation in the future.”

A Florida news source reported that the pontoon boat was in good working condition when it left the dock and what caused the boat to take on water was still under investigation.