A raging charter boat captain has gone viral after he boarded a small boat to harangue a young fisherman who he accused of nearly causing a collision that morning.
The fiery exchange that took place shows 40-year-old Brock Horner in a fishing boat with two other men as they pull up alongside Gage Towles, who is in a small fishing boat by himself on Florida’s Gulf Coast.
The April 1 confrontation, which sees Horner jump onto Towles’ boat and aggressively challenge him, was recorded by Towles, who posted it to his Facebook page, where it has generated 15 million views.
An animated and fuming Horner, who owns a charter boat company and has since been charged in the incident, asks Towles if he was the person who was “cussing him out” earlier, to which Towles answered no. Horner said the vessel in the near-collision didn’t have safety lights on as required.
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Towles tells Horner that he didn’t have permission to be “flying through the bridge area” of Peace River, a scenic river that flows into Charlotte Harbor.
That remark only escalated things further, and at one point Horner asked Towles: “You wanna (expletive) go?”
Towles tries to deescalate the situation, reminding Horner that he was the one who pulled up aggressively while he was just trying to fish.
Towles then questions whether Horner was just trying to act tough in front of his friends, which infuriates Horner further.
Horner says all three of them were veterans and he is “the best charter captain you’ll ever meet in your mother f—ing life,” before suddenly jumping onto Towles’ boat.
“Chill bro, chill bro please!” Towles yells repeatedly. “I’m a kid bro, I’m a kid,” he says as he hits the throttle and speeds off with Horner aboard.
Horner continues yelling and demands he apologize for terrorizing him on his own boat and Towles then drives Horner back to his boat, maintaining that he didn’t swear at him.
“Do it (expletive) again, and watch what happens,” Horner says.
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Punta Gorda Police Chief Pam Smith said behavior like Horner’s would not be tolerated on waterways. Entering someone’s boat without permission qualifies as burglary under Florida law when accompanied by threats or aggression.
“This type of behavior will not be tolerated in our waterways—or anywhere else in our city,” Smith said. “We are committed to ensuring the safety of our residents and visitors, both on land and on the water.”
Horner was charged with burglary with assault or battery, non-forced entry.
Horner’s attorney released a statement stating that his client apologizes for what transpired.
“He is deeply sorry. What began as a moment of frustration and concern escalated in a way it simply should not have,” the statement reads, in part, according to Gulf Coast News Now. “Gage handled the situation with impressive composure and class and that level-headedness helped prevent things from becoming far worse.”
His attorney wrote that Horner’s business has been “destroyed,” his reputation has been damaged while his wife and mother have been harassed and even threatened, he claimed.
The statement notes that Horner is a decorated combat veteran who was severely injured in Afghanistan.
“He served honorably, earned multiple medals, and suffered a traumatic brain injury in combat. He is recognized as 100% disabled by the Department of Veterans Affairs. That’s not an excuse — but it is part of his story. He stood up when this country asked him to, and that service deserves to be respected.”
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