‘Twas the week before Bachelor in Paradise premiered — and Brayden Bowers and Aaron Schwartzman are miles away from the beach.
The Bachelorette season 20 alums were among five men stranded in the water 15 to 20 miles off the coast of San Diego for more than three hours during a fishing outing.
“My buddy Gavin, he got his line stuck on the engine propeller, so Aaron just went to the back of the boat to lift the engine up and try and untangle it … all of a sudden, as soon as he stands on the swim deck … the boat literally just sunk,” Brayden told FOX 5 on Monday, September 18. “We just tried to paddle to shore, so we linked arms and we kind of just started kicking.”
Aaron compared the situation to “being trapped and helpless because there’s no service.” He continued: “We weren’t able to send a distress signal at all, and the only thing you have out there is hope, hope that somebody finds you, hope that a helicopter flies over. … You think of the next steps, but what are the next steps when you’re 15 miles in the ocean — in a wind swell?”
The group were saved by two men on a fishing trip of their own.
“For whatever reason, we came to look to see if it was holding fish and that’s when we saw the guys in the water,” one of the rescuers named TJ told the outlet.
His cousin Chris noted, “We were looking for yellow fin tuna and then found a school of men.” He added that the pair “don’t consider ourselves heroes.”
“We’re doing whatever any other fisherman would consider doing,” Chris continued. “I’m just so grateful by the grace of God, we actually did see something reflective. Just the things that had to add up just to get to them. I mean, once we did find them, that was our best catch of the day.”
Aaron concluded on Monday, “I finally bought the boat of my dreams, or so I thought, for it to sink on me.”
Earlier this year, Aaron and Brayden competed for Charity Lawson‘s heart on The Bachelorette. While Aaron was quietly eliminated during week 3, Brayden made a splash during his several-episode arc as other contestants accused him of not being genuine about a potential engagement to Charity. Both men are set to appear on Bachelor in Paradise, which debuts on September 28.
“I think the format of Paradise will be a better fit for [Brayden],” Charity told The Hollywood Reporter last month. “That’s just Brayden’s personality. Again, he’s charismatic. I could imagine him forming several connections down there. But do I personally think that he’s ready for a long-term, committed relationship? No, and I can say that. Brayden is honest, and he’s a realist with a lot of his takes on things in life. But when it comes to relationships, I definitely think he has some more navigating and self-growth to do. I hope, if anything, Paradise teaches him that.”
In addition to his drama with the men, Brayden made waves for his earrings throughout his stint on the series. Here’s hoping he didn’t lose any jewelry in the water. (Insert Kim Kardashian “my diamond earrings” GIF.)
