Capt. Brock Horner, owner of Tarpon Coast Fishing Charters in Punta Gorda, is making the rounds online after he was caught on video yelling at a younger fisherman then jumping onto his boat.
Details are scarce, and Horner deleted his business page and social media, but the video shows Gage Towles, fishing alone in a boat near a bridge when Horner, 40, and four men approach him in another boat. Horner asks him if he was the kid who “cussed at him” earlier in the morning to which Towles answered no. According to a story on Fox 4 Southwest Florida, Towles is 22.
The News-Journal isn’t posting the video, titled “Charter captain jumps on my boat and tries to fight me for no reason,” because of language.
Brock Horner started the confrontation
Horner, convinced he was the same person, continued screaming at Towles, 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 man responds “I don’t wanna go … I want you to get the (expletive) out of here.” He reminded Horner that he pulled up on him and he was just trying to fish.
Towles asks if Horner is trying to be “tough in front of his buddies,” and Horner responds that the three of them are veterans. Still calm, Towles even thanks him for his service.
But Horner continues swearing and yelling. There doesn’t seem to be any other boats around. Towles keeps telling Horner it was the kid in the other boat, but Horner won’t listen. He’s yelling about how the fishermen need to have their lights on in the morning, which Towles said he did, 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. But Horner doesn’t stop.
He continues, saying he’s the “best charter captain you will every meet in your (expletive) life.” A line that has now gone viral on social media.
Horner takes the argument a step further
And then he jumps into Towles’ boat, hits the throttle and the boat takes off with the two of them inside.
And for the first time in the video, you can hear panic in Towles’ voice.
“Chill bro, chill bro please!” he yells repeatedly, followed by “I’m a kid bro, I’m a kid.”
Horner continues yelling and telling him to apologizing while terrorizing him on his own boat.
And he still doesn’t believe Towles when he says he didn’t swear at him.
Towles drove him back to his boat apologizing while Horner continued threatening him.
“Do it (expletive) again, and watch what happens,” he said.
Tarpon Coast Fishing Charter Captain video goes viral
Since the video was released, Towles has received nearly 40,000 comments 31,000 shares on his Facebook page.
Parody accounts have been created for Horner and internet sleuths are digging into his criminal background.
The Punta Gorda Police and the United States Coast Guard have posted that they’re aware of the situation and have asked people to stop reporting the incident.
On his YouTube page, SixFourFishing, Towles said hadn’t planned to share the video because “it made me feel so weak but I was already having a horrible day and this was the (icing on) the cake. I look at it now like I possibly can save another person from Brock Horner or possibly someone’s life by getting this captain off the water.”
He goes on to say he’s heard horrible stories about Horner from others, and in an act that’s anything but weak, gave his Instagram handle if they needed to reach out and talk.
