The Dauphin Island Regatta had attracted more than 100 sailboats to the area, three of which were capsized or incapacitated by the 10-foot waves and 70 mph gusts of wind, according to AL.com.
"It was just unbelievable how high the waves were," Rhonda Gilreath, a participant from Rome, Georgia told the website. "They were just bashing you from every side."
After their 23 ft. boat capsized, Gilreath and husband Randy Rutledge were stranded in the water awaiting rescue for two hours. "We knew we were totally lost at sea," she said.
![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/6R-I-5NjoDE/mqdefault.jpg)