Skip to main content

In 2008, Carl Drysdale saw a waterspout “tornado” form off the coast of Florida’s Key West and thought, Why not? Armed with his outboard boat, a camcorder, and zero common sense, Drysdale set out to get as close as possible.

Waterspouts, for the uninitiated, are tornados over water. They’re powerful enough to suck up fish, debris, and—if you’re Carl Drysdale—your boat.

Drysdale aimed just shy of the vortex. He didn’t go through it, but the wind and waves tossed his boat like a bath toy. At the storm’s peak, he dropped his camcorder. The footage cuts to chaos: the roar of wind, shaky water views, and unintelligible shouting.

When he uploaded the video to YouTube, Drysdale added a cryptic caption:

“Filmed quite closely—the part you can’t see is when I’m lifted up.”

Was the Florida boat actually airborne in the tornado? It’s hard to tell from the video. What we do know is that the storm vacuumed up fish and random household items. Drysdale confirmed in the comments:

“Flying fish? Yes. It also sucked up a two-foot glass table from a nearby houseboat.”

The video became an internet oddity. And in 2022, Drysdale revived his legend. When a Reddit user asked the r/Sailing forum for “no one’s going to believe this” stories, Drysdale replied:

“I took a waterspout (tornado) for a ride. But I got vid, to prove it.”

Believe it or not, his story is pure Florida energy—equal parts thrill-seeker, chaos, and a questionable relationship with safety. Want to decide for yourself? Watch Carl’s video below:

Best in Marine & RVs
Avatar photo
Staff Writer

Henry Cesari

Henry Cesari joined MotorBiscuit in 2021 and brings his deep interest in vintage cars, trucks, and motorcycles to the site. Having restored his first classic car at just 16 years old, Henry has wrenched on everything from overland campers to Japanese motorcycles and even pre-war Bugattis. Henry is also an avid attendee at local car shows and genuinely enjoys connecting with fellow auto enthusiasts.

Henry earned a Bachelor’s in Anthropology and English from the University of Vermont. He has since incorporated his love of the written word with his admiration of classic cars. While Henry is interested in vintage cars, he believes the golden age of cars is yet to come. He is confident journalists will play an important role in this revolution by exposing the industry as it is now and envisioning its possible future.