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From training to rescues, couple remembers decades with U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary
By SARAH Lehr
HUBBARD
One stormy night years ago, Bert and Judy Paulk pulled about a half-dozen stranded boaters from the waters of Lake Erie.
It was Fourth of July weekend and the group had been stranded for almost five hours, the Paulks recalled. Several of the boaters were floating in the cold water, moored to the overturned boat with a rope fashioned from their tied-together socks, Bert and Judy said.
Though they were off duty when they performed that rescue, the Paulks had been trained with the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary.
The married couple from Hubbard retired this year after working part time for the auxiliary for 44 and 37 years, respectively.
They’ve executed many search-and-rescue operations throughout their careers, but the pair said that July 4th weekend ranks among their most-memorable stories.
The people they rescued that day were so grateful that they sent the Paulks Christmas cards for years afterward and once took the couple out to dinner, Judy recalled.
“You feel pretty good when you pull someone out of the water and they’re still alive,” Bert said.
For the Paulks, boating is a lifelong passion.
The high-school sweethearts attended Hubbard High School and often would spend dates fishing at Mosquito Lake.
They taught their two children, one of whom died at age 46, to boat on Lake Erie and now share the past-time with their two grandchildren.
The members of the Paulk family have seen more sunsets at the lake than they can count and are looking forward to bringing out their beloved boat, the Judy Ann, for the summer.
While they served in the auxiliary, in addition to performing rescues, Bert and Judy inspected boats and educated the public about safety. Bert developed a boating-safety program that local schools taught for decades.
What have the Paulks learned after so many years at Lake Erie?
“Respect the lake,” said Bert, who also worked for an engineering firm. “It can go from peaceful tranquility to moments of sheer terror when those waves kick up.”