"At the Helm" (On board the Tacklebuster)

Tyler (Left) Teri (Center) and Jeurgen Turner (Right)

Tucked inside the world's smallest harbor in the worlds largest ocean, the Tacklebuster leaves Depoe Bay every morning in search of what the sea has to offer for it's visitors. The 50 foot Delta Marine vessel is powered by twin 8.3 liter 400c Cummins Diesel engines rated at 400 horse power each, and cruises comfortably at 18 knots. The boat itself has developed it's own character among the small community of fish cleaners, crab cookers, and other boats in the fleet that operate under the Dockside Charters office.

Captain Jeurgen Turner, more commonly known as "JT," has been in the charter industry for over 40 years. JT started out as a fish cleaner at the age of 14. By the next year, he was on board the Kingfisher as a deckhand, where he would eventually meet his wife Teri. JT became a captain at 19, and together, the Turner family has owned three charter boats since 1980, all of them named "Tacklebuster."

In more recent years, their son Tyler has stepped up into the wheelhouse as captain of the vessel, continuing the family tradition. Taking that step has been a unique challenge for Tyler, who was left paralyzed from the waist down after a motorcycle accident near the harbor in 2008.

In the crash, he impacted the driver's side door of a vehicle, knowing right away when he came to and couldn't feel anything from the chest down that he had sustained a lifelong injury. The first people to come to his aid were a firefighter and nurse, both also on motorcycles. They lifted his motorcycle off his chest and stabilized his neck as his father JT arrived on the scene. A helicopter then flew him to Emanuel Medical Center in Portland, where he underwent a five hour surgery to stabilize his spine. The accident broke his T4, T5, and T6 vertebrae. After two months of hospitalization and rehabilitation, he returned home.

Tyler was a star athlete in high school and excelled at football, basketball, and baseball, and began attending Mt. Hood Community College just prior to his accident. During rehabilitation, his mind was occupied with the transition of going from being active and mobile to being bound to a chair, often questioning if life was worth living like this. During the following months, he was able to find answers and inspiration in his family's history in the charter industry.

In his childhood, the Tacklebuster served as Tyler's babysitter during the week in the summer. He'd come down the dock early and take a nap in the bunk, then have a bowl of oatmeal at the galley table as JT prepared the boat for the trip that day. "When your dad has a charter boat, you can go out whenever you want, so we did." He'd often put fish in the boat, only to donate them at the dock to passengers that got seasick so they wouldn't go home empty-handed.

In spite of the adversity he faced entering the early years of adulthood being bound to a wheelchair,  following in his father's footsteps and becoming a captain was a natural progression for him that he became determined to fulfill. Carrying that legacy motivated him to meet the challenges of physical therapy to restore function muscle groups that most individuals with his diagnosis would lose. With the help of Kandice Vinson at Adapt Training in Beaverton, they started doing two hour sessions three to four days a week to regain some of his independence.

The position of the injuries to Tyler's vertebrae is near the middle of his rib cage, which normally would disconnect the ability to use muscles below the ribs to move. However, Tyler has dedicated years of work to regain as much of that muscle function as possible.

Having challenged himself through an extensive regimen of workouts and physical therapy to exceed the capabilities of his diagnosis, he felt ready to begin the Coast Guard medical exam process. Due to his physical condition, he would need to prove that he was able-bodied enough to perform the duties expected of him, but more importantly, he had to persuade the Coast Guard to even give him that opportunity.

On paper, he still has a spinal cord injury, and they were unwilling to even see him. With the help of Vinson, they underwent an appeals process, twice. Vinson and her fellow trainers faxed reports and evaluations to a doctor in Washington D.C. to prove that Tyler could stand for four hours, lift a certain amount of weight, as well as get to, and function at three levels of height.

Several U.S. Coast Guard Representatives evaluated Tyler's abilities on board the Tacklebuster to ensure that he was able to assist passengers that have fallen overboard, administer first aid, as well as safely access and depart the vessel, but his abilities met the satisfaction of the inspectors. Afterwards, he went on to excel as a student at Fryar's Maritime Services in Vancouver and complete the process of getting his captain's license.

Today, Captain Tyler Turner stands at the helm more hours during the day than he sits in his wheelchair. He works with trainers in the gym and at home on a daily basis to maintain his physical rehabilitation. While out on the water, he is focused on finding fish or whale watching for the visitors on the boat and doesn't have the time to think about his injury.

Deckhand Jacob Mikoleit says, "I grew up watching Tyler pitch baseball with my older brother, Jared. I was their bat boy until I was old enough to play, and he was someone a lot of us looked up to. He handed down one of his mitts and a bat to me. I had many of my fishing firsts on board the Tacklebuster with JT as captain, including my first bottom fishing trip and salmon. That was over 20 years ago, and I still enjoy working with him today."

Deckhand Jake displays an albacore on it's way to the icebox

The newest addition to the Turner family came last year when Tyler's fiance Lauren gave birth their daughter Hadley, their first child. The couple has plans to marry in September. These days Grandpa JT spends less time at the helm and more out on the deck, getting in on the action of landing fish for customers during the peak of the season. With his son relieving some of his captain duties, he gets to stay home now and then with Teri and spoil the grandchild while Tyler is running the boat.

Captain Jeurgen Turner displays a canary rockfish caught by a passenger on board the Tacklebuster

Whether you're fishing for halibut, tuna, trolling for coho, or bottom fishing, or even just out whale watching, the large deck space and accommodating cabin provide a safe and fun fishing platform for all ages. Tyler says, "Everyday is different out here on the ocean. I never get tired of waking up, jumping on the boat, and meeting visitors from all over the world." The Turner family eats, sleeps, and breathes the lifestyle of charter fishing. When the Tacklebuster departs Depoe Bay, all their worries are left on the dock, and they're focused on the task at hand, creating a positive experience for their customers. "I honestly enjoy watching others catch fish more than catching my own," says Tyler. "During their time on the boat, they get to experience this amazing outdoor adventure that has become my passion."

This article was published in the March 2018 issue of Northwest Sportsman Magazine and received an honorable mention the Excellence in Craft awards at the 2019 Northwest Outdoor Writers Association conference.