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Joel Taylor has passed away

I have frequently visited the forum but have done more reading than writing, but I saw Reed Timmer's post on Twitter and could not believe what I was seeing so I had to come on here and leave this. I got to meet Joel last Spring on May 16th, 2017. I actually got to talk to both him and Reed and that made my year. I was so disheartened and shocked to hear of his passing. He was very humble and talked to me and my father for a bit about the weather. It was so cool that he actually took the time to talk to two complete strangers under the anvil of a brewing storm.
 
The good news for his family is that if this truly is false then they'll have a clear-cut court case. There's good precedent lately.
 
I never knew Joel personally but this news hit me very hard. Ever since I was younger I followed Reed and Joel. They excited my passion for weather and chasing. Rest in peace Joel!
 
As a follow up for reports attributing his death, we all have our faults and weaknesses, but never let that that override the true goodness in people. Most of us only remember him as a storm chaser, but to the family he left behind, he leaves a huge void that will never replaced. There’s no reason to throw stones or disparage a man unable to defend himself. I’m not saying anyone has done that, but we are all part of a bigger storm chasing family and share in his immediate family’s sadness.
 
My condolences go out to Joel's family and closest friends. I've known Joel since the early 2000s, and while most of our meetings were limited to meeting in passing somewhere during or after a chase, I always thought of him as a stand-up guy who was responsible and someone who cared for others. He and I had a conversation in a restaurant once about a tornado victim and I could tell that Joel genuinely cared about people - he was a storm chaser for the right reasons - a deep interest in meteorology and compassionate about the welfare of victims.

That being said, some of the reports that are coming out bother me at a professional level. Aside from running our storm chasing tours, during the "storm chasing off season" I'm a USCG licensed Master that operates sea going charters that caters to divers. I'm deeply bothered by the reports of widespread illegal drugs on this vessel. If the coasties boarded a vessel that I was in control of and found such substances belonging to a passenger, I might not be the person who gets arrested (although I could be), but I would without a doubt be the guy losing his license! Not to even mention that the vessel itself could be seized.

Being a captain comes with a lot of tremendous responsibilities! A captain is responsible for EVERYTHING that happens aboard a vessel under their control and they are responsible for EVERY crew action. Therefore the captain has ultimate control of everything onboard. Before any luggage or gear bag is loaded onto a vessel under my control, it's checked for anything that is against company/boat policy (and that includes anything that is against any law, of any country that we plan to make port, or even cruise through their EEZ). Thus, I fail to understand how so many people were able to get illegal substances onboard this vessel.

The passenger vessels (liveaboards) I operate are around 100 gross tons, the Harmony of the Seas is 227,000 GT. But, the same principles apply and I have the exact same license. I'm pretty sure that the vessel master in this situation isn't licensed by the USCG since the vessel is registered in the Bahamas (my "guess" is that he has a Norwegian or Liberian license). But, the ship made port in Puerto Rico where to my understanding it was met by the USCG, and if so, they would have conducted an investigation leading to an incident report, since this incident involves an American citizen (and was at an American port). If there were illegal substances suspected, the USCG very well might have conducted a search of the vessel as well. A copy of that report would be sent to the captain's licensing authority and it's my hope they're as strict about this matter as the USCG would be if this happened under a USCG licensed Master's watch.

It is ultimately the captain's responsibility to secure the vessel. If someone can sneak illegal substances such as drugs onboard, then someone else could just as easily bring explosives or weapons onboard a vessel. In my professional opinion, this captain should be "relieved of duty". If not fined, or more heavily punished and Royal Caribbean needs to tighten up their security protocols because it doesn't sound to me like these ships are all that safe. Yes, I am very angry over Joel's death. But, aside from that, I'm speaking purely from a professional viewpoint and trying to keep my emotions over this incident in-check while doing so. Vessel security is not a "lax matter"; and this vessel obviously wasn't very secure.
 
If you knew Joel personally, I am very sorry for your loss. Way too young. I did not have the pleasure of meeting him. We all feel the loss in the community, but for Taylor's family and close friends the grief of an out-of-order (too young) passing is intense. Taylor's parents are heartbroken now. Perhaps some of the loving memories here or on social media bring a sliver of comfort. I hope they have seen them. Ignore the news. See the love from his friends and fellow storm chasers. RIP Joel Taylor.
 
May he Ride Forever, Shiny and Chrome.

I really want to point some things out -

- Oxycontin/Oxycodone has been in use in medicine for over 100 years.
- It started being pushed in the late 80's/early 90's, heavily.
- It leads to abuse of street narcotics.
- Abuse of street narcotics is a fast-track to the grave.

If you need help, say something. There's never been more options for people hooked on opioids.
 
At the risk of Stormtrack becoming the purveyor of incorrect information, I’d prefer we wait for the Coroner’s report for official information on what took Joel’s life. Granted, there are plenty of gossip-laden websites that have already taken a stab at the substance(s) involved, but for his parents and closest friends sake, I’d like to be cautious and wait and see what conclusions the ME arrives at once his work is completed. This information won’t make it any easier in the end for his family, but if we demonstrate the utmost integrity as a community during the interim, we’ll be doing ourselves and many others a favor in the long run.
 
Always good to get the facts correct. No matter what the outcome, Joel loved chasing like many of us -- and we have that passion in common. Sooner or later, we will all end up on a ST discussion when we are gone.
 
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