While we usually don't get overly sentimental on this site, it's Valentine's Day! When we ran across this story, we thought you guys might want to read a little about love.
For a former firefighter low on cash and his new bride, starting an on the water towing business that helps recreational boaters get safely home wasn’t easy. It was 2008 and Capt. Shane O’Neal had no capital to purchase his first towboat, but his wife, Stacey, did have the wedding ring Shane had given to her. So in an act of love and sacrifice that resonates on this Valentines Day, Stacey gave Shane the ring to sell to a local pawn shop so he could buy the towboat, a 21-foot center console fully rigged for towing and salvage work.
Fast forward to 2014, and today the O’Neal’s are one of the most successful on the water towing companies in the BoatUS nationwide fleet of 300 locations and 600 towboats. After opening their first location on Lake Chickamauga, the O’Neals now have nine TowBoatUS locations from Tennessee to Florida and 12 red response boats – including the original towboat purchased with funds from the sale of the wedding ring.
However, recently Shane stopped back in the pawnshop to buy some ammo, and while casually looking at the display cases, saw Stacey’s ring. It had not sold in nearly five years. You’ll have to watch the video to see what happens next:
