US: Blind Arizona teens sail across the Caribbean in upcoming documentary
By Gabe Trujillo From 12 News NBC
Many of us daydream about doing the incredible; climbing to the highest peak, exploring unknown regions in exotic lands or touring the worlds most iconic landmarks.
But for a group of teens from Arizona, dreams became reality.
In the upcoming documentary, “Ocean of Obstacles,” viewers will get to see how 12 blind teens set sail in the Caribbean Sea for an incredible adventure.
Dubbed “The Blind Buccaneers,” the teens learned to navigate and sail on open water before embarking on the journey from the Spanish Virgin Islands to the Western shore of Puerto Rico.
“The message we hope to send is to show that people can challenge themselves to anything and the results ultimately can only make your life better, in the end, no matter the outcome,” said Loudin Krueg, the Executive Producer of the film. “For a lot of these children, they will use these moments in Puerto Rico to develop the courage they need to tackle the outside world.”
Krueg said the entire trip took place over seven days in Puerto Rico, five of which were spent in the open ocean anchored on small islands.
During the trip, Krueg said one of the biggest obstacles occurred on land while on a grueling hike through a jungle to the top of an island to inspect an abandoned lighthouse project.
As for the teens, Krueg said they all enjoyed the trip.
“All of the kids came back different from when they stepped out the front door,” he said. “Some had never flown before or left the mainland of America. They swam in the open ocean for the first time, caught a wild fish on a line, swam with dolphins, and made friends; they will hopefully have memories with for life.”
A trailer for the documentary was recently released on YouTube. You can watch it below.
For more information on the Foundation for Blind Children, visit seeitourway.org. Once the film is completed, details on a public release can be found at o3film.com.