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Man refused to leave sinking boat without wife, rescuers believe

When rescuers tried to coax an elderly man to the bow of his beleaguered houseboat, he wouldn’t budge.

MELBOURNE, Fla. — They later found out why: His wife was aboard and they don't think he wanted to leave her.

Vilas Stalte, 81, and Lillie Stalte, 76, were rescued together early Friday as their 42-foot houseboat was battered against a sea wall by choppy waves.

Raw: House boat crashes into seawall in Melbourne

At first, witnesses were not sure if anyone was on board the boat, rescuer Jason Wood said. He and his friend Joseph Couturier were walking near the Eau Gallie Causeway in Melbourne when they first saw it.

When they looked closer and saw the man inside, they called 911 and tried to get him to come out. The rescuers didn’t realize the man’s wife was inside with him, they said.

When police arrived, they were able to use Couturier’s Jeep and the vehicle of another good Samaritan to stabilize the boat.

The man and the woman were then rescued through a window and brought to shore.

They were treated for minor injuries.