James “Dingo” Dominguez, a 58-year-old Marine Corps veteran and endurance athlete from Santa Barbara, was preparing to row across the Atlantic this November with his teammates. But on July 15, during a training session on Flathead Lake in Montana, a sudden and violent storm swept across the water — weather so severe local officials have called it one of the worst in years.
“It was a special event weather system — no one expected it to come in so quickly,” said Jerry Dominguez, James’s twin brother who served alongside him in the Marines.
The team’s boat capsized in the chaos. “My brother was pushed from the boat furthest,” Jerry said. “They were in the water for about four hours. The other two were rescued and treated for hypothermia. But they weren’t able to find my brother.”…