With the seconds ticking by, the fishermen tried to work out the best way to proceed. Should they just charge in? Should they wait for the mother to get to the island? They needed a strategy for dealing with the bears if they dragged them on board, too.
Nobody on the boat knew how to care for a bear. They couldn't even be sure they wouldn't try to attack. Suddenly, they got a desperate invitation. One of the exhausted cubs was trying to climb aboard.