OCALA, FL (352today.com) – Larry Johnson, focused on a career trajectory in the automotive industry and an interest in community activism, never imagined a trip down the river would open up a series of opportunities and new experiences.

It was a unique and propitious opportunity for a young man who found himself in the right place at the right time. Ocala’s most famous natural attraction would become an environment in which Johnson would immerse himself, becoming a riverboat captain at Silver Springs and eventually piloting the world-renowned glass-bottom boats.

It was through his father, the revered Rev. Leroy Johnson, and Silver Springs boat captain Oscar Collins–who’d been a fixture at the attraction for more than six decades, since before the attraction was desegregated–that the younger Johnson would literally get his feet wet.

“At the time, I didn’t know I was getting sent out there for a reason,” said Johnson.

Vocational direction

A boat captain who had been fired because people couldn’t understand his southern drawl brought a lawsuit against Silver Springs in 1982, said Johnson. It would be nearly a decade before another African American boat captain would be hired, and when they did, in 1990, it was Larry Johnson.

“I came to find out, my daddy was sitting with them one day, when they said, ‘we need to hire another boat captain,'” said Johnson. “My father said, ‘Well, Larry’s graduating from high school. He’s either going to go to college or the military or come out there with you guys.’ He said, ‘this will be good because he’ll be the first the Black being hired since the lawsuit in 1982.'”

Johnson went to Silver Springs to fill out the application, not knowing his father had already talked to management on his behalf. He was hired, went through the training program, learned how to drive the boat, and was sent to Tampa with six other people to the U.S. Coast Guard, so he could obtain his license and become an official Silver Springs boat captain.

“I came back to Ocala, started driving boats, and worked there from 1990 to 1998,” said Johnson. “In that time, I had seen so much, had heard about the lawsuit. I heard about [Silver Springs attraction] Paradise Park when the attraction was segregated, how the Black people had to go on the other side of the river to get into the park, and come down and circle over the great Mammoth Springs and then go back because the white people were on the other end at the main entrance.”

That’s entertainment 

The job provided Johnson with a chance to learn about the attraction, giving him insight into the movies that were filmed at Silver Springs.

“I saw the pictures on the wall of the human resources office when we came into work,” said Johnson. “I saw the pictures of ‘The Creature from the Black Lagoon’ on the wall, the pictures of Tarzan with Johnny Weissmuller, they filmed two James Bond movies out there, they filmed ‘Smokey and The Bandit’ out there.”

Johnson was also involved with the cross-training program at Silver Springs Attraction. He received a raise for being able to captain boats for the Lost River, Jungle Cruise and Jeep Safari. He was the first captain to be cross-trained on all four rides, culminating in his experiences on the world-renowned glass-bottom boats.

The launch point for the Lost River boat ride was the location where the TV series “Sea Hunt,” starring Lloyd Bridges, was filmed in the 1960s, said Johnson.

“The entire series was filmed there,” said Johnson. “So, I drove the Lost River ride for that. I also drove the Jeep Safari and the Jungle Cruise, but the main thing was the glass-bottom boat. It was fun. You meet so many people from around the world. When I came there, it was the booming end of it because Silver Springs went through so many changes and so many owners. At one time, they were owned by ABC. They used to have diving competitions over the Great Mammoth Springs in the 1970s. There’s a lot of history.”

Amazing mentors 

Leon Cheatom, who recently passed away, was involved in many different capacities while working at Silver Springs Attraction, including working on a number of the movies and TV shows, said Johnson.

“They used him for ‘Sea Hunt’ for diving under the water,” said Johnson. “They even filmed a ‘Six Million Dollar Man’ episode in Silver Springs.”

Johnson’s presence was significant as he paved the way for a new generation of boat captains. He was able to bring a cousin and a friend who was like a brother to him out to Silver Springs, and they followed in his footsteps and began driving boats.

“I was trained by Roosevelt Faison, David Faison, Oscar Collins, Virginia Ferguson and Leon Cheatom on how to drive all of the boats,” said Johnson. “I’m getting wisdom from five individuals who’ve been out there for decades.”

The local paper came and took a photo of Johnson, with management telling him the day before to have his uniformed pressed that evening and that his boat captain bars should be on his shoulders properly.

“They had a photo taken of me getting my license from the president of the company,” said Johnson. “I wanted to set a good example for those who followed.”