When the Phillies took to the field for their Sunday afternoon matinee game against the Dodgers on Sunday, May 25, veteran catcher Carlos Ruiz was set to ride the bench. But it wasn't an injury or illness that was keeping Ruiz sidelined. It turns out the catcher was preoccupied thinking about friends back home in Panama who had gone missing after a fishing excursion turned deadly. "I went to the ballpark and I make these phone calls to Panama," Ruiz told ThePostGame.com. "The people were really nice to me. They said, 'Don't worry. Play hard.' We'll see if we can find them." Hometown friends Walter Dubarran and Jose Mercedes Rodriguez had been out fishing when their boat capsized and tossed them into the sea on Saturday. While the National Air and Navy Service of Panama(SENAN) deployed boats to find the missing crew members, Ruiz wanted to help as well in the search and rescue mission. Spending time on the phone before the game, Ruiz contracted boats and helicopters to search the area for his buddies. Ruiz's own family members were part of the effort as well.  Rodriguez was later found clinging to a gas can by SENAN, and Dubarron was found by boats hired by Ruiz. He was using a boogie board as a flotation device. The men had been in the water for 35 and 40 hours, respectively. The catcher returned to the locker room after Sunday's game and found his cell phone had exploded with missed calls from Panama. "For almost two days, we were so worried," Ruiz told ThePostGame.com. "We didn't know if something was going to happen to them. I'm so happy they are OK. Now I can get back to the field." PostGame.com has an extensive interview with the catcher as well as photos from the rescue.