Joe Hayes

A self-described tough guy, Joe Hayes worked for the Ocean Harbor Oceanarium and was an old friend of Prof. Clete Ferguson. Regardless, he developed a rivalry of sorts with Clete for the affections of icthyology student Helen Dobson. Joe was sent by Jackson Foster to capture the Gill Man, and they hired Lucas to take them to the Black Lagoon aboard the Rita II.

Joe's first attempt to apprehend the Gill Man underwater while wearing a cumbersome diving suit ended in failure, and he suffered a broken arm in the process. Afterwads, it was his partner George Johnson who succeeded in subduing the monster. When they got the Gill Man back to Ocean Harbor and Joe's arm had mended, Foster made him the creature's keeper. Joe had unfortunately earned the scorn of the Gill Man, and on more than one occasion he was nearly killed. His luck eventually ran out when the Gill Man broke his chains and dove into the tank with Joe, and during the underwater struggle between the pair, Joe drowned. He died despite being given medical attention by paramedics.