[cool][#0000ff]Hey, I was "snoozin' the news" on Fox at 9 last night and almost missed a brief report on someone who lost a fight with the wind in a float tube on Utah Lake. They said it was "southern" Utah Lake, so I'm guessing it was around Lincoln Beach. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]They showed a guy wrapped in blankets but could not see his face...or a BFT sticker. Anybody else hear about it, or witness it? The report said he flipped in the tube and couldn't get back in, and was suffering from hypothermia when rescued by PWC riders. That's a switch. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I have been tubing for over 40 years and have never seen anyone flip a tube. You gotta be either really inept or really committed to do that. I guess anything is possible if you try hard enough.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I am guessing that they had one of the newer craft, where you sit up higher out of the water, and there is no restraining crotch strap. It is possible to slide forward and off the seat on some models. The combination of wind and waves coulda dumped him forward out of the tube.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Just for the record, my mama's son canceled a scheduled tubin' trip to Lincoln Beach with UtWalleye, just because he don't believe that float tubes and wind are good go-togethers. Walleyes will still be around for a while. I wanna be around to play with them too.[/#0000ff]
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Curious... why didn't this poor, unfortunate angler simply stand up and walk back to shore?
Just a thought, PB
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[cool][#0000ff]That was a question I asked myself. The water is less than 4 feet deep for hundreds of yards out into the lake. And the guy on TV looked like he was about a six footer...under the blankets.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]All around, I am guessing that he was not very knowledgeable or experienced. He may have also had a panic attack and could have had waders full of water. That will slow you down and mess with your head. It is highly possible that he could not swim well and may not have trusted being able to walk on the bottom. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Another good argument for not going out in any kind of craft that you do not know well and if you are not checked out on emergency procedures. Also a good argument for having a Personal Flotation Device, even in a float tube. Especially if you are not a good swimmer.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]But then again, we see or read about folks dieing in freak boat accidents every year, even if they are experienced and normally practice all safety measures. The best we can do is be prepared at any given time for the unexpected. Wish I had thought of that before getting married. (Ouch, ouch, sorry honey.)[/#0000ff]
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I recall a couple of years ago that there were 2 brothers tubing when a storm came in and one of the drowned!I know for a fact that even though the water can be 4feet the waves the wind produce can be up to 6feet!I have experienced this with Mrs.ocean and i will never ever will get her on a boat at utah lake as long as she lives
] I told her not to look back because the waves were higher than the boat!If my engine would have stalled i probably wouldnt be tyoing this right now! I sure miss Old Blue! [unsure]
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Hey Pat, I was there.
We just came off the mountain(with one measly Chukkar) and saw all the sheriff trucks. They were trying to launch in the harbor. We drove down and I got out and told the sheriff that I had a better launch spot. He said "get in" and we went around to the spot by the orchards. He launched the jet ski and told me "you've got my truck buddy". Brad caught up about then and the sheriff went out to the guy in the water.
Couldn't help myself. I grabbed a beer and sat in the driver seat of the sheriff truck to drink it. Always wanted to do that.
The other jet ski's came around and an old friend of mine was on one. Tom Hodson of the sheriff search and rescue bunch. He said the guy would be O.K., but didn't really know how he ended up in the water.
Anyway, now we know. It's the best launch spot on the lake. My sheriff got there first.
We were planning on launching this morning, but it was way too windy. And Chuck called me last night and said you had allready canceled.
Maybe next weekend?
walleyebob
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Ocean,
You hit the nail on the head!
Anyone that has ever been on Utah Lake and has been unfortunate enough to have been caught in bad weather knows you can be in two-three feet of water and still drown. There's something about the way that lake generates massive wave action? Very steep walls on the waves with large peaks and very small troughs between the waves. One of it not the worst lakes to be on during a wind storm like the one we had on Saturday!
You'd be amazed at the power and size of the waves out there! I don't know the exact circumstances of the individual that flipped his tube, but if he lives, he should consider himself very lucky! I know I do! Utah Lake is not a lake to be taken lightly during a storm or high winds. After my own very scary teeenage experience water skiing and being stranded almost all night on a mid northern lake sand bar during a night storm. I can attest to the power and danger of this lake. I would have drowned if I hadn't drifted over a shallow submerged sand bar that I could get my feet on. It allowed me to get some air between the big waves. I still almost drowned standing in just 2.0' of water. During the night, some of the wave's reached 3'-4' or more during a bad storm. The huge waves would crash over my head and knock me back and off my feet, forcing me to swim back to the sand bar. At times, I thought I was going to lose the battle, the waves were just too big and I was getting tired and losing my bearings. It all started out as a fun early evening water skiing trip with some friends. We launched out of Provo harbor. I took a big spill on a big wave and was waiting to be picked up by the boat. My friends in the boat couldn't get back to me because the boat went dead and was at the mercy of the wind and waves. I tried to swim back to the boat, but the wind was moving it away faster than I could swim. I lost sight of them as the Sun went down. The boat blew to shore near the American Fork habor around 11:30 pm and they walked to a house to call authorities to find me. It was Sunrise when a guy in a small fishing boat saw me on the submerged sand bar and pulled me into his boat. I was very tired, cold and in HT shock.
I have total respect for the power of the waves at Utah Lake.
Deadly wave action on this lake can happen within just minutes! The key is to respect this body of water and get off and stay off when there is any chance of bad weather occuring and / or high winds.
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[font "Comic Sans MS"][black][size 3]LMAO! You're killin' me, Walleyebob! That has to be the funniest thing I've heard all day! Too much...[/size][/black][/font]
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lol bob that is great i would love to have a picture of it.
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[cool][#0000ff]Hey Bob, you are a living example of the belief that there is not situation so bad it can not be made better. Hey, you did your part and then took full advantage of an "opportunity". Good on ya. (Har de har)[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Musta been divine providence to bring you off the mountain at that time, so you could help the rescue squad do their job. We can all point fingers and laugh at the poor dude that ended up in the lake, but the story could have had a much worse ending. We have read a few of those over the years.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Next weekend? Maybe Saturday, depending on the weather forecrash. PM me and we can discuss the details. Gotta go play with Petty on Willard on Sunday. He gots a new float tube and wants to chase some wipers and walleyes.[/#0000ff]
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I saw it on the news. The profile of the tube sure looked like a FC4. I also heard that he wasn't wearing a life jacket. The Mrs. wasn't too pleased to see the story on the news.
He's lucky to be alive.
He's the #1 reason to have a fishing partner. Hopefully, they are a smart fishing partner.
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SO CHUCK AND YOU LET A LITLE WIND SHUT YOU DOWN. I WAS THINKING IT WAS CHUCK SWIMMING UP SIDE DOWN FOR HE IS NOT EXP IN FLOAT TUBES. GLAD TO HEAR IT WAS NOT. WE ARE GOING OUT THER TOMARROW IF WEATHER PERMITTING. CROSSINEYE
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[cool][#0000ff]Yeah, I guess we're just a couple of walleye wimps. Actually, I have been knowed to launch in some pretty sloppy stuff, especially for walleyes, because they love that kinda weather. Since I was going to be puttin' Chuck out there for the first time, I just couldn't justify chancin' it. His leg is getting stronger, but fighting wind and waves in a float tube is probably not what the doctor would prescribe for therapy.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Hey, hope you guys hammer 'em. Get some rounded up for me and put a mark on the water so I can find 'em.[/#0000ff]
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Did that guy stand about 6'4" and look as if he just moved here from AZ? If so I should have hooked up with me ol'e buddy Sunday, tossed him a rope, then swiped his jig boxes! [laugh]
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[cool][#0000ff]Everybody always picks on us little guys.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]When you gonna quit galavantin' down to all those exotic spots and settle down long enough for us to get our tubes together? If we wait long enough, we're gonna look funny parkin' our tubes beside the Coldfooter Hilton on the ice.[/#0000ff]
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You didn't by chance happen to get a picture of you in the truck did you? Thats the funniest thing I've heard in a long time!
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Plus on Utah Lake the mud is so thick and sticky that even if you're only in 3 ft. of water, your legs might sink in another foot and a half and glue you to the bottom. It's pretty gross stuff out there!
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Yeah well if ya wasnt so dang dinky you would get picked on so often. Maybe ya need to add a bit of red meat and fiber to that sea food diet of yours..
Btw, whats wrong with float tubes on ice? Never mind, that sounds like some sort of Goofy Disney production.
But yeah I know, I've been dancing from fishin' hole to fishin' hole a lot over the past month and this weekend its FG. Lets see about hookin' up for a bit of floatin' after that.. Maybe we can slip down and convince a few eyes to play nice.
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[cool][#0000ff]When you get back from your celebrity tour, have your people contact my people and we will work something out.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Good luck at FG. I'll do my anti-wind dance fer ya. (doesn't work for me, but might for you)[/#0000ff]
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"celebrity tour",, Man thats TOO FUNNY! [laugh]
Yeah do your anti-wind dance for FG area ol'e buddy. I'd appreciate it if you try an keep stompin' around until next Weds..[laugh]
Catch back up witchya then..
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