[url "http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=1789665"]http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=1789665[/url]
My condolences to his family. Be careful out there.
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What a
story. I often go fishing by myself. Maybe the message of this story is don't go fishing in a boat by yourself.
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When my wife and I saw this story last night on the news, she turned to me and said that she worried about that happening to me every time I go out alone with the small boat...which is a LOT.
I have had a near drowning experience in my life and it scares me enough when I think about it that I am sometimes a little more cautious than I should be around water, if there is such a thing.
I know first hand that sometimes you DON'T have control over your situation. I broke a couple of ribs a few weeks ago, and while at Flaming Gorge over Labor day I decided to take a swim. Normally I don't put on a life jacket if I'm just jumping in to cool off, but knowing how bad my ribs were still hurting I decided to play it safe and put on a life jacket. As soon as I hit the water, my entire back (I broke the ribs in my back on my right side) spasmed and froze up and I had ZERO muscular control on the side of my body that my ribs were injured. It wouldn't have been a big deal anyway as others were in the water with me, but it surpised me how quickly I lost control of my body. I used my left arm to paddle back over to the boat and was glad I had my life jacket on so I didn't have to have my wife swim me back to the boat!
Cold water, muscle cramps, water logged heavy clothing,etc. are all things that can contribute to a situation in the water to turn bad very quickly.
I've fallen out of boats before and it happens very fast and very unexpectedly. I use caution always when out on the water but am especially cautious when alone. I've told myself time and time again that if the boat gets away while launching...let it go. If I'm in the boat and it's moving at all, I'll be wearing a life jacket. If I arrive at a lake and it's just too bad out there...I just go home. (Have done that TWICE at Willard!) Sometimes I even wear a life jacket when anchored, depending on conditions. Not that a life jacket will save a person in all situations, but its the best I can do short of staying home.
I don't know what happened with this guy they are looking for, but it did hit home a little a he is only a year older than me. My condolences go out to the family also.
Randy
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good advice - I hadn't thought about some of the scenarios you describe.
thx
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Sometimes I even wear a life jacket when anchored, depending on conditions. Not that a life jacket will save a person in all situations, but its the best I can do short of staying home.
[#ff0000]At least it makes for an easy recovery mission if they are wearing a life vest. The poor family waiting on the shore line up there all day today are wishing he would of put one on. Even if he slipped on the ramp hit his head on the trailer killing him he would still be floating for recovery. But who wears a PFD while launching the boat. Something for us all to think about![/#ff0000] [/reply]
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They found the body this morning. Condolences to the family.
As a safety precaution when I launch my boat alone, I tie the boat to the trailer's guide bunks with a long rope (20' +) when I launch so it doesn't freely float away. Another thing, there are no docks at Rock Cliff so there is no place for a boater to tie off his boat to while he/she parks the trailer.
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my condolences to the family, it hit home for me, i actually sunk a boat at strawberry at the docks waiting for my brother to get the trailer, a storm had rolled in fast and everyone was trying to get off the water, i was waiting holding onto the dock, i was on the outer side of the dock which you cant do now days, but the waves were getting bigger and bigger and was beating my boat against the dock ferously, well being the rookie boater i was back then and dont claim to be a pro now by any means, i wanted to move away from the dock and fight the waves head on while waiting, well there was a boat in front of me so i couldnt move forward at all, there was a boat behind me but he was farther away so i tried to back up a little, the boat i'm in was a 14ft aluminum with a outboard, when my brother got out of the boat the front naturally raised cause of all the weight in the back, so when i tried to back up a large wave came over they back of the boat and i was in water up to mid shins just like that, then another large wave and the boat was full and i was up over my knees in water, standing in the boat that is half under water by now, i look over at the dock at a man and said i'm sinking, i grabbed my fishing vest which had alot of supplies in it and a fishing pole, took the rope that was tied to the front of the boat and wrapped it around my arm, thank god i was close to the dock, i was able to swim, no life jacket on, to the dock and get myself up on the dock, now here i am on the dock laying belly down with a rope wrapped around my arm which is dangling off the dock cause i cant lift it, needless to say some gentleman came to my rescue, we pulled the boat out onto the dock, emptied it and had it back in the water by the time my brother pulls down with the trailer and we i lost the key to the engine so i couldnt get it started, so he was clueless to the whole sinking the boat event, until i yelled at him across the docking area, quite hilarious now that it is over and no one was hurt, i lost alot of equipment that day however and it was one scary feeling standing in that boat with water up over my knees,
boat accidents happen fast and unexpectedly most of the time, now i always have my life jacket handy, usually on the back of my chair, i'd like to say i wear it but i would be lying.
my heart goes out to the family and may god bless and comfort their souls.
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I take my boys fishing with me in the boat. They aren't big enough to help launch the boat or really help in any other way. I do all the launching, loading, parking, etc. while my kids wait. My wife doesn't like to fish much but was always getting on me to wear my life jacket all the time on the boat, but I hated wearing it. It was always in the way. I figured I had it available at hand if needed. Well she pestered me enough that I broke down and bought an inflatable that has a C02 cartridge attached with a pull string to inflate it. I put it on when the rest of the kids put theirs on right after getting out of the truck. I don't even notice it now when I am on the lake, loading, etc. and it is never in the way. My wife's happy, and I really do feel safer with it on.
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PDS... Are we married to the same woman, this is UT. That is my exact same situation I have the waist belt kind and I don't even realize that I am wearing it.
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I fish alone almost always in my canoe and my wife is always saying to me "it's not a boat, so stay close to shore...or no you can't go alone, take someone with you...but I go anyway and when the weather gets bad I'm off as soon as possible....but I do worry about my dog tipping us over by jumping from side to side sometimes .....just be careful and be smart....I do try to respond to offers to go fishing so my wife wont worry...always a good idea to use the buddy system.....
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what did you pay for your inflatable, the ones i've looked at i can never afford, it would be nice to have one though, cause i would wear that type but my old jacket, which is float worthy is bulky and bothersome. I almost always have someone with me, i think i've been out once by myself and it was at lost creek, (wakeless for the most part) and a beautiful calm day, not to say things cant happen on a beautiful day.
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I think it was around 60$ if I remember right. I too am always searching for people to fill the boat so I don't have my wife worrying at home. Plus the more new people you fish with you find new techniques and new spots as well. So I try and go out most saturdays if anyone is int shoot me a PM.
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I think I paid $69.00 for it through Cabelas. I admit that it was way more than I would like to spend. But now that I have it, it was worth it. It is the kind that hangs around your neck. Doug Miller used to promote them on his outdoor show. As my wife reminded me, "you can't put a price on your life. If you're not going to wear the regular one, then get one you will wear."
I just checked Cabelas website, the one I purchased was the Guardian Essential 2500 manual inflatable PFD. It is listed at $69.95.
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thank you orvis and pdf i really need to get serious about getting one of those, appreciate the info[
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I had an experience in early spring on the Jordanelle RC side. The Boston valves on my pontoon boat were sticking and slowly leaking air. I had paddled out probably a mile and 1/2 from shore when I noticed the entire back end sinking. I wont go into details just for the family's sake but I can say sounded like he passed doing what he loved to do and if it me I like to go with the sun on my back and a fish on my pole. My condolences to the family.
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