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I just heard on the news that a fisherman with a life jacket was found dead at Willard Bay. Does anyone have the details?
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Donald Larkin of Pocatello, Idaho.

[url "http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=10516399"]Link to story:[/url]
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This is a terrible result to what should have been a fun day. For all the tubers, tooners, etc... this is a reminder to always watch the weather and be careful. Even a 15 mile hour wind in the wrong direction can make it very hard to get back to your vehicle. Remember the water temps right now in spring are still plenty cold to cause the onset of hypothermia in minutes.

Be careful and have fun. All my best to this gentleman's family.
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Once in a while I go tubing or fishing by myself in my pontoon. I probably will continue to do so, but it causes one to think about the potential dangers. My sympathies to the family of the fisherman.

Thanks Kent for the detailed story.
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That is to bad. I also like to go up there alone and do a little fishing from my tube, and will continue to do so. I am just a little curious as to what caused his death. Did his Yak get overturned and he was not able to get out of it? Or did he get hit on the head and knocked out and end up face down in the drink? Many questions.
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[cool][#0000ff]I think I found that guy's paddle on my SKUNK trip to the north marina of Willard on March 16th (see attached pic). Several of us worked the lake over pretty good and that was the only trip in many years that I did not get even ONE bite. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Been exchanging PMs with FishinFool53 and he confirmed that the guy's vehicle was in the parking lot for a few days before they reported it and began a search. They reported it on March 18th. So it is possible the angler had a fatal mishap several days before. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]There was still a lot of ice floating around on the lake on the 16th, the morning we were there. In fact there were several places around the shoreline with big sheets of ice that had blown in. It is entirely possible that his kayak got stuck between some shifting ice. As you will recall, a couple of our BFT boaters almost suffered the same fate in much larger craft.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I still have that paddle in my garage. Brand new with a price sticker still on it. Doubt I will ever find a use for it and it no longer has much appeal as a souvenir of a fishless trip. [/#0000ff]
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Pat..you of all should see the potential of that good luck charm.. I would hope when i go i go doin what i love. Kinda grim thought but hopefully i have my affairs in order. I am wanting to believe this guy had his in order and in turn good intentions, unfortunately he left. I am thininking that paddle may just bring good luck as his spirit lives on. I for one believe some of the best fishing we have yet to experience awaits us in the next life! This time is for us to learn and prepare to enjoy the real adventure after the time comes when we are called to leave...
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[cool][#0000ff]Sorry, but this board is not the place for a theological discussion on the "afterlife", cause and effect, karma, luck or whatever. We all have our own beliefs that are personal to us and we need not discuss or justify them to others.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I feel badly for the family of the ill fated kayaker. But, if I were to be honest I would probably assign some blame to him for taking a flimsy craft...alone... out onto a partially ice covered lake...and likely under windy conditions. It had been windy for the two days previous to my trip on the 16th...the day I found the paddle.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Also, contrary to initial reports, the deceased WAS NOT wearing a PFD. Bad planning.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]The only good thing to be derived from his misfortune was that his death should help remind us all to be safe and use good judgment in our recreational pursuits. If his story sticks in the mind of anybody else, and causes them to wear a PFD or not venture forth under poor conditions then his passing will not be all in vain.[/#0000ff]
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Yea I did not even think that the pond still had ice on it. I was just trying to picture what could of happened in my mind on a yak as I have been in a couple. Also not having a PFD on in those temps, Hypothermia would have probably set in in a matter of minutes. Do you remember what the temps were? I am imagining that they were in the low 40's at best?
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[quote Majja]Yea I did not even think that the pond still had ice on it. I was just trying to picture what could of happened in my mind on a yak as I have been in a couple. Also not having a PFD on in those temps, Hypothermia would have probably set in in a matter of minutes. Do you remember what the temps were? I am imagining that they were in the low 40's at best?[/quote]

[cool][#0000ff]Just checked my fishing log. At launch time the air temp was 35 and water temp 38. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]My notes also show that there were strong winds for two days before that trip, with large sheets of ice blowing all around the lake. Just the day before we hit it both marinas had been blocked by ice, but offshore breezes had opened them up again.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]My guess is that the kayaker had bad luck and bad timing and was trapped between two ice sheets...or the ice and the rocks...and was rolled out of his craft and possibly forced under by the ice. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]If he had survived he would have had a great tale of adventure and a near miss. Just thinking about it has forced me to remember a few times when I had a "narrow squeak" that could have ended more badly. I think most of us can be properly grateful for surviving at least a couple of episodes when the outcomes could have been much worse.[/#0000ff]
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