04-29-2010, 05:42 PM
[cool][#0000ff]I just handed off the paddle I found on March 16 to the State Parks folks at Willard Bay. It was the final piece of the puzzle to concluding their investigation. And there have been some things that have come out in that process that probably need to be said.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Turns out I probably should have reported the paddle to the rangers the day I found it. All they had was an abandoned vehicle and nothing else. The paddle would have confirmed what they were suspecting...a drowning.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]It would have also been great if the dimbulb boater who found the partially capsized kayak later that same day had reported his find also. But NOOOOO. He took the kayak home and advertised it for sale. WRONGO.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Turns out the the State Parks folks shelled out about $800 an hour for over five hours, flying a helicopter over Willard looking for any other evidence...on the 19'th...the day after they officially logged the abandoned vehicle...and three days after the kayak and paddle had been removed from the lake but neither one reported. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]BFT member utahsteelheader is one of the rangers at Willard Bay State Park, and he has been in charge of the investigation. I sent him a PM and a picture of the paddle, letting him know the basic details of my find. He was glad to get the paddle and pretty much confirmed it belonged to the drowning victim. He was also gentle about reminding me that I should have reported it. But he is ballistic about the boater who removed the kayak without reporting it and then tried to sell it.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Lesson to be learned? Whenever any of us sees or finds something unusual...on any water...we should assume the obligation of reporting it to the proper authorities. We never know how important it might be to solving a situation or locating either a body or lost gear.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]For the record, there is still an ongoing investigation into the exact circumstances of the drowning. Hopefully all of that can be resolved soon and the family can have some closure.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Turns out I probably should have reported the paddle to the rangers the day I found it. All they had was an abandoned vehicle and nothing else. The paddle would have confirmed what they were suspecting...a drowning.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]It would have also been great if the dimbulb boater who found the partially capsized kayak later that same day had reported his find also. But NOOOOO. He took the kayak home and advertised it for sale. WRONGO.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Turns out the the State Parks folks shelled out about $800 an hour for over five hours, flying a helicopter over Willard looking for any other evidence...on the 19'th...the day after they officially logged the abandoned vehicle...and three days after the kayak and paddle had been removed from the lake but neither one reported. [/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]BFT member utahsteelheader is one of the rangers at Willard Bay State Park, and he has been in charge of the investigation. I sent him a PM and a picture of the paddle, letting him know the basic details of my find. He was glad to get the paddle and pretty much confirmed it belonged to the drowning victim. He was also gentle about reminding me that I should have reported it. But he is ballistic about the boater who removed the kayak without reporting it and then tried to sell it.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Lesson to be learned? Whenever any of us sees or finds something unusual...on any water...we should assume the obligation of reporting it to the proper authorities. We never know how important it might be to solving a situation or locating either a body or lost gear.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]For the record, there is still an ongoing investigation into the exact circumstances of the drowning. Hopefully all of that can be resolved soon and the family can have some closure.[/#0000ff]
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