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Post by mwardncsu on Sept 8, 2012 20:56:02 GMT -5
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Post by smltarheel on Sept 9, 2012 22:32:44 GMT -5
The family of the 2 victims from this weekend put the boat in at our marina. Because of their vehicle having mechanical trouble I have been in close contact with the family the last couple of days. Hate to say it but I went to load the boat that was involved in the accident for the family and after all the goings on their van wouldn't start. Had a hard time going to tell this poor lady she was stuck. Luckily I was able to patch the vehicle for travel back home. My point being, this poor lady lost her grandson and boyfriend who tried to save the younger victim. This lady described to me how she watched her grandson and boyfriend die and was unable to help. She is really shook up. Most important please keep this family in your thoughts and prayers. Second, hopefully we can all learn from a situation like this, make sure if you aren't comfortable on the water, wear a life jacket. The 18 year old simply jumped in thinking it was shallow enough to stand up knowing he couldn't swim and just so happened it was over his head. He wasn't wearing a life jacket nor was the man that jumped in to try to save him. If ever in that situation make sure to bring flotation to provide assistance. If you are like me and not trained to aid in assistance like this however you aren't going to just stand and watch, make sure your boat is prepared to handle such a situation(throw cushion(s) out and ready, life jackets easily accessible, please add and reply if you are trained for these situations). And make sure everyone on board knows where all safety equipment is because you never know. In our rental boat procedure we make the renter sign paper work which shows that they have viewed and know the location of all safety equipment on board. And after this weekend it reassures how important that it is even though we aren't required to by law. Every boat ride probably seems like a routine event to most of us but go to your boat tomorrow and see if your vessel is prepared for such a situation. The next one could and can produce such a situation. Sorry this is so long but just want to share my thoughts and hope it might make a difference for just one person. As I sit here I think about life jackets stored in a t-top bag or one of those 4 life vest storage bags. Do you want to have to find and unzip a bag to get to a life jacket or dig out a throw cushion under your tackle bag when someone is drowning right off the side of your boat (even worse at night). I don't want to have to think I would have to live with that knowing I simply needed to have taken 10 minutes to reposition safety equipment that I had buried under something to help me catch more fish. Again I know this is a long response however if it makes one person move a throw cushion its worth it. I have literally thousands of hours on SML, I grew up on the lake and I don't say that to brag or boast, I say it because as an experienced boater, I started thinking about the location of my life vests on my boat. They were by no means buried or under alot of stuff however, when I really thought about how long it might take me to get one or two out and my wife or son was the one that needed it, my vests will be in a different location before I head out again. I hope that anyone that has gotten to this point in the response has, again, thought or prayed for this family and second is rethinking where there safety equipment is. Hopefully you don't need to move a thing. If anyone wants or needs to add safety equipment to their boat send me a pm and I will sell you any of the coast guard required equipment at cost. Again I hope this hits home, if not picture your child or grandchild as the one struggling to stay afloat with you being helpless due to your throw cushion being under a seat instead of ready to go close to your reach. Panic adds a whole new dimension to any situation. Lets all be safer on the water, even though we all try and think we are already doing so!
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Post by mwardncsu on Sept 10, 2012 13:12:24 GMT -5
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Post by smltarheel on Sept 10, 2012 14:04:42 GMT -5
That is a nice product. I just looked them up and my cost is $12.71 each. I will sell them at my cost to anyone that wants one. 5 are available for next day delivery and as many as I want with in 2-3 days depending on the location it ships from. If I order about 4 at a time there will be no shipping so final cost would be 12.71 plus uncle sams part. Please pm me if anyone would like one. Thanks
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Brian
New Member
Posts: 611
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Post by Brian on Sept 11, 2012 13:00:03 GMT -5
If you have kids, PLEASE teach them how to swim... It's such an easy and fun activity that could save their lives someday that it borders on irresponsible to not do it.
Too many people just strap life jackets on their kids any time they are in the water and the kids never learn to swim.
Not saying it would have made any difference in these tragedies, but it's a parenting trend that distresses me.
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Post by mwardncsu on Sept 14, 2012 20:21:20 GMT -5
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Post by CorneliaGale on Sept 14, 2012 23:07:12 GMT -5
There are a lot soft spots where the lake is silted in, must have jumped into one of them, and could not get out.
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Post by mytoyzfishing on Sept 20, 2012 22:59:17 GMT -5
Mward, that was an interesting article. It gives a completely different story that I have heard and read else where.
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