Boater Mishap Stories

[Ron Fogelson]

Everyone has at least one, tell us yours.

[Fishaholic]

This didn't happen to me, but I witnessed it:

It was a scorching hot and humid day on the Kankakee River, I was fishing the main river channel with my dad...a ski boat draggin' two skiiers behind comes roaring up the middle of the channel...another ski boat approaches from the opposite direction runnin full throttle.

The boat pullin' the skiiers starts to get close to the shoreline and my father is yelling at them to get to the middle, but they ignore him. (close to the shoreline there's many unseen snags and logjams just below the surface). My father sits down and gives up as they pass us on the opposite shore...all of a sudden, the boat runs across one gigantic log, shearing the bottom of the boat off and the two skiiers go down. The undertow in that section of the river was quite strong! The driver of the boat wasn't found, and one of the two skiiers drowned because the undertow carried him into a bad place under the log where he got hung up and couldn't get out.

As long as I live I'll never forget the horror of it.

[Warpath]

I touched on this in a thread just a minute ago.  I heard this story from my banker.  He said that he lost a friend in a boating accident.  It seems that his friend was fishing a point on a foggy day in a small bass aluminum bassboat.  The boathat hit his was fiberglass and was running wide open even under the conditions.  His friend's boat was split in half and he was knocked unconscious into the water.  He was wearing some sort of PFD but being unconscious I guess his head was in the water and he drowned.

I don't think it was a week and my wife handed me an automatic SOSpenders to wear when I go fishing.  I fish alone all too often.  Honestly, it has to be one of the best innovations in safety since the kill switch.  Why everyone doesn't have one, I'll never know.

Eric

[Pferox]

A couple of years back, a lone Fish and Game officer was patrolling around the Kississimmee chain in an airboat. The airboat broke down and in an attempt to reach a suspected part on the boat the officer climbed into the safety cage.
While this was occuring, the boat had drifted into deeper water, as he was in the cage an unknown boat passed by and the wake was high enough to come over the transom, in an airboat this is catastrophic, the boat sank, and the officer was trapped in the cage, he was found by another DNR officer some time later.
Because of this tragic accident, many airboats are being outfitted with a floatation device under the upper rear lip of the transom.

NO MATTER WHAT, DO NOT ENTER THE SAFETY CAGE OF AN AIRBOAT WHILE IT IS ON WATER, OR IS ABLE TO BE STARTED.

[left_turn56]

What a way to go!!

[Pferox]

Yea makes me think every time I get on one.

[Ron Fogelson]

Ok I started this so let me add one.

About 4 years ago my good friend and fishing partner Hub & I were zipping along Cypress lake.  We were starting to get to the No Ski Markers towards the bridge when we saw a ski boat all alone out in the water.

I figured they were just lying down sunning cause I could hear the radio but couldn't see anyone.  Hub start he thought there was someone in the water but looked awfully far away from the boat.  We were ready to go fishing but thought heck it could hurt to go see if everything was all right.

Well as we got closer to the boat we could see that it was empty, started looking around and jumped in the boat, turned off the radio and heard some faint yelling over my boat motor.  I shut it off as well and looked out and saw a lady about 65 to 70 yards away from the boat.  We went and picked he up.  She had no life jacket on just one of them blue kids floaty things, about 3 foot long folded up and doing her best to hold on to it. 

We got her on the boat and she kept say my son, my son & the name of some girl I no longer remember.  We looked around and saw something else in the water a ways away.  Off we went again at least 100 yards away was a guy holding on to a beach ball.  It was dang near flat & he couldn't even yell out.  Hub & I had to drag him on board as he could not even help.  I'm still looking for the girl, and the son cause this guy was the same age as the lady we picked up.

We found them back towards the two big docks the guys around here know them.  The ones that are roofed boat slips.  they were another 150 yards or so from the guy we pulled out.  They had life jackets on but were scared to death and crying.  These kids were in the age range of 8 to 10.  Now that everyone was on my little 16ft boat we made our way back to there boat.

Apparently the adults were dating and the guy had the little girl and the lady the little boy.  Anyway they decided to have fun on the water and let the kids swim off the boat.  No big deal, we all do that from time to time.  Now the wind was blowing towards the bridge and the boat kept drifting farther and farther away.  The guy was going to start the boat and get the kids but the lady didn't want the prop running by them so the guy jumped in to swim over and get them.  We it was farther away then he thought and started to get tired, the kids lost the ball they were playing with and Thank God he managed to get ahold of it. and used it as a float and kept trying to swim against the wind and waves to the kids. 

Now the lady thinks he might be in trouble, but she don't know how to drive the boat, so she grabs a ski rope and that float thing and jumps in the water to bring the boat to the guy, well as you can imagine the whole time the guy is in the water, the boat is still drifting and now that she jumps in the water its just dragging her away.  She tried to get back in the boat but they never lowered the ladder and she can't get over the side so she just lets go.  And that how we found them spreed out all across the lake about ready to drown cause the adults were not thinking, or trained on how to operate the boat.

All ended well, we dropped then at there boat and said good bye after many thanks from everyone.
We were just happy it turned out well and could only shake our heads as we went off to fish.

Fogy

[spetro]

WOW what a story Man you saved four lives that day WOW 

[John C]

Well heres mine. 4th of July 2005 I was out on a local lake with my daughter and one of her friends it was very busy on the lake that day and we were getting pounded buy boat wake so I decided to head to a small cove were I thought there would be no jet skis or tubers when I drove into the mouth of the cove on plane I saw a jet ski come across my bow about 10 feet away he turned sharply away from me but much to my surprise he was pulling a tuber and slingshoted him right into my boat the only thing I could do was turn off my motor. I climbed onto the front deck to see were he went and it was right under my boat then he came out the back to make a long story short he was OK just battered and bruised.After waiting for D.E.M. and police& rescue and doing the paper work my day was done I'm glad he was OK but my daughter hasn't come fishing again she used to beg to come with me but now I couldn't pay her to come. shes just afraid of the boat now. And they tyred to sue me. we'll they got what they deserved nothing not from me or my insurance co.

[Ron Fogelson]

WoW John.

Yep,  I'm glad no one was hurt but maybe over time your daughter will warm back up to spending time on the water with you.  Sure hope so, nothing like hanging with your kids teaching them the stuff you love.

[John C]

WoW John.

Yep,  I'm glad no one was hurt but maybe over time your daughter will warm back up to spending time on the water with you.  Sure hope so, nothing like hanging with your kids teaching them the stuff you love.

I sure hope so but it not likely. she's getting older every day and hanging with dad will be replaced with chaseing boys or getting chased either way it'll be time for dad to start getting in to some trouble.

[Ouachita]

About 1995 on the Arkansas River a lock & dam attendant called on the radio to say an empty bass boat came downstream and was against one of the dam gates. We mobilized a search, but too late. An angler, not wearing a PFD, was drifting along the bank flipping jigs under low tree branches. He passed under a catfish limb line hanging from a tree. The heavy hook caught his shoulder and the boat drifted out from under him. He had no chance held against the current. Wife, 3 kids, an up & coming candidate for success on the tournament trail someday.

Jim

[nlareau]

About 1995 on the Arkansas River a lock & dam attendant called on the radio to say an empty bass boat came downstream and was against one of the dam gates. We mobilized a search, but too late. An angler, not wearing a PFD, was drifting along the bank flipping jigs under low tree branches. He passed under a catfish limb line hanging from a tree. The heavy hook caught his shoulder and the boat drifted out from under him. He had no chance held against the current. Wife, 3 kids, an up & coming candidate for success on the tournament trail someday.

Jim

WHAT?? The guy got hooked? And drowned? 

[Kal-Kevin]

well my store is not as powerful as the other ones, but here it is. while doing a charity tournament last year on gun lake I decided to wet a line while the other were out fishing. I had the duty so could not get into it, as I was drifting along casting to shore I see this big sky boat running across the lake. Bam! smoke starts rolling out of the back end. it stops and opens the hatch and see fire. the boat operator dumps his little fire extinguisher on it to stop the flames. I see the others on the boat start to panic so I run over hand over my fire extinguisher offer to tow them back to the docks.  they were all safe and sound, but I do not think they will buy his boat now!

[Ouachita]

The hook was a large catfish hook on the end of a snag line tied to a tree branch. It embedded in his shoulder skin. The line was 200 pound nylon braided trot line. His knife was on the boat deck, and he had no way to free himself. I'd imagine he was standing on the bow deck and was yanked off it before he could even figure out what was happening. We supposed he was held under water due to the current, at the time I think about a moderate 180K Cu ft per second flow. None of that was published in respect for the family. It was simply reported he drowned, and they were told how we thought it happened. It was one of those freak accidents nobody could have predicted. We also doubt wearing a PFD would have saved him, but at least there was a slim chance it could have helped him get a little higher to reach a low branch, one of several swept in the current. After that we began clipping all limb lines we saw, which was probably in the hundreds, each one a potential hazard for a repeat accident. I have several pounds of catfish hooks from that project. The state won't outlaw the lines on the river, something just too hard to monitor, and a very old tradition among the many catfishermen out there. An angler just simply must observe and keep safety THE top priority.

There was at least one catfisherman that drowned while tending a trot line, also snagged and pulled out of the boat. He was seen going overboard and pulled out within minutes, but the rescuer didn't know CPR. I've been snagged too doing that, but managed to cut the line before being yanked out. I have some nice scars from those hooks raking across my lap. Very painful. They usually tear across and out before anything can be done to limit damage. After a few of those incidents I added a rig on the bow of the old jonboat that allowed me to wrap the trot line around it to hold the boat still while re-baiting. Eventually I decided it just wasn't worth the risk to keep trot lining catfish.

Jim

[Ouachita]

I was dispatched to Rabbit Tail area on the north side of Lake Ouachita, responding to  "man in the water" call through 911 yesterday. Upon arrival I found a Hot Springs Village EMS ambulance and the Buckville Volunteer Fire Dept. on site treating a man for mild hypothermia. Here's the story.

Two duck hunters launched a 14' jonboat after putting PFDs on. The two arrived a mile away at their blind, one getting out, the other remaining in the boat while the other man removed gear. The boat operator spotted some ducks farther out in the lake, deciding he would make a run to their back side and try to flush them over his partner. That's illegal game harassment, by the way. He managed to get around the ducks but while turning to make his run at them he cut the boat too sharply and hit a stickup snag. He was thrown from the boat. Since he was breaking yet another law by not wearing the kill switch, the boat kept cruising until it ran into one of the thousands of stickups emerging from low pool., one quarter mile distant from the swimmer. Fortunately the PFD floated the large man who could only manage to lay back on his PFD to keep his head above water. His waders made it difficult to maneuver, and each time he tried to remove them he went under. The water temperature was 46F, wind North 15-20 mph. The fellow was in deep trouble. Being a strong swimmer he began backstroking towards the nearest shoreline, but couldn't overcome the wind, so began back stroking down wind. As he cooled his arms became numb, and eventually couldn't raise them above water to stroke. Resigned to just drift with the wind, 30 minutes later he washed up on an island and managed to crawl onto dry land, then curled up to try keeping body heat. The PFD saved him, as he knows he would have drowned in the waves and coldness, dragged to bottom by waders well attached to his body.

The hunting partner was helpless, watching the ordeal from slightly after the man falling overboard. There was no cell phone access as there is no possibility of a signal in that part of the lake, so all he could do was watch the event unfold. However, apparently another boater must have passed by, calling 911 when seeing the stranded body. The boater didn't render assistance by rescuing the man. Another violation of law, but that call probably saved that life again. We know that boater would have had to travel 3 miles to Point 37 to be able to make that call where a cell phone begins working. He should have returned, but also should have rescued the victim first and then try to call for help. Had he remained wet in that wind an hour or two he would have suffered extreme hypothermia. The Joplin Fire Dept. responded, but couldn't boat through the stickups, so narrowly spaced now only a jonboat can snake through the sunken forest. The Buckville unit managed to launch their jonboat at Rabbit Tail and beat Joplin to the stranded man. They delivered him safely to the ambulance, then returned to retrieve the partner and the boat.

Wear it, ya'll. Both PFD and kill switch.

Jim

[Ouachita]

Update. A long post but this might save your life someday.

We took a ride over to the island where the man went overboard. Now we're talking over the event. What we found was a small island surrounded by hundreds of stickups (tree snags in the water), stumps, and rocks. The best approach to the island has about one foot of water depth 50 feet from shore, but we couldn't get to shore because our boat was too wide to squeeze between stickups. Using a pole we found the mud depth to be 3-4 feet, making walking to shore practically impossible without floating and pulling from snag to snag, dredging over the mud. Now we know why the passing boater didn't attempt a rescue. Probably in a bass boat, he couldn't get to the man without endangering his own life in the high wind and waves that would pin any boat against snags. We're now over the early outrage of that boater doing no more than travelling 2 miles to get cell phone service.

Some safety points we've realized is besides posting a float plan (they had not done that), there needs to be some planning as to area selected to fish, and in that case, hunt in. If I boat into a stumpy cove like that, could I be rescued? Anything can happen, especially in high wind. A prop can blow, a motor quit. I could fall in the water. The wind might prevent me from leaving the area without serious boat damage or sinking it. If help could be summoned, would the rescuers realize they need to bring a short, narrow jonboat to negotiate the obstructions? Would my rescuers have to sit 100 yards out just watching me perish from hypothermia until another suitable boat could be dispatched? I might be bleeding from an injury. What then? And if that little boat is required, how can we expect an operator to arrive safely from 10 miles away across the open lake body with 3 foot waves? If something happened to me (or us), is it likely another boater might come close enough to even see us? How many days might I have to survive until a crappie angler came by in such a difficult area made more difficult with a pool level 11 feet low?

Those fellows made a terrible choice for a duck hunting area. Sure, the place was full of ducks, and happens to be one of the hottest fishing spots on the lake, but that choice brought a man to within an hour of possible death. Choosing only on the basis of best game value isn't often the wise choice. What good is a limit of ducks or bass in the livewell when you are so cold you can't breathe and your skin color has passed through blue to black, and a dozen men are putting their lives at risk bailing you out of the mess?

The point. Plan to use an area you can vacate safely or others can enter safely to tow your boat or carry you out without adding another person to the casualty list. Rescue duty is very dangerous, a task that often requires compromise on safety. We're here for you, on most major lakes, ready to serve, but we ask that you do your part and go to places that are reasonably accessible, and heed lake warnings. Wear the kill switch to keep your boat near you and of course prevent getting into the CIRCLE of DEATH. Most boats cruise on their own in a wide circle, passing right over the spot you lost control. That roaring prop can make hamburger when passing over you. Keep the PFD on at all times and especially in winter it's a good idea to sew a whistle onto the PFD. The Buckville rescuer almost didn't see the man crumpled up among the stumps, too weak to raise an arm to signal.

Jim

[Mike Cork]

Thanks for sharing this Ouachita, something can be learned by all.... Great Read

[spetro]

dude....you dont have space

Great post Jim

[Lipripper]

Thanks for the info Jim and

dude....you dont have space

[Hawgwild]

I went to the Red this morning...got there a little late and as I was fixing to get in my boat and ease out, two other men were pulling back in...both soaking wet...

They were fishing the Media Bass tourny and as they were running to their spot they caught a wake wrong which threw their boat up and threw both men out of the boat...

Both were OK...Both were wearing life vest and opperator had attached the kill switch on the boat...

Just goes to show how quickly a good day can turn bad...

So glad these guys were OK and an extra second to attach the kill switch also saved their boat and them from life threatning hyperthermia....water temp was upper 50's and air temp was near freezing..

Give boating safety an extra thought next time (and everytime) out...I sure will.....that was scarry...

Scottie

[spetro]

April 11, 2006



A captain made a calculated choice to pass under a downtown Fort Lauderdale bridge Saturday night, authorities said, but misjudged the height of his mast, which hit the span's underside, snapped and killed a passenger.

"The captain thought they could clear, he consulted with several people," Fort Lauderdale acting fire chief Stephen McInerny said.

Robert H. Raymond Jr. was at the helm of his 41-foot motor trawler, SS Minnow, with about 14 people aboard heading east on the New River shortly before 10 p.m., police spokeswoman Detective Kathy Collins said. It was a party cruise celebrating the birthday of one of the passengers.

Raymond, 42, of Hallandale Beach, did not radio or sound his horn for the Andrews Avenue bridge to open, thinking his approximately 15-foot mast would fit underneath, McInerny said.

It initially cleared the lip of the bridge's western edge, but a wake or wave may have lifted the vessel a few inches so the mast connected with the bridge's underside.

"It struck some object under the bridge," McInerny said. "The mast broke off at the base."

It struck three female passengers, including Frances Strock, 75, of Deerfield Beach. "Witnesses reported she immediately fell to the ground and was not breathing," the fire spokesman said. A doctor aboard the vessel administered CPR but could not revive her. She was pronounced dead at Broward General Medical Center.

"The mast may have broken her neck," McInerny said. An autopsy will determine the cause of death.

Emergency personnel treated a 62-year-old woman, giving her 12 stitches before releasing her. They also treated a 71-year-old woman at the scene for a bruised left cheek, McInerny said.

Police impounded the Minnow for further investigation, Collins said, and blood was drawn from Raymond to determine whether he was operating the boat under the influence.

"There's no indication, I was told, of DUI," Collins said. "It's just a [routine] procedure."

Raymond couldn't be reached Monday by phone.

Authorities couldn't say if the river was exceptionally high that night, but records show high tide at Port Everglades occurred about four hours before the accident.

Santokh Sohal, project manager for the county's highway and bridge division, said captains have the responsibility to radio ahead or sound their horns when they want a bridge opened.

Strock was the mother of three grown daughters, said Garret Boekel, who lives across the street from her. She enjoyed socializing and was popular in the neighborhood, he said.

"She was a very nice lady, a very good mother," he said. "She was active in church and in the community."

The only damage to the bridge was some paint scraped from the girders, Sohal said.


By Robert Nolin
South Florida Sun-Sentinel

[spetro]

By Jerome Burdi
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
Posted April 16 2006


Two scuba divers drowned Saturday afternoon in the Atlantic Ocean a mile south of the Boynton Beach Inlet. Witnesses tried to rescue them after they appeared to be in a panic, the Sheriff's Office said.

The divers, whose names were not released, were about a mile offshore in an area well known for its natural, live coral stretching up from the Florida Keys. Sheriff's Office spokesman Paul Miller said the two were believed to be boyfriend and girlfriend, the man in his late 30s.

The driver of the 25-foot Wellcraft motorboat had no radio to call for help when he noticed the two struggling, Miller said.

Marine Deputy Chris Miller brought the boat to shore because the driver was too shaken. It is unclear what caused them to panic and drown around 4 p.m. A diver found the victims about 5:30 p.m. near the bottom of the 45-foot deep section of the ocean, their bodies having drifted a mile north, Paul Miller said.

"It was obvious something was pulling them down," said Craig Smart, owner of Starfish Enterprises in Lantana. "He was trying to help her."

Smart, who radioed for the Coast Guard, had a boat out with 12 divers who did not know what was going on, he said. Smart tried to reach the dive ball, which sits on top of the water attached to the divers, but couldn't reach it. When he finally did with a boat hoot, it snapped, he said.

The Sheriff's Office, Coast Guard and county Fire-Rescue took part in the search and rescue with two boats and a helicopter.

Their bodies were found entangled in the dive ball rope, Miller said. The boat was registered to a man in West Palm Beach who said he sold it eight years ago. The victims were taken to JFK Medical Center and were later pronounced dead.

[javelin225ho]

Friday Night, Lake Jackson Ga.....a quote from GON Forum.

I just wanted to let everyone know that there was a man killed last night at Jackson in an accident between two boats. I dont know his name or all of the details but reportedly the boat that was hit had no lights on and it was well after dark. We were fishing the Berry's tournament and heard about it at weigh in. One of the boats in the accident was also fishing the tournament. Lets all just remember to look out for each other out there especially after dark. No matter what the circumstances, my heart and prayers are with the family of the man who was killed.

[bassmaster350]

Remember if you dont have lights or they dont work fix them before you go out on the water. That could have been avoided. I dont know how he could see where he was goin.