A Must Read

[Kevin Izzi]

We often think a life jacket is uncomfortable and don't wear one. This is what happened to me today. I was talking to a buddy at work about a fishing tournament I just competed in in Alabama. He said to me he loves to fish and would like to go sometime. I was getting ready to winterize this evening when I got home but on a whim said hey let's run down to the Ohio River and I will take you today the sauger are running. So off we went we ran up to the dam and started crankin away. There were these to young guy's in a 16' aluminum semi-v-hull boat about 100 yards in front of me when I casted my lure ....reeled it in and went to cast and they were gone! The current sucked them under next thing I knew my buddy yelled those two guy's are in the water. We tossed down are rods and shot over picked up the first fellow and the second guy was about to go under water again and my buddy was able to grab the strap on his life jacket. He was a big guy we wrestled him into the boat and called 911. They took the big fella away in the rescue and he is in stable condition. The two guy's had their life jackets on and that was the only way we could have saved them. I know they are Corny but do it for your loved ones wear the jacket! I don't want to turn anyone off but it is a clear sign of how the Lord works right place at the best possible time!

 

[Greg Meyer]

No question that God took care of those two and made you an instrument in his hands. Thank you to you and your buddy.

 

[Scott Hammer TOXIC]

Another word up is a story I read on another board (CIII can verify this, he knows one of the guys).



Long story short, a bassboat tags a big wake a WOT, tailhooks and throws the passenger out of the boat with an auto-inflate on. He hit the pedestal seat and motor cowling (ended up needing 6 stitches in his head), auto-inflate didn't deploy. He pulled the manual and if I remember correctly, it did at that point. Boater tried his auto-deploy and a no-go, pulled the manual, again a failure. He was not in the lake, did it afterwards. Both pfd's were maintained and had fresh cannisters (installed correctly). Caused a lot of poeple on that site to swear off their auto-inflate vests. There is also no way for the sospender type of vest to roll you if you get knocked out and are face down in the water. Also no neck protection in a high speed exit from the boat. You give up something for the "comfort" of the stap type. Safety is not what I would expect to give up.



TOXIC

 

[Berry Lindley]

This is a great post. Below dams in TN it is a LAW that you wear one, and they WILL ticket you if you don't have one on. I've been awfully uncomfortable once while fishing below a dam in my last 16.5 ft Procraft when I thought the front end was about to get sucked down. It is not just the generators you need to watch, you need to know where the lock water discharge comes out. I saw 4 Asians nearly drown yesterday when their boat was at the outlet when thke water came out. One of the first things you should do when fishing near a new dam is to locate this. You can catch some fish, but you need to be aware of what is going on at all times. One more thing, isn't it waaayyy too early to winterize? That water ain't hard up there yet is it?

 

[Ron288 Callahan]

the good lord was watching over those two guys. sure glad you two guys were there dragon that could have made a bad thanksgiving for two familys.

 

[Kevin Izzi]

The water is not hard yet....but the weather is about to turn. Besides I fish around 20 tournaments a year and she needs her rest You guy's have a great turkey day!

 

[Bruce Freeman]

That why I always were my vest when the gas motor is running or if the water is rough. It's also why I have the Icast Wireless lanyard system on my boat. If a pass goes over the boat stops..



Thanks for shareing

BF

 

[TritonGlenn]

Great post, and a great reminder!



A funny, but worthwhile little tale - I always make my 3 year old wear his life jacket when we are fishing, even if it is only in the 2 foot section of the small neighborhood lake. A while back, right after I put his on in preparation for getting in the boat, he pointed at me and said "put yours on Daddy!". I told him that I was "big enough that I didn't need one", and he quoted my line - "we're not going fishing until you put it on!" After I stopped laughing, I put it on, and we went fishing. My wife reminded me that if he fell overboard, and I had to jump in after him, I would be much better off with a life jacket on myself, than trying to tread water and save him at the same time. Now, I wear it all the time when I'm with him.



I've always worn it while the outboard is running in my bassboat, and wear it most of the time in the winter, even when the outboard isn't running.



All the best,

Glenn

 

[fatrap]

I was raised on the Mississippi river at Lock and Dam 13. Someone was always getting sucked into the hydrolic under the dam. In those days the old "kaypoc" sic. stuffings weren't that great. I remember the stories from my River Rat relatives about people never being seen again.



Happy Thanksgiving everyone.

Notice I said THANKSGIVING. NOT TURKEY DAY.

fatrap

 

[Brian Ingersoll]

Great reminder to everyone with a happy ending.

One of the members from a small club I was in had a sprint with a 200 and cable steering. The afternoon after one of our tournaments he had gone out joyriding with his girlfriend, she had a vest on, he didn't. He lost control of the boat in a turn and flipped it. She survived, and they dredged up his body a couple days later.

Before that I only wore my vest in tournaments (due to rules), now it is on any time the outboard is running. (for myself, my wife, and my little girl - soon to be two girls) Like Toxic was saying, mine is a normal vest that I don't have to trust to inflate, it's always ready.

 

[Tom Jones]

Always zip up or snap the straps on your vest also. I was fishing a tourny on Ross Barnett in Jackson, MS 20 years ago and was in a head-on collision between two bassboats and as I was ejected from the boat, I had my life jacket on but not zipped, and it came off before I hit the water(still Don't know how it happened, as it was a snug fit). Luckily I flew out of the channel into neck deep water, or I probably would have drowned. I did break my back in four places. The boat I was a passenger in didn't have a kill switch and I ended up under the boat and as I came up from under the water, I was at the back corner of the boat close enough to put my hand on the motor(still running). After they got me out of the water, the coveralls I was wearing had been cut by the prop about 14 inches of my thigh but did not break the skin. Also, at the time of collision, I had a Plano 777 full of crankbaits in front of me on the floor. The Plano exploded on impact and my coveralls were covered from head to toe with crankbaits(especially in the croth area:lol. The man that rescued me died laughing when he pulled me in his boat!

PLEASE FULLY FASTEN YOUR LIFEJACKETS!



Tom