pelada trochu
08-13-2012, 01:43 PM
Hi.
Last night I was fishing and despite the heavy winds (white caps) was at a spot i rarely have been all year. Never mind fishing at 7:30pm. Im usually off as i focus on early fishing to avoid the swamp boats. Not many boats out at this time. I just somehow ended up out there. Anyways. I start to head in and see a boat with two people in the water just behind and two inside. As I come closer I can see arms waving and then hear the two young girls SCREAMING. It wasnt a nice sound. Someone was drowning. The boat had become disabled (as i understand) the guy operating it had backed up (rental boat) and cut the tow rope up around the prop. The tube was punctured and down floating in the water. The girl in the water couldnt swim and in the rough water must have panic'd. The guy jumped in to recue/assit her without a life jacket. His boat was disabled and floating away from a loved one. When i got there his head was low in the water and she was holding him up. I drove up on them as i had my anchor line strung from my front hook to the top cleat on the driver side (starboard). She grabbed on and i grabbed him. he couldnt open his eyes and could hardly hold my hand. I assessed that he wouldnt make it to the back of my boarding ladder without possibly loosing him. At 7:30pm with overcast and rough waves, chances of him going under the boat were too great. How would I spot him if we lost him. I had my extra life jacket stored in the portal below my knees and without letting go was able to retrieve it and the girl and I were able to swing it around him and get a couple buckles on. It hit me that I felt right at that moment that thats when i saved his life. then i jumped in the back passed my net up and dragged him back behind my console so i could grab him again and brought him around to the ladder and hauled him in.
We then 911 it and i transported him and the 3 passengers to the dock for assistance. He couldnt get out of the boat on his own even after emergency services put oxygen on him and waited for fire to assist on the lift (big guy but young). Im very glad i had a live well on board at the back as he vomitted about 1/2" full of stomach and alot of water into it.
Im posting this so that anyone who thinks they dont need a life jacket can get it into their thick skull that they do need one. I personally wear mine even with passengers on board as I dont want to burden them with the responsibility to save my life. I had my a/m unit on while this happened and had i been knocked overboard i would have surely been better off. i was also alone.
Please everyone take this and understand how quickly things can go sideways. Im not posting looking for comments on what went wrong. Mistakes were made and the details of how exactly he ended up the way he did are fuzzy as i did not interogate them on how they got that way. I just want to get through that its not a good feeling as i remember holding the limpness of his hands. Imagine if it was your family or someone you knew.
I hope the gentleman has recovered and is 100% well today.
Everyone please be careful!!!
Please no comments on this! Just read and pass the link on if you feel the example can benefit another.
Last night I was fishing and despite the heavy winds (white caps) was at a spot i rarely have been all year. Never mind fishing at 7:30pm. Im usually off as i focus on early fishing to avoid the swamp boats. Not many boats out at this time. I just somehow ended up out there. Anyways. I start to head in and see a boat with two people in the water just behind and two inside. As I come closer I can see arms waving and then hear the two young girls SCREAMING. It wasnt a nice sound. Someone was drowning. The boat had become disabled (as i understand) the guy operating it had backed up (rental boat) and cut the tow rope up around the prop. The tube was punctured and down floating in the water. The girl in the water couldnt swim and in the rough water must have panic'd. The guy jumped in to recue/assit her without a life jacket. His boat was disabled and floating away from a loved one. When i got there his head was low in the water and she was holding him up. I drove up on them as i had my anchor line strung from my front hook to the top cleat on the driver side (starboard). She grabbed on and i grabbed him. he couldnt open his eyes and could hardly hold my hand. I assessed that he wouldnt make it to the back of my boarding ladder without possibly loosing him. At 7:30pm with overcast and rough waves, chances of him going under the boat were too great. How would I spot him if we lost him. I had my extra life jacket stored in the portal below my knees and without letting go was able to retrieve it and the girl and I were able to swing it around him and get a couple buckles on. It hit me that I felt right at that moment that thats when i saved his life. then i jumped in the back passed my net up and dragged him back behind my console so i could grab him again and brought him around to the ladder and hauled him in.
We then 911 it and i transported him and the 3 passengers to the dock for assistance. He couldnt get out of the boat on his own even after emergency services put oxygen on him and waited for fire to assist on the lift (big guy but young). Im very glad i had a live well on board at the back as he vomitted about 1/2" full of stomach and alot of water into it.
Im posting this so that anyone who thinks they dont need a life jacket can get it into their thick skull that they do need one. I personally wear mine even with passengers on board as I dont want to burden them with the responsibility to save my life. I had my a/m unit on while this happened and had i been knocked overboard i would have surely been better off. i was also alone.
Please everyone take this and understand how quickly things can go sideways. Im not posting looking for comments on what went wrong. Mistakes were made and the details of how exactly he ended up the way he did are fuzzy as i did not interogate them on how they got that way. I just want to get through that its not a good feeling as i remember holding the limpness of his hands. Imagine if it was your family or someone you knew.
I hope the gentleman has recovered and is 100% well today.
Everyone please be careful!!!
Please no comments on this! Just read and pass the link on if you feel the example can benefit another.