Lac ste anne / alberta beach accident saturday or sunday

Fishwhere · #1 05-22-2018, 11:45 AM

Hey guys,

I was curious if anyone knows what happened at alberta beach on this last weekend. There was a fiberglass pleasure boat of sorts and a whole bunch of people in it that i saw head out when i was launching. But then an hour or so later i think that boat had an accident of some sort out by the island and then possibly capsized the boat or something....

Does anyone have any more info on this by chance?

It also brought up a few points to mind that i noticed in my own mindset towards other boats and boaters as i thought back to things that i subconciously noticed but didnt act on or put more thought into;

When fishing i do tend to be a but more of a loner and stay away from the crowds on the lake etc. but i should have picked up on a few small clues more actively that would have possibly helped someone if they were in trouble. I will now pay closer attention to other boaters in the distance to see what they are doing, and watch them longer than i normally would have. If i have any sort of a gut feeling something is weird go check it out quick, or get closer at least to see. And remember that a lot of these boaters are not necassarily experienced in any sort of way.

The only thing is that especially on the lakes closer to major populations in puts people on watercrafts that would normally never be there, or know associated rules of thumb, courtesies etc. So many times i have had a jetski literally do doughnuts around my boat, or a big wake boat cruise right beside me when im in the middle of nowhere respectively on the lake that i normally try to avoid other boats. The high majority of the time i realize that people are not intentionally doing these things to annoy me or disrupt fishing time, but it has led me to pay less attention to them besides the general basics. If i ever saw someone in trouble i would be there in 2 seconds to help regardless, but i guess the point is to be a little more diligent for everyone elses safety as well. A little bit of a wake up call for myself. Because i feel like in this situation of whatever happened i was so close in a way, but yet did not really clue in that there may have been more the situation of the little things i noticed but did not pay attention to.

Anyone else have any similar thoughts?

Ken07AOVette · #2 05-22-2018, 12:05 PM

Good post.

I have had a couple incidents, the worst was a bunch of drunks almost running over swimmers behind my boat in their tinner. That could have been a horrible day, I shudder to think how it could have turned out.
I refuse to go to lakes anymore, and these morons are a huge part of the reason. Combine a tiny lake with a bunch of cowboys in 23' Moomba's blasting cotton-eye-joe and leaving a trail of beer cans while looking to fight anyone eyeballing them..... yeah pass. Clear lake by Wainwright, even Cold lake, Turtle, wow are there idiots out there.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOzhaiKv_Zg
After this video this is one of my biggest fears, some pinhead watching his screens or on autopilot sleeping while he runs over another boat. I am sure everyone has seen this once already. I have added semi air horns to my boat with an expired SCBA tank as the air tank, I can blast my horns for over an hour and still fill a couple tires. It is LOUD. Situational awareness is an absolute must on the water, yet so many are complacent and people die.

Penner · #3 05-22-2018, 12:34 PM

Just guessing on St.Anne they possibly could have run aground out by the Island as between the Island on the Eastern shoreline it is rocky and really shallow. Hit that shallow spot at any speed and it could cause issues.

HunterDave · #4 05-22-2018, 01:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Penner

Just guessing on St.Anne they possibly could have run aground out by the Island as between the Island on the Eastern shoreline it is rocky and really shallow. Hit that shallow spot at any speed and it could cause issues.

That was my initial thought. Every year. There must be a boatload of lower legs between the island and the shore. The water is really high right now so it might take awhile before people start wrecking their boats there though.

I've never had an issue with getting towed back to the pier nor have I ever ignored anyone that needed help. I actually find people very courteous in that regard. I always thought that, not only is it the right thing to do, but you were required by law to assist another boater in distress. I could be wrong about that though.

-JR- · #5 05-22-2018, 11:07 PM

i just do not under stand why those rocks are not flagged .
How many boats need to be damaged .
How many life's have been lost before something is done.

Fishwhere · #6 05-23-2018, 08:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by -JR-

i just do not under stand why those rocks are not flagged .
How many boats need to be damaged .
How many life's have been lost before something is done.

I completely agree - i do not know why these rocks are not bouyed. They do it in saskatchewan lakes that are way less travelled then this one. A rock, some rope, and a floating jug. I talked to one marine/boat guy and he said that rock pile accounts for more then half of his damage work. Thats insane. I dont think a guy would get in trouble for doing it? I have considered doing it for a while.

Ive seen numerous boats smash over that ridge

dutchpirate · #7 05-23-2018, 01:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fishwhere

Hey guys,

When fishing I do tend to be a but more of a loner and stay away from the crowds on the lake etc. but I should have picked up on a few small clues more actively that would have possibly helped someone if they were in trouble. I will now pay closer attention to other boaters in the distance to see what they are doing, and watch them longer than I normally would have. If I have any sort of a gut feeling something is weird go check it out quick, or get closer at least to see. And remember that a lot of these boaters are not necessarily experienced in any sort of way.

Had something like that happen last year on 40 Mile. Boat in the distance just looked "odd" and wasn't moving, got closer to see they had a life jacket on an oar and were waving it to get attention. They could not get the new to them boat into drive. Teamed up with another boat to tow them back and ferry some of the occupants (took weight off the tow line). Glad I listened to my instinct to check them out.

Sooner · #8 05-23-2018, 02:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by -JR-

i just do not under stand why those rocks are not flagged .
How many boats need to be damaged .
How many life's have been lost before something is done.

Liability is what my Uncle who owns a cabin on that lake was told. If they sign/flag it, and for whatever reason, the flags disappear and someone hits those rocks. Its lawsuit city. Pretty crappy excuse.

Signs at all the boat launches is cheap enough & should do the trick to warn new boaters.

edsonfisherman · #9 05-23-2018, 03:37 PM

I know the boat your talking about they were all really drunk when they left the dock, not watching were they were going. There was also the guy driving the seado that was drunk also that lost control and ran it onto the shore by the boat launch into some tree's. I am glad I was finished for the day and leaving. I didn't see a single officer and I was out from morning till early evening.

edsonfisherman · #10 05-23-2018, 04:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by -JR-

i just do not under stand why those rocks are not flagged .
How many boats need to be damaged .
How many life's have been lost before something is done.

I was told that as long as the town had the map of the lake at the launch that was good enough and people should memorize were the hazards are before they go out. Only thing is after they started doing renivations the map was removed and hasent been backup in years.

HunterDave · #11 05-23-2018, 04:25 PM

Pretty easy hazard to avoid. Don't go between rock island and the shore, go around. How would they flag that entire length, with a clothesline type of thing from the island to the shore?

Ken07AOVette · #12 05-23-2018, 05:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HunterDave

Pretty easy hazard to avoid. Don't go between rock island and the shore, go around. How would they flag that entire length, with a clothesline type of thing from the island to the shore?

then some drunken idiot would cut his head off on the clothesline and the family would sue for wrongful death

Fishwhere · #13 05-23-2018, 08:18 PM

They could mark it pretty easily with some big rocks, with rope, and bouys. Thats what they have in saskatchewan lakes where we go and for the most part it works.

I also saw those few guys on the seadoos, and watched them crash into the shore with it shortly after doing a doughnut around my boat while i was waiting to launch.