Boating / Fishing by your self decreases you odds of surviving a accident .

[jimbo_jwc]

Really thinking of not fishing/launching , boating in my 196 I/O alone as I had to take a twin brother to Tullahoma Tennessee after his boat ran over his brother killing him from massive head trama from a prop strike . Somehow after returning from fishing as he trolled a lot with fish in cooler he must have fell in coming back to docks . His boat was 20' open bow I/O , All I found out was another boater found him and tried to revive him ,The motor was not running as his clothes fouled the prop . He had a burn on his chest as well, probably from exhaust. Below is the letter I wrote to police but they didn't do the investigation . I would also like to thank the anonymous boater as we all need help at one time or another . Don't Know all specifics as haven't called his wife to talk about. We boated every time he came back to Ohio in the summer . Just thinking what I can do to be more cautious when I cant find someone that can go when I want as I work shifts and days off are during the week when there are not a lot of people out ?




Was there any foul play in the accidental drowning and boat strike of my longtime friend as we have been driving our fathers boats alone and together since we were in the 8th grade . I would like to give your department the highest compliment in the respect and professionalism they showed during the procession to the Cemetery . He was well loved and always made it a point to stay in contact thru the years as he moved south a few years after high school .

 

[fishrdan]

Re: Boating / Fishing by your self decreases you odds of surviving a accident .

Sorry for your loss jimbo...

I fish a lot by myself and have thought of the same situation, what happens, if something happens.

I put ladder on my boat, and one big reason was to help getting back in the boat, if I fell overboard while by myself. I also added a NFB (no feed back) helm to my boat to assist with trolling, so I don't have to constantly hold onto the wheel to keep it tracking straight. Unintentionally, this also helps to keep the boat tracking straight if I fall overboard, it would keep going straight and not circle back. That happened to one of my family, kid was driving solo, fell overboard, and the boat circled back towards him. His father watched in horror as the boat missed him several times...

A couple things that I don't do, but probably should:
- Wear a PFD all the time, I only strap it on when it's looking sketchy.
- Strap on the engine's kill lanyard. It's a pain in my big boat, but I've been doing it for the past couple of years in my little boat.

Oh yeah, I always let someone (wife) know where I'm going and when I'll be back, when to call the troops to come looking for me...

 

[roscoe]

Re: Boating / Fishing by your self decreases you odds of surviving a accident .

wireless kill switch


Wireless Boat Kill Switch | Autotether, LLC

 

[chriscraft254]

Re: Boating / Fishing by your self decreases you odds of surviving a accident .

Roscoe, you beat me to it, the wireless kill switch is what you need and a pfd that is designed to inflate when you hit the water are great for anglers. Sorry for your loss.

This same thing happened to a guy here not to long ago. I can't help but shake my head. You still need to be careful when boating/fishing alone. Its very easy to fall into the boat and get injured or knocked out as well.

 

[JoLin]

Re: Boating / Fishing by your self decreases you odds of surviving a accident .

Absolutely agree with wearing the kill switch lanyard and a PFD when running solo. It's a promise I made my wife, and I never deviate from it. I WOULD NOT wear a manually inflatable PFD- mine's automatic. If you fall or are thrown from the boat, chances are high that you'll be injured in some way before you hit the water. Keeping the swim ladder down is another great idea.

You also need to be able to call for help if things go bad, so think about that. A wet cell phone won't do you much good.

My.02

 

[jimbo_jwc]

Re: Boating / Fishing by your self decreases you odds of surviving a accident .

Thanks for all the good ideas as I was struggling with the loss and fond memories of my friend and life long boating enthusiast . I'm sure most who post on this site are in agreement. If a moderator see's this I think it could be moved to the safety forum to help others as it has me . I at least have the comforting feeling he died doing what he loved most RIP Richard Paul Moffat

His resemblance was amazing to a famous person as we had a lot of fun with it and my Father served Johnson and Nixon and when my father got turned out to Oson Korea his included me with their familys boating adventures as mine was gone for 1 1/2 years, Formally boated at Berlin Lake since the 60's .