Parking brake - it's a good thing

[bryancx94]

While boating in central PA this weekend, I saw something I think I will never see again. As stated many times recently, holidays bring out the best.

Well as we were approaching the ramp to load up, a new dodge ram was loading up their boat on the ramp. The husband sent his wife into the truck to back it up just a tad bit more so he could put on the emergency chain. When she exited the truck she forgot to put it into park. The truck bolted down the ramp and into the 20' deep water, about 4 mins later the truck sank, and the boat was pulled half way under water.

I jumped in the water to assist but there wasn't much I or they could do but cry, scream, and moan. No one was in the truck thank God, but second by second the boat was being pulled under by the submerged truck. Finally someone on the beach threw us bolt cutters, and we were able to cut the belt strap free. The boat was saved, the truck was not. After talking to the owners, it was a brandy new 2006 ram. ( I wonder what an insurance company will say about that one!)

It was an unbelievable site. After about 2 hours of rescue I was finally able to load up my boat.

 

[G-Daddy]

Re: Parking brake - it's a good thing

Once upon a time my Dad had a brand new 1964 F-100. He took the boat to the lake on Sunday morning for a little solo fishing. The ramp on this Corps of Engineers lake was beautiful - concrete with a real wide approach area (Rough River Reservoir in SW KY). His routine was to park parallel to the ramp and remove the stern chains and install the plug. While doing this the truck started to roll forward. He calmly walked to the driver's door and reached in to pull the parking brake. Just as he got the door open, the wheels cut and the truck dove head first into the lake. The only thing that stopped it from rolling to the bottom of the lake was the winch rope still hooked to the bow of the boat, and the only thing you could see of the truck was a red ball he had on the end of an 8-ft whip antenna for his company radio. He was alone at the ramp and started walking to a service station for a tow. A couple of guys stopped to pick him up and said, "Get in. Some idiot just drove his truck into the lake and we're going to get the sherrif." Dad said, "Thanks for the ride - I'm the idiot."