Re: Runaway Fishing Boat
When I was a young man I had the pleasure of working for our State Dept of Fish and Game. Part of the job was doing 'creel census' (checking salmon catches) at launch ramps and marinas. <br /><br />Daily entertainment ranged from the mundane 'plug out of the boat', to the rather unusual.<br /> <br />I remember the floating boat trailer (it was made out of wood), the amphibious Cadillac convertible (no, they don't float very well), and the very best SHT I ever saw, 'bareback waterskiing'. <br /><br />On this particular day I was stationed at one of the most popular launch facilities. It is a Saturday, it is lunchtime, and it is the high point of the season. There are probably over a hundred people on the dock and still more are having lunch up on the cafe deck.<br /><br />A couple guys pull up in what was (in that era) the standard fishing boat. A lightweight plywood runabout with a 30 hp outboard. <br /><br />Why heck, they've had a nice day... nice fish. Lucky guys you might say, up to that point anyway.<br /><br />Fisherman number 1 steps up onto the dock and holds his Salmon up. Nice fish. Crowd applauds. <br /><br />Fisherman number 2 steps out of the boat with his salmon. I was only standing a few feet from him and I can still remember the little details to this day. <br /><br />The big grin on his face, his unlit cigar clenched between his teeth, and the straw hat rakishly cocked on his head (with his fishing license clipped in place).<br /><br />Then, in slow motion, I can see his his eyes opening wide... the cigar dropping from his jaw... the salmon flying into the water.<br /><br />All this is a moment forever frozen in time, the moment he hooked his pantscuff on the throttle lever. In a blink of an eye, the engine roars and he disappears from view.<br /><br />The runabout takes off at full throttle, with the helm (fortunately) going to full lock. He is hung up quite securely by his pantscuff, being drug along on his back, arms flailing the water.<br /><br />The boat is spinning wildly in the narrow channel and he is yelling... each time the boat spins, the yell gets louder as he faces us, then fainter as he is spun away. <br /><br />Something like:<br />"yyaaaaaaaYAHAAAAAAyyyyyhhhhhaaaYYYYAAAAHHHHyyyyayaaahhhh".<br /><br />On about the 10th spin, the boat whumps into the mudflat across from the landing killing the engine and slinging the fisherman into the mud.<br /><br />For a few moments there is dead silence on the dock. Then a sigh of relief as the fisherman staggers to his feet... wiping the mud out of his eyes.<br /><br />Then somebody let out a giggle. The first outright laugh followed shortly, then the mirth built to a roaring flood.<br /><br />I looked around, unable to believe what I have witnessed. The scene wasn't pretty. <br /><br />Grown men are crying. I see grizzled old fishermen with tears running down their eyes, some doubled over in laughter, some down on their hands and knees, others biting their tongues so hard they must have bled for days. <br /><br />Then the poor bedraggled victim standing over on the mudflat starts laughing with them... in moments he is laughing so hard he can hardly hold onto the side of the boat.<br /><br />After a while, he regains his composure and he and his boat are helped back to the dock.<br /><br />Towels are produced, along with a beer and a fresh cigar. Aside from a dented ego, fortunately there were no injuries. In retrospect, he was a very lucky guy after all. <br />Things could have turned out very badly.<br /><br />If only video cameras has been invented back then...<br /><br />Next time, maybe the story of the "flying fiberform".
<br /><br />A runaway fishing boat gave emergency rescue workers the runaround for nearly an hour on Lake Dunstan on Monday. <br /><br />The out-of-control outboard raced around in circles for more than 40 minutes as the Clyde rescue boat attempted to bring it under control. <br /><br />A Fire Service member who tried to jump into the empty boat slipped and fell into the lake before another member successfully clambered aboard and brought the vessel under control. <br /><br />A 57-year-old Dunedin man was trout fishing alone on the 3.6m aluminium boat about 400m upstream from the Clyde Power Station when he fell into the lake shortly after 8.30am. <br /><br />A witness, Rex Parkin of Alexandra, said the man appeared to hook his throttle when casting. <br /><br />"He stood up to cast, and the next thing the boat is racing off and he's in the water. It just shot out from under him at full throttle<br /><br />(story from Otago Daily Times - NZ)<br /><br /> Full Story
