Sad Situation

[JSGOLD]

We are following a very sad story today where five men were in a jon boat fishing on the New River when it capsized last night.....three were missing, two made it out. One body recovered this morning. Hard to be critical in a situation as this but even though there are certain job boats that are larger than others this is a situation taht never should have happened. Five is too many, especially on that river. We have been hit with rain after rain and the water in this river is fast, and cold. Reminds me of a situation where four drowned a couple of years ago in a jon boat....so sad. Accidents happen even in larger boats but here is an example of the worst case scenario...

I would add at this time we don't have all the details other than the fact they were in a jon boat.

 

[JSGOLD]

Re: Sad Situation

Addition
I guess this says it all..

http://dailymail.com/News/breakingnews/201104040572

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Sad Situation

Just unfortunate. Wearing PFDs are always a good idea, a really good idea in a small boat, and imperative when boating in cold water.

 

[robert graham]

Re: Sad Situation

That's just very sad...those were sons, brothers, fathers, husbands...just gone....

 

[bassman284]

Re: Sad Situation

14 footer. My brother and I used to do a lot of fishing from a 14 ft jon and it was overloaded with just the 2 of us. We only used it on fairly quiet no-wake lakes.

 

[mommicked]

Re: Sad Situation

I believe they were doomed to capsize as soon as they left the bank.I thought everyone wore a pfd when on swift moving rivers w cold or warm water.Tragic but preventable.

 

[JSGOLD]

Re: Sad Situation

this take me back to an almost tragedy year before last where we witnessed NINE people cramming into a boat slightly smaller than this one....These folks had just bought the boat, very anxious to try it out so they stopped at our normal hangout and put it in....started out with four, got stranded as they could not start it, got pulled into shore. Got it started, added four more adults and a baby and set off for a try much to the horror of us watching. They made it back after an hour but if they had capsized no way could we could have helped them. The dam thing was leaning far to the left and only had a 4hp motor.....Still bothers me to this day. Lucky this was a smooth shallow lake and not an unpredictable river like this one....

 

[JSGOLD]

Re: Sad Situation

Well our state is being hit hard with severe storms right now so the search is on hold. They have so far found the bodies two of the missing three men and they can't do anything else tonight. Not much more needs to be said but this is ending badly.

 

[mla2ofus]

Re: Sad Situation

We just had a couple of fools running flat out in a bass boat at nite on lake Ivie. Apparently they were letting the GPS do the navigating and they ran aground on a rocky shore, throwing the driver out killing him. The passenger was banged up pretty bad but survived. I don't own a GPS for lakes and rivers. Does the GPS show the shore as being at the high water mark? If so that explains why they ran aground since this lake is @ 30% right now. And running flat out in the dark deserves a Darwin award at the least.
Mike

 

[TyeeMan]

Re: Sad Situation

I don't know at what water level the GPS shows the shore line. I have a Minnesota lake map chip in my Lawrance which shows all the topographical features plus shore line. I've used it at night but not as my sole source for navigation. Keep the speed slow and still keep eyes out all around. If you use the trac back function, the function that draws a line wherever you've been, you can follow the trac back line and be at least 5ft (they say) one side to the next from where you originally traveled. I'm not a pilot but I would almost associate using a GPS at night to flying by instrument. kind of disconserting really, , and you really, really hope that little thing works.

 

[sasto]

Re: Sad Situation

I grew up in that area......and the only thing I ever took down that river was a kayak or a whitewater raft.

Bless The Famlies!

 

[Cadwelder]

Re: Sad Situation

So very sad......so many think PFD's are just for looks. I'm a great swimmer, but still wear my PFD in rivers or rough water and anytime I'm underway. I have a very stable 18' bass boat, but at 50+ MPH why take chances. Modern PFD are very comfortable to wear all the time really.

 

[lonesouth]

Re: Sad Situation

reminds me of a boating trip my dad organized about 10 years ago. He has a Boston Whaler 13 Sport with a 30 hp. The hull plate states max load as 6 people, no mention of weight. Well, we had him, my mom, myself, uncle, aunt and cousin. Uncle and cousin both north of 280lbs, aunt about 250lbs, dad and I about 200 each and mom around 150. Not counting the battery, motor and fuel thats pushing 1200+. We were had about 4" of freeboard at rest. The trip went without issue, and I know the whaler will still "float", but it was reason for concern. It certainly wouldn't have taken too much to make the day much more memorable, and not in a good way.

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Sad Situation

A couple of weeks ago we had 3 adult men pull out in a 14' jon; they made it 100 yards from the ramp before they swamped. One guy drowned; the other two barely made it. I think one of them was standnig up to move--which often happens when a boat first takes off.

A couple of years ago, 2 guys in a 14' jon drowned in the Chesapeake Bay. I think they both went to the stern corner at the same time, perhaps to pull in a fish, and over they went.

Jon boats are very stable when everyone is sitting down, and like a canoe when someone stands up. And only a good swimmer is able to put on a PFD in the water. This time of year this always happens: warm sunny weather over deadly cold water.

 

[JSGOLD]

Re: Sad Situation

I remember watching three fellows two years ago pull into the bank with their jon boat at Elk Fork. The first one jumped out, then the second one, the third, who was in the extreme rear of the boat ended up sinking with the boat as it went straight up and down. Of course they were in 3-5 feet of water so it was funny at the time to see it but if they had been at Stonewall jackson lake and did that they would have seen 10-20feet of water period and it could have been bad. I have never liked jon boats. OK for one or two people I guess but I just don't care for them. Of course it all comes back to being careful and knowing what you are doing.

 

[JSGOLD]

Re: Sad Situation

Third and last body finally found , about 10 miles from the accident. Weather has been bad here and just too much water. Hopefully this sort of situation can be avoided in the future. Too many people in a boat and in the worst possible place....Not worth the risk.

 

[hjones0922]

Re: Sad Situation

Seeing the post about the bass boat running aground reminds me of one I saw a couple years back. Luckily no one was hurt here, but it still proves the point. Bass boat goes flying past me up river wide open, get's too close to the shore, hits a sandbar, and the guy sitting in the front fishing seat (where he shouldn't have been to begin with) is catapulted over the bow. Looked like Superman with a bud light in his hand.

Maybe I'm overcautious on the water, but I'd like to make another few (hundred) fishing trips. People are too careless sometimes.

-HJ

 

[5150abf]

Re: Sad Situation

I was on a local lake 4th of July on a jet ski with 3'-4' chop and hundreds of boats, I was just coming up an a 12' jon with 2 guys fishing(!!) that capsized as I past, they had no reason to be out in that kind of chop and that small of a boat and were very fortunate that I happened to be going by or they would have certainly drown or been hit by a boat, neither had a pfd on.

I found a rope on the ski and they held on to the boat while I pulled them to shore, lost all thier gear but they are still alive, it was close to the stupidest thing I have ever seen, a 12' jon in that kind of chop, wow.

 

[j_martin]

Re: Sad Situation

Looked like Superman with a bud light in his hand.

That word picture is just too much.