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Be careful out there !!

BigD

BigD

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Everyone wants to get on the water as the temps warm up, but pleaae be careful. Someone died on Lake Norman in NC today. It's not worth all of that. I think he drowned. Likely didn't have a life jacket on.

UPDATE: He was swimming. Didn't come up. Don't think he's been found yet. Reportedly.
 
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Sadly, 50/50/50 rules apply this time of year. 50 degree water, 50 minutes, 50% chance of survival -- that's the one I‘ve always heard.
 
Water temp at Lake Norman now is near 70. IDK what happened. Looking for updated info.
 
Unfortunately, we've also had a drowning already this year on Lake Murray. April 25: SCDNR investigating drowning on Lake Murray

Greg Lucas of SCDNR said, “A couple was visiting from Pennsylvania and were renting a home in the area for a month. The husband and wife went fishing this morning when the husband fell into the water.”

Investigators said the man was not wearing a life jacket.
 
sunedog said:
Unfortunately, we've also had a drowning already this year on Lake Murray. April 25: SCDNR investigating drowning on Lake Murray

Greg Lucas of SCDNR said, “A couple was visiting from Pennsylvania and were renting a home in the area for a month. The husband and wife went fishing this morning when the husband fell into the water.”

Investigators said the man was not wearing a life jacket.
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Dang, just don’t get how that happens, I’m assuming at 11 am no alcohol was involved. Why in the world wouldn’t you wear a life jacket
 
I don’t wear one fishing. Something to think about I guess
 
I don't wear a life jacket. But I know how to swim. Read on social media (for what it's worth) the victim couldn't swim. No way I'd be on a boat without wearing a life jacket if I couldn't swim.
 
sunedog said:
I don't wear a life jacket. But I know how to swim. Read on social media (for what it's worth) the victim couldn't swim. No way I'd be on a boat without wearing a life jacket if I couldn't swim.
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At a minimum, you can buy auto inflatable jackets that you don't even know you're wearing once you get used to them. We have the Onyx versions.
 
I can swim, but I almost drowned once on vacation for our 20th Anniversary in Maui, Hawaii. Scary!!!

With our boat, I always stress life jackets for ALL passengers, and make it absolutely non-optional for any kids. As for me, I wear mine most all of the time -> although sometimes when at the helm driving our boat I am sitting on it instead of wearing it.
 
Nobody leaves our boat without a throw pillow, noodle, ski vest, water saddle, or some kind of safety inflatable etc etc. to swim. Nobody! The only thing we know about the drowning on Lake Norman is that it was near the State Park and the male jumped off a pontoon boat to swim and be never resurfaced. The body was recovered the next afternoon near the swimming beach at the State Park......
 
BigKahuna said:
Nobody leaves our boat without a throw pillow, noodle, ski vest, water saddle, or some kind of safety inflatable etc etc. to swim. Nobody!
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This is GREAT advice. Years ago, we stopped the boat in the middle of the "big water" to cool off. Several good swimmers dove in without any type of flotation. The wind was brisk and it moved the boat incredibly fast. Those in the water almost immediately realized they were not going to be able to catch up to the boat. Thank goodness I had not gone in yet and I was able to calm them and start the boat and come around and pick them up.

My second rule is at least one person who knows how to start and drive the boat has to stay on board while others are in the water. I shudder to think of a scenario where everyone is in the water without flotation, two miles from shore, and the boat blows away.
 
Same rule for us if people are going for a swim. All ages need to take some flotation device with them…even if only a noodle. Our friends and family just know its a given when out with us. On boat, if adults would rather have their life vest “with them” and not on, I leave that up to them. Kids, life vests required, even if on the swim and dive teams. Just how it is.
 
sunedog said:
This is GREAT advice. Years ago, we stopped the boat in the middle of the "big water" to cool off. Several good swimmers dove in without any type of flotation. The wind was brisk and it moved the boat incredibly fast. Those in the water almost immediately realized they were not going to be able to catch up to the boat. Thank goodness I had not gone in yet and I was able to calm them and start the boat and come around and pick them up.

My second rule is at least one person who knows how to start and drive the boat has to stay on board while others are in the water. I shudder to think of a scenario where everyone is in the water without flotation, two miles from shore, and the boat blows away.
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You were talking about big water..... Once at Lake Anna in VA we were in about 80 feet of water and my wife says throw the anchor out so we can just float around out here. I was like.... No I'm not throwing out 160-200 ft. of line to anchor out here! So we went into a No Wake zone cove in about 12 ft. of water. Swim smarter right? Ha!
 
When we float around the boat I always float with my life jacket on. It doesn't bother me and I can just float comfortably with the buoyancy. I've read too many stories of guys my age jumping in and sinking. I played water polo in HS but still err on the side of caution.
 
sunedog said:
This is GREAT advice. Years ago, we stopped the boat in the middle of the "big water" to cool off. Several good swimmers dove in without any type of flotation. The wind was brisk and it moved the boat incredibly fast. Those in the water almost immediately realized they were not going to be able to catch up to the boat. Thank goodness I had not gone in yet and I was able to calm them and start the boat and come around and pick them up.

My second rule is at least one person who knows how to start and drive the boat has to stay on board while others are in the water. I shudder to think of a scenario where everyone is in the water without flotation, two miles from shore, and the boat blows away.
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There was a movie about a group of friends that found themselves swimming around their large sailboat, unable to board again. No academy award winner, but an interesting look at human nature.
 
We have a drowning probably every 3 years or so. Almost all due to swimming in a “no swimming” lake.
One guy drunk, slipped on dock and hit his head, drown.
One guy tries to swim across 40 yard wide span, drown when he cramped up.
Girl jumps off pontoon in early spring, 50° water, never surfaces.
Guy last year swimming with new underwater camera, never resurfaced.
Young man visiting, tried to swim across park ranger cove (boathouse) never resurfaced.
Sadly ALL were preventable.
Only one that wasn’t, had a quadriplegic on boat rental dock, caretaker turned her back, he rolled himself into 20-30’ or so of water … committed suicide. He was very athletic and was paralyzed in an accident. So sad.
 
When we float around the boat, we always have 30' - 40' of line out to grab a hold of or tie to floatation device.
 
You can still get in trouble even if you know how to swim. A couple years ago I dove in the river and didn't realize the current was so strong that day. When I popped up I was already 20 yards away from the boat and had to swim against that strong current to get back to the boat. I'm not as young as I used to be and that swim wore me out. I learned my lesson that year.
 
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