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RogalaR

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1st time boat owner, 3rd day out.

Chain of Lakes saw 3 Police boats racing by. When we arrived at the scene, lots of screaming cries. Pontoon towing a a tube with 3 kids. Kids fell out and were hit by another boat. 10 year old boy died. Saw officer holding boy in water for rescue to arrive.

A little shaken up by this as I was just doing the same with my kids.

Love my new 2574 GCW with tons of upgrades, but I am a little afraid now and respect safety a little more.

Be safe out there, please.
 
RogalaR said:
1st time boat owner, 3rd day out.

Chain of Lakes saw 3 Police boats racing by. When we arrived at the scene, lots of screaming cries. Pontoon towing a a tube with 3 kids. Kids fell out and were hit by another boat. 10 year old boy died. Saw officer holding boy in water for rescue to arrive.

A little shaken up by this as I was just doing the same with my kids.

Love my new 2574 GCW with tons of upgrades, but I am a little afraid now and respect safety a little more.

Be safe out there, please.
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Unfortunately there are alot of people who are not safe out there. Some people just don't pay attention. Other boats shouldn't even be near kids on a tube much less when they fall out. We make sure when we are towing the tube or somebody is skiing or wakeboarding behind our boat..........that we know our surroundings and the hazards around us. We even instruct the people tubing/skiing/wakeboarding to make themselves seen or visible if they fall to other boaters by raising your ski/wakeboard or raising your arm.......On many occasions we have motioned to other boaters following us to change course because they were getting too close to someone we were towing. Also we've had many jet skis get too close to us trying to jump our wake as we go by.......

SAFETY should be first every second when we are on our boats!
 
RogalaR said:
... A little shaken up by this as I was just doing the same with my kids. ... I am a little afraid now and respect safety a little more...
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A very sad story. Hate reading things like this. I have a 9 yr old boy, so it hits home.

Since the first day we went tubing with the kids, I've been very afraid of other boats. There were times where things just didn't feel safe. If you ever feel that way, just play it safe, and pull the kids off the tube. My wife and I talk a lot about tubing safety, and what we decided to do with regards to tubing, is we try to go out early Sat/Sun morning when no one else is out, or late afternoon on weekdays to tube. By noon on Sat/Sun, there are only just a handful of boats out, but that's when we "call it" and pull the kids off. The kids hate it, but that's parenting. I HATE it when another boat pulls up behind us with the kids on the tube, and I won't let that happen anymore. BigKahuna said it - There are a lot of people out there that are not safe (or been drinking). My father-in-law is a perfect example. We went on vacation with them, and he has a small fishing boat. I always thought "how in the world do two boats run into each other???". He almost hit two other boats in two days. Just doesn't pay attention. No awareness of where others are. I realized THAT'S how two boats crash, and there are guys like this that you have to protect yourself from.

In my mind, if you are pulling kids on a tube, and someone pulls in behind you, YOU ARE ALREADY PAST THE POINT WHERE YOU SHOULD HAVE BROUGHT THEM IN. Pull them off the tube. Next time, don't let yourself get into that situation. You buy extra insurance for "uninsured motorist". You HAVE to do the same for boating safety. You HAVE to increase your buffer zone for "unsafe boaterists".

The story is very sad, but it is an excellent reminder. Thanks for sharing it. Oh, and welcome to the forum!
 
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I very rarely let my kids tube during weekends. We try and hold off until vacations at the lake when we can go out on weekdays. On more than once occassion I have had people in other boats closer than I wanted. I've also yelled at people as well for getting too close. We go out of our way to find a location that is unpopulated...

Just last weekend I saw another boat pulling a tube with two or three kids (going slowly). Kids were wearing orange life jackets (not ski vests) and neither person in the boat was watching. This went on for some time and if one of the kids fell off they would have never known it. I also recently witnessed a kid fall off a tube (multiple kids on the tube) and it took a little while for the driver to figure out the kid fell off. I positioned our boat between the child and the oncoming boats until the guy made it back. They were also in a no wake zone or this could have been worse.

Most times out it makes me nervous - and the kids get mad. I have witnessed probably dozens of people who don't watch out for their own kids in their own tubes so they sure as heck aren't watching out for others.

We go to a lake that is about 1.5 hours away but is much less busy - even on weekends than the "closer" lakes. I'll glady make the drive to have less people all around. Nonetheless, the same rules apply. My wife always jokes that all these other people keep forgetting to ask permission to come on MY lake.

Shawn
 
Wow, that is so sad and pointless!!!! Made me stop in my tracks just reading it. On our lake, especially holidays when everyone and there brother comes out I dont know how there arent more accidents, heck I get nervous at time when my wife is swimming away from the boat in certain areas of the lake. We live across from a sand bar and there have been a few drownings there (not boat accident related) and it shakes us up to hear these things. I wish everyone idiot on the lake cared a little more about those around them and their safety.
 
ChuckP said:
Wow, that is so sad and pointless!!!! Made me stop in my tracks just reading it. On our lake, especially holidays when everyone and there brother comes out I dont know how there arent more accidents, heck I get nervous at time when my wife is swimming away from the boat in certain areas of the lake. We live across from a sand bar and there have been a few drownings there (not boat accident related) and it shakes us up to hear these things. I wish everyone idiot on the lake cared a little more about those around them and their safety.
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Same here: we have a ski area at the Western side of the lake. Constantly, we have joy riders or jet skiers come right on top of a crowded area to begin with.

They have plenty of lake to cruise in, why drive right up a kids arse.

I had an older fellow on a cell phone texting come right onto my kids and mother on a tube. I had the horn blaring, I turned my boat into him as its was either going to be me or him not my kids.

Finally looked up with a wtf you doing look. Idiot..

Simple rule: you see skiers, go away.
 
Soo many boaters have no idea of the performance of their boats. They never practice emergency stops or sudden turns. They have no situational awareness of beside and behind their boats and common sense seems in short supply. They can buy enough horsepower to hurt somebody very quickly. I have always taken our boats out and pushed them to the limit so I know what the boat can do when I need it.

Most boaters have no clue how long it takes to stop their boat at speed. Anymore the danger is just not during water-sports. You have to watch out while just cruising in the main lake. Boats have the music so loud they cannot hear. It's like being on a bike, you watch-out for everybody else.
 
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RogalaR - thanks for the reminder that safety must always be our number one concern and that we must always drive defensively. I feel so sad for the parents on the children involved.

Jack
 
Fox Chain 'o Lakes in Illinois? I know it gets nuts over there. I remember one time I was there and I was shocked to see a traffic jam in a channel between lakes - one could literally walk from boat to boat and traverse the 200' wide channel. I'd never seen anything like it.
 
Remediation said:
Soo many boaters have no idea of the performance of their boats. They never practice emergency stops or sudden turns. They have no situational awareness of beside and behind their boats and common sense seems in short supply. They can buy enough horsepower to hurt somebody very quickly. I have always taken our boats out and pushed them to the limit so I know what the boat can do when I need it.

Most boaters have no clue how long it takes to stop their boat at speed. Anymore the danger is just not during water-sports. You have to watch out while just cruising in the main lake. Boats have the music so loud they cannot hear. It's like being on a bike, you watch-out for everybody else.
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That wording should be page one of any manual " Situational Awareness"
 
Don't mean to be negative and maybe its just me,but.... I saw that great video Purrfect Storm on the Bennington Channel in the social section, loved it up until I saw those cute little girls kneeling at the bow, somewhat leaning over the seats. I just remember a good friend whos wife fell off the front of their pontoon at Lake Cumberland a few years back. The propeller almost cut her in two. I just don't allow people especially children to kneel overboard on the seats in my boat. Hope I am not too negative, cautious, etc., but a lot of tragedies can begin from inside the boat also. Gerry
 
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gerry, it's not just you. I was thinking the same thing when I watched the video. Can't be too careful when being out on the water especially with children.
 
We'll see if we can pull that video, thanks for the heads up. TB
 
I can't count how many times I have been boating at 15 MPH speed when I will be passed on the Fox River by someone pulling a tube and then swing the kids right in front of my moving boat! I can anticipate it and back off the throttle to allow some distance but I'm amazed at the risks the driver is taking. Tubing is not a ride at Disneyland.
 
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