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| At the YMCA this morning I was surprised to see a DNR employee who normally is at work by the time I got there. The reason was sobering, he had put it too much time looking for a drowning victim earlier in the week and is limited in how much overtime he can have.
The victim had been in a little pedal boat. Last year on the same small lake, another guy drowned, and he was also in a pedal boat, having taken it to a bar. Neither of the victims was wearing a PFD and didn't have one with them, as far as anyone knew. I see folks on the lake where I live in pedal boats and virtually none wear PFDs.
If you or your kids use these fun little boats, seriously think about putting on a PFD. They tip pretty easy. I am not against the use of them, they are fun and can actually be decent exercise. But be safe. |
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Location: Athens, Ohio | One day, enough folks will have died that there will be a law: "on the water? On with the PFD". m |
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Posts: 1415
Location: Brighton CO. | Last year we set a new state record in Colorado for drowning and with a high water run off we are off to a bad start again. Some of it is rafting deaths in the rivers both on there own and with commercial rafts. People go out with the pros with life vests helmets and end up in water and somehow die. Today in Boulder the had rafting day to work where hundreds of people show up, they have life guards ,EMT's, raft and tube inspections, And you must have life vest, helmet, and enclosed shoes.
They do this every year. |
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| mikie - 7/14/2023 2:12 PM
One day, enough folks will have died that there will be a law: "on the water? On with the PFD". m
I really don't want to see that. I believe in PFDs, wear one at all times when fishing by myself but I don't want to see it become mandatory. |
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Posts: 8785
| I want to know how one could possibly fall out of a paddle boat and drown. I fished out of one in my youth, and the only time we came close to anything other than getting our feet wet was when two obese kids jumped on with us and nearly managed to sink the thing. Looking back we probably exceeded the weight limit by... Oh, I don't even know - 250#?
Not making light - I've had enough "oh poopy!" moments in life to make me realize the importance of PFD's. Thinking back to a day on Lake Michigan, circa 1977. Small craft advisory, swells 7' - 10', 5 guys fishing out of an 16'-0" boat... We were taking waves over the side and over the bow. One guy driving, two guys with buckets bailing as fast as they could, bilge pump running full tilt, me sea sick as a dog, and one guy manning the rods... Everybody was half in the bag, I thought I might die, and didn't even care I was so #*^@ sick. Life jackets? What life jackets?!
Older and wiser now.
I used to think if you were in less than 6 FOW you'd be fine until I talked to a few guys who went over in shallow water in November. I used to think I'd be fine because I can swim. Guys a lot younger than me who thought the same thing aren't around anymore. Wear 'em. Lot's of dead tough guys out there.... |
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Posts: 530
Location: NW WI | North of 8 - 7/14/2023 2:37 PM
mikie - 7/14/2023 2:12 PM
One day, enough folks will have died that there will be a law: "on the water? On with the PFD". m
I really don't want to see that. I believe in PFDs, wear one at all times when fishing by myself but I don't want to see it become mandatory.
Agreed, I think Charles Darwin would also be against such legislation.
Had an old timer pass away yesterday in my home town, fella was wading 4 trout, slipped and hit his head, supposedly got knocked out and cause of death was drowning in 2-3ft creek.
Last weekend watched a wreck less boater pulling kids in a tube on Lower St.Croix Flowage. Genius was ripping past fisherman at all of 15yds away, going full throttle through a 50yd wide Nav channel, and the worst was he was sling shoting the tube over the 1-3ft deep Bouy marked rock bars...that could've ended so terribly.
Watersports are going to take lives every year. Mostly do to drowning that could've been prevented by PFD's. But not all of course.
Keep posting to remind eachother, and educate eachother,especially the youngins. |
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Posts: 20221
Location: oswego, il | esoxaddict - 7/14/2023 5:39 PM
I want to know how one could possibly fall out of a paddle boat and drown. I fished out of one in my youth, and the only time we came close to anything other than getting our feet wet was when two obese kids jumped on with us and nearly managed to sink the thing. Looking back we probably exceeded the weight limit by... Oh, I don't even know - 250#?
Not making light - I've had enough "oh poopy!" moments in life to make me realize the importance of PFD's. Thinking back to a day on Lake Michigan, circa 1977. Small craft advisory, swells 7' - 10', 5 guys fishing out of an 16'-0" boat... We were taking waves over the side and over the bow. One guy driving, two guys with buckets bailing as fast as they could, bilge pump running full tilt, me sea sick as a dog, and one guy manning the rods... Everybody was half in the bag, I thought I might die, and didn't even care I was so #*^@ sick. Life jackets? What life jackets?!
Older and wiser now.
I used to think if you were in less than 6 FOW you'd be fine until I talked to a few guys who went over in shallow water in November. I used to think I'd be fine because I can swim. Guys a lot younger than me who thought the same thing aren't around anymore. Wear 'em. Lot's of dead tough guys out there....
I went up north for the 4th of July holiday. I took a buddy of mine who can't do much standing in the boat. I took my little boat which didn't have a seat base in the back other than the tiller seat. I found a good tall sturdy wide 4-legged platform to put a seat on. While traveling to another spot he leaned back enough and I caught his 280lb ass before he fell completely over and hit his head on the splash well or gas tank.
Falling out of a pedal boat, not a stretch. |
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Posts: 1415
Location: Brighton CO. | I fell out the back of my dad's 16' Starcraft one fall day. Set the record for the 5 meter swim, my jeans were soaked, but after we went to the cabin I took my jacket off and I was compleatly dry on my upper body except for a two inch ring around my neck where the water started to come in. I was not wearing a Life Jacket but under my Rain coat I had a dawn vest that I think trapped some air. I fell off the rear casting deck and pulled myself in by the motor. |
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Posts: 1274
Location: Stevens Point, Wi. | They fall off cruise ships frequently. Can you picture all passengers having to wear PFDs. |
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Location: Athens, Ohio | Some folks thought seat belts would always be 'optional', also. Of course, now that some states are even letting you strap on pistols in public with no training, I'm guessing common sense safety regulations are talking a back seat for a while. m |
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Posts: 530
Location: NW WI | ghoti - 7/15/2023 10:25 AM
They fall off cruise ships frequently. Can you picture all passengers having to wear PFDs.
People or loose PFDs? |
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| I have only been in a pedal boat a couple times, both with another person. Both of the drownings on this small lake involved one person in a pedal boat. Maybe that makes them more unstable, having all weight on one side? |
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Posts: 1745
| Funny thing is todays PFD's are so comfortable that other than vanity and bullheadedness there isn't a logical reason not to wear one. On the water is one place where "common sense" is always lacking. |
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Posts: 160
| mikie - 7/15/2023 12:27 PM
Some folks thought seat belts would always be 'optional', also. Of course, now that some states are even letting you strap on pistols in public with no training, I'm guessing common sense safety regulations are talking a back seat for a while. m
I agree, until they make it mandatory that people are required to actually wear them (at least while on plane), the majority of the population will only do what they are required to. And right now, they only have to be accessible which essentially means on board.
I see all kinds of kayaks and paddle boards without them. Its clearly a violation of state law but there's no one there to enforce it.
I wear mine when I'm on plane and the kill switch is attached. I take it off while I fish.
We're all adults here and we can make our own beds. If you choose not to wear one, you will live with the potential consequences. |
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Posts: 1415
Location: Brighton CO. | I drove up to a lake in the foothills on Monday that has Tigers in it. I was walking the shoreline casting a 4" Hellhound.
We used to live fairly close to this body water when we first moved to Colorado and you could pay a fee and launch a Row Boat with electric motor or Canoe or Kayak. If you were in a row boat and stood up some Ranger would get on a blow horn "no standing in the boat" sit down. ???? Monday there were over a hundred paddle boards and people had their life jackets on the paddle board ??? (not wearing them) |
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PFDs, Again