moment of silence

[z400]

if im at a pond locally.. i just wait for it to drift in.


if im at our other house on the lake, i go and get it with the boat.

[txboatpilot]

My heart goes out to his family..

I always take a fishing pole with a tennis ball,,,, or just bring a 3 person blow up boat...

[Maggster]

That is really sad. I am very sorry for the loss of life over a boat.

I am something for a newbie here so please recognize this as an honest question. From what some of you are saying it sounds like swimming after a boat is inherently dangerous. Why is that? What makes that any more dangerous than swimming anywhere else?

[Fluid]

What makes that any more dangerous than swimming anywhere else?

No disrespect intended, but it is thinking like that which causes the deaths and close calls.

1) Few boaters are prepared to swim after their boat when they are running. No swimming clothes, nothing to dry off with, perhaps tired or full from eating....

2) Many boaters will run their boats on water that they would never swim in - either too cold or in an unsafe area.

3) Due to the cost of some boats, the judgement of some boaters is impared - they may take risks that they would never take when "just swimming".

4) Once you get to the boat, it is difficult to get it back to shore - particularly if it is sinking (which would be the greatest incentive to swim after it immediately). It is not a float - more of an anchor.

Just a few reasons that swimming after a toy is not like recreational swimming.


.

[Quicksilver]

I would go mostly with #3, impaired judgment. and then #4 directly caused by #3. I've been there, it's tough to swim with a boat, not to mention the boat is usually farther away than it looks. When your $600(example) toy boat is sinking, you'll do a lot of stupid things to get it back.

I am immeasurably glad I bought the $25 raft from wallyworld. I cannot imagine not having it now.