River Swimming Safety

I decided to post this because it might be helpful. Last night while fishing the Hudson channel 3 young guys were playing on a big log floating in the channel. My partner and I noticed they were getting pretty far out and downstream from land. Instinctively we watched and even drifted next to them fishing. I asked if they were strong swimmers and they all laughed and said yes. They got the hint and headed back to land. One of them didnt make it 30 feet before he lost it. He started to panic. His friends tried to help him but that was not stopping his panic from escalating. He called to us for help. We boated to him and dropped in the seat cushion then he came on board for a ride in. We kept it low key to calm him down but he was seriously frightened. The lesson here is be very carefull swimming in current and if you get in a bind forget the shoreline line you want to reach if your tired and its upstream. Once you start pannicking its over for you and likely anyone that tries to help you in the water.

I swim in the river a lot in the summer…but no way its happening right now with the flows. unless its a calm backwater area.

two years ago we beached up on the backside of the dredge island on lower 3, with high water due to recent rains the flows were up considerably. the backside had much less current than the main channel side, so i dove in, and it was “Eye Opening” how much i was not in control. i made it back to shore no problem, but just diving in, once my head came up, i was instantly 30 feet down the shoreline! made a beeline to shore and wrote that down in the book of dumb things not to do again. I thought for a second i would be riding the current until the next snag or shallow spot to hang up on.

Current is not something to mess around in, and with flows still over 40k, one needs to be aware out there.

Without you all of those boys lives may have been changed by one mistake. I have learned a few things since I became a boat owner. The most important is to always respect the water. It does not have ah heart and it will kill you if do not respect it.

Glad you were there to help them out. I’m betting the guy who got the ride was really happy you were there

River Rat Randy pull a guy holding on to a tree that thought he could cross the river just South of Everts a few years back. The flow was 30,000+ and his friends thought he was gone for good. Had RRR not found him, he would have been gone.

Later that night the same guy stole all of RRR’s fishing rods and Ol’ Petes boat.

A “Thank You” would have been enough.

Nice job Mike!

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Later that night the same guy stole all of RRR’s fishing rods and Ol’ Petes boat.

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I remember that…

I think the second lesson from that story Mike is to keep a eye on those you may think are getting themselves in over their heads. It seems to me the younger kids have a good fear of moving water. When they get older they want to test themselves against it. You got the usual answer to are they doing all right. “Yes, we are fine”. Maybe its just the parent in me but many times Ill stick close by and keep a eye on them until they are back on shore. It doesnt take very long for “just fine” to change to calling for help.

Leg cramps can take down the best swimmers in a heart beat.

Good reminder,great story, and thanks for watching over them boys and stepping in to help out!

Its a wonder we could even spare an eye for them boys when there were so many bikini clad WOMAN.

I had to pull a drunk out of the Croix one extremly busy summer day a year or 2 ago. There was an argument between he and his friends at the North Hudson Launch so he thought he was going to swim across the river with all the cruisers, jet skiers and motorboats out on the river. He reluctantly refused to get in my boat when I got out by him so I gave him 2 choices. Get in the boat and get a ride or get a ride form the cops. Not only were his friends thankful I got him in the boat so were all the people that were freaking out on the beach.

Freaking typical. The heaviest on-water law enforcement presence in the metro area and the only spot where you can usually walk from bank to bank on the patrol boats without getting your feet wet. Usually with 3-4 overlapping agencies all patrolling at once.

So WTF were all the cops when this little swimming party was drifting into the danger zone and a kid was about to die?

I suppose they were clustered around breathalizing two guys in a 14 foot jon boat because one of the cops mistook the crushed Diet Pepsi can laying in the bottom of the boat for a Bud Light can and just KNEW they both had to be drunk.

Grouse

zero water cops on the Croix last night. I dont think they partol when its no-wake.

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River Rat Randy pull a guy holding on to a tree that thought he could cross the river just South of Everts a few years back. The flow was 30,000+ and his friends thought he was gone for good. Had RRR not found him, he would have been gone.

Later that night the same guy stole all of RRR’s fishing rods and Ol’ Petes boat.

A “Thank You” would have been enough.

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Was alcohol involved in this scenario?

Down by the power lines near the Kinni Deb and I saw what we thought were two soccer balls going up and down in the big boat wakes. It was a busy Friday night about dusk.

Ended up being two 16 year old (?) girls swimming across the river to see a couple of boys. They weren’t tired, but they couldn’t see the cruisers coming in the swells from the wakes.

We picked them up. Wonder if they swam back in the darkness…happy?

Much different in the low flow of the lake areas, but still stupid as hell.

Here’s one for ya. Back in college at SCSU, a buddy and I were sitting down on the rowing team’s dock having a couple cold ones around 11PM. All of a sudden a guy in just tighty whiteys swims up on shore just downstream of us, freezing cold. He yelled to his buddies on the opposite bank of the Mississippi that he made it across.

Keep in mind this was in October, and only about 150 yards upstream of the dam…

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zero water cops on the Croix last night. I dont think they partol when its no-wake.

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They were out in Afton on Tuesday night.

That makes sense. Patrol where the old folks are but not where there’s a thousand teenagers.

I spent most weekends of my childhood on the Hudson Channel islands and I cannot tell you how many close calls I witnessed.

I learned at a very young age that If I wanted to swim, to go to the other side of the island.

That channel side was “strictly for fishing” as I was told by my dad.

I saw two Sheriff’s boats tonight. One in Afton, one heading south from Afton.

Neither bothered me, but they glassed me pretty good.

What do you do when being glassed? Wave?

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What do you do when being glassed? Wave?

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I always smile and wave

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River Rat Randy pull a guy holding on to a tree that thought he could cross the river just South of Everts a few years back.

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Is this River Rat Randy from the Red Wing area? Just wondering if you are talking about the same person I know who goes by that name.