Near accident today. Wear your Life Jackets!

As we all know there is always the potential for floating debris in the water, especially on the river.

Today while fishing the FYB with TravP using my 16′ 60hp tiller we were running down the river at 30mph when I struck something in the water I did not see.

The tiller handle was ripped out of my hand and the motor immediately slammed to the right still running WOT. It happened so fast, before I knew it my face bounced off the side of the boat as Trav and I were almost thrown out of the boat.

Looking back we were both VERY lucky this did not end worse than it did with only a few bruises and shaken up a bit.

I never thought anything like this would happen, I was constantly scanning the water in front of me looking for hazards…. It turns out the 8′ x 2″ beaver chewed tree that I hit was just too small to see with the waves today. My ignorance almost got the best of us.

I can now see the true importance of wearing life jackets (BK) and using a dead man tether. It all happens so fast and without warning. Be safe gentlemen.

Quote:

---

As we all know there is always the potential for floating debris in the water, especially on the river.

Today while fishing the FYB with TravP using my 16′ 60hp tiller we were running down the river at 30mph when I struck something in the water I did not see.

The tiller handle was ripped out of my hand and the motor immediately slammed to the right still running WOT. It happened so fast, before I knew it my face bounced off the side of the boat as Trav and I were almost thrown out of the boat.

Looking back we were both VERY luck this did not end worse than it did with only a few bruises and shaken up a bit.

I never thought anything like this would happen, I was constantly scanning the water in front of me looking for hazards…. It turns out the 8′ x 2″ beaver chewed tree that I hit was just too small to see with the waves today. My ignorance almost got the best of us.

I can now see the true importance of wearing life jackets (BK) and using a dead man tether. It all happens so fast and without warning. Be safe gentlemen.

---

I second that. A scary situation especially thinking about that 37 degree water.

Holy cow! Glad you were able to recover your bearings and safe it. Great lesson to pass along for sure.

Good warning especially early in the season with lots of debris in the water. Glad everyone is alright.

WOW!!! Glad you are both ok thanks for the post.

Glad you guys made it out of the situation in one piece

Last week I purchased an auto inflating life jacket just for these cold weather days. It looked like I was one of very few wearing a life jacket in the tourney, I’m just more cautious with a little one at home now. Our boat almost had to fish Drew out of the river when his lift rope broke on his trolling motor, glad he didn’t go over and everyone was OK. It wasn’t that bad out there, felt warmer when we were catching fish.

There were some large pieces floating…I nearly clipped a tree partially submerged too…glad you are okay!

I always wear PFD when water temps are low and almost 95% of the time even when it’s warm. Just not as young and foolish as I once was.

Quote:

---

Just not as young and foolish as I once was.

---

Me too. I have hit objects before and it scared the bejeebers out of me so I rarely run WOT at this time of year. Now I have the survival suit on at all times until the water warms up.

Thx for the reminder Mark and glad to hear you are OK.

Glad you boys are OK.

Glad you boys are safe……sounds scarey

Glad this ended as just you making a warning on IDO and not something worse!

Thanks for the reminder. I too have a new auto inflating PFD……but I left it in the truck today. Doesn’t do anyone any good there.

ET

Glad it wasn’t any worse than a good scare for you.

Thanks for the post and the lesson WE can ALL learn from.
Glad all turn out okay
Jack

Exactly why I bought a inflating life acket, because I’ll wear it. Great reminder thanks for sharing your story, I hate that my boat doesn’t plane until over 25 mph or so usually I try and keep it ust above planing speed.

Three words: Mustang Survival Suit. Glad you guys are OK!

Yeah Mark I push Float Tech PFD’s as the most comfortable PDF’s on the market, but if I died today and was only known for pushing people toward wearing life jackets ALL THE TIME, cold or warm water, I would be a happy man.

Until something happens to you, most people think that a PFD on the back of the chair is good enough. It’s not!

Glad your ok guys and thanks for the post.

Dang Mark. Sorry to hear that. Glad you guys were OK. How’d the Alumacraft come out of it? Any problems/damage?

Makes a guy cringe just thinking about it.

Like I’ve said before I prefer a real life-jacket that has some impact protection and is guaranteed to make me float upright.
I’m not trying to dog the auto inflates at all those are 100 percent better than not wearing anything. I’m just a lot more comfortable wearing Old School Life-jackets when the water is cold or if I’m up on plane with any speed involved.

Spend enough time on the river and you will hit something. Cones, wingdams, dead heads, ect. I hit a 20′ long pvc pipe last fall on pool 2. Luckily it was just as I was going to take off.

Keep putting those jackets on until it becomes habit. Even a dunk in 40 or 50 degree water will be a shock.

Glad to hear you’re both o.k. Thanks for the reminder, it’s better to learn a lesson before the other option.

Glad to hear nothing serious happened! Yep for me life jacket and tether switch all times when on plane, bumped a few things while on plane wakes yah up!

Water temp means nothing when you are unconscious, or have been run over repeatedly by your own craft due to not wearing kill tether. As much time as all of us spend on the water, we will likely encounter a situation once in our lifetime where these items will prolong it. Make it a habit to at least wear on plane, and work towards wearing it all of the time. Glad to hear you guys are ok, reading stuff like that puts a knot in my stomach.

This is a wake-up call for everybody! We put on our seatbelt while driving, why not put on your life jackets when underway? Things happen real fast when you running and gunning! The Mississippi can suprise even the most seasoned boater. I bet we all have stories.

Glad you guys are ok. This post makes you think.

i am guilty of not wearing my PFD enough, but I ALWAYS wear the tether when underway.

I’ve had a couple of experiences when not wearing it, and was lucky to be here today. i do not want to repeat those.

Bought a auto inflate at beginning of last season. The fall before I was using my bowmount in a flowage. I was going at top speed to another spot and I hit a stump. I was thrown to the floor and almost out of the boat. The water was in the 50’s. Made me think what if i was thrown out and trolling motor on 10 auto pilot. If I didn’t have life jacket I would not be typing now. I bought a auto inflate and wear it all the time I even caught myself wearing it in the truck on the way home. What if I had been thrown out that day. I was only boat out that October day. Wear a life jacket always.

Mwal

I’ve bumped into things twice in the same trip and it will forever spook me. I am nervous going open throttle even on a lake now.

I had the same thing happen to me 4 years ago on the Rockriver here in ill.I was traveling down river at a very slow speed where there was a lot of current,and a old rail road bridge.My 25 horse hit something in the water jerking the motor to the left which caused my hand to turn the throttle full speed on my tiller boat.The boat shot to the right in a sharp turn flipping me out the back right.I hit the 35 degree water and when I surfaced the boat had spun and I just got my arms up when the back end and motor hit me on the right side.I felt pain and went under again and came up and made it to a bridge abutment that had some rocks around it in the middle of the river.The boat kept spinning in circles going down river about 50 yards until it hit a shallow spot by a island and got caught in a edie.I layed at the bridge abutment for quite a while. The right side of my suit was all torn to hell and I had a lot of blood on my hand and my right side hurt like hell.It was a hour before dark and no one around for miles.I could’nt swim across because the current was way to strong and I was starting to shiver.I decided I had to swim down steam to the island where the boat was in the eddie. I made it to the boat the motor had quit and all the blades where gone of the prop.I paddled 4 miles down river hurting like hell with my little oar and made it to the boat ramp where a couple of guys fishing there helped me.Luckily all the blood was from a cut on my hand and the blades of the motor had just cut up my snowsuit.My whole right side bruised and purple for weeks but I was thankfull to be alive and wear my life jacket all the time now.God helped me that day.