Man Overboard!

Video story from KARE11 news last night. Glad he made it out to tell his story!

http://www.kare11.com/article/news/ramsey-man-nearly-drowns-on-lake-mille-lacs/89-605363457

-J.

Scary stuff. Cold water is nothing to mess with. Glad he had a friend with. I spend a lot of time out there alone in my boat and this is a good eye opener as I usually leave my life jacket stowed away.

I saw this and the guy also posted his personal experience on FB too. Not making any preconceived judgements but the boat sounds to be the size of one requiring the “throwable” flotation. I would think his buddy would have immediately thrown that to him (if it was readily available) as he was in trouble the moment he went over the side.

Something else that shouldn’t be overlooked.

@mdmoen Enjoy that whizz over the side of the boat

Glad he made it outta there.

yup got an inflatable life jacket last year and wear it all the time now. Also started using the kill switch when using the big motor which is something I didn’t always do before.

Life jackets are great but they’re merely body collectors for the rescue services if you can’t get out before hypothermia kills you.

I fish solo a lot and my smartphone is pretty waterproof….er, very water resistant. I keep it in a chest pocket in a ziploc and honestly, if I go overboard it’s probably my only chance (calling 911) unless I’m fishing close enough to shore to make it. I am a pretty strong swimmer…..but nothing beats father time (a half hour) when mother nature and her cold water is out and about.

And for cripes sake! Never pizz off the side of the boat—always leak off by the motor in the overflow trough deal on the stern. Never try peeing over the side in even moderately rough fall waters. Bring a container to do it in if you need to…hell, pizz in the bottom on the boat if that’s your only option. Don’t…DO NOT…be wobbling on the edge of your boat trying not to pitter down yourself.

Because this is the time of year where I love to give guys crap and bust their balls when taking a leak by going,

“Hey [Insert Name of Friend Here], it’s gotta be pretty difficult getting two inches of dick through four inches of clothing, isn’t it?”

Walleyestudent Andy Cox wrote:

I saw this and the guy also posted his personal experience on FB too. Not making any preconceived judgements but the boat sounds to be the size of one requiring the “throwable” flotation. I would think his buddy would have immediately thrown that to him (if it was readily available) as he was in trouble the moment he went over the side.

Something else that shouldn’t be overlooked.

In the heat of the moment I can see how it was overlooked. The key here is awareness. If you never run the scenario through your head you probably will panic and not do the most logical things.

I’m getting on my high horse again. As the captain of the boat, it’s your responsibility to make sure your passengers know what to do if you go overboard. All it takes is a simple “throwable is located “here”” “kill switch is here” “do you know how to start the motor?” No need to go into a whole safety lecture.

They could’ve both been gone if he would’ve gone under. Too often people go in to save the other person only to drown themselves.

pool2fool wrote:

@mdmoen Enjoy that whizz over the side of the boat

Glad he made it outta there.

You gotta widen the stance out to compensate. The formula is 2″ wider stance for every 6″ in wave height.

I’m with Zander. I usually whiz in the rear tray and try to arc it into the water. The older I get the more dribbles into the tray, though.

Think safety.

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biggill wrote:

Think safety.

Think I’d rather go with Depends….

Our buddy fell into the Croix heels over head backwards this year. Also on a captain taking a wiz. Bout the funniest damn thing we’ve ever seen in our life. Main channel.

As a responsible captain I had an extra pair of bibs, jacket, hat and even some socks. Lit his cigarette, handed him a beer and we continued on.

There is a part of giving these lessons over and over that if $hit does happen, just stay calm and if possible have fun with it. Not every accident is doom and gloom and instant death.

Zander Nordby wrote:

Life jackets are great but they’re merely body collectors for the rescue services if you can’t get out before hypothermia kills you.

I fish solo a lot and my smartphone is pretty waterproof….er, very water resistant. I keep it in a chest pocket in a ziploc and honestly, if I go overboard it’s probably my only chance (calling 911) unless I’m fishing close enough to shore to make it. I am a pretty strong swimmer…..but nothing beats father time (a half hour) when mother nature and her cold water is out and about.

And for cripes sake! Never pizz off the side of the boat—always leak off by the motor in the overflow trough deal on the stern. Never try peeing over the side in even moderately rough fall waters. Bring a container to do it in if you need to…hell, pizz in the bottom on the boat if that’s your only option. Don’t…DO NOT…be wobbling on the edge of your boat trying not to pitter down yourself.

Because this is the time of year where I love to give guys crap and bust their balls when taking a leak by going,

“Hey [Insert Name of Friend Here], it’s gotta be pretty difficult getting two inches of dick through four inches of clothing, isn’t it?”

This is good advice, and hilarious. Thank you. I always leak into the splash well. Even when it’s calm.

I’m glad this guy had the guts to do the story on camera. Getting us all to think about it is a good thing. I’m guilty as heck doing exactly the same thing. I think he would fit in well around here if he ever finds the website!

-J.

I simply keep an old plastic ice cream pail in my boat and when the time comes for relief, I just kneel down on the floor of the boat and go. No chance of falling overboard. Safe and discreet in the event there are other boats with women and children nearby.

I bet it was a gen 1 terrova

Gen2 was worse

My buddy’s dad cuts the ends off a long,skinny waffle bat stands in the middle of the hangs the end over the boat. He does his business , and gravity does the rest. Pretty slick.

ssaamm wrote:

My buddy’s dad cuts the ends off a long,skinny waffle bat stands in the middle of the hangs the end over the boat. He does his business , and gravity does the rest. Pretty slick.

How skinny we talking?

These newer “Spot Lock” trolling motors are probably responsible for tossing a few people from the boat. They adjust very quickly and suddenly under certain conditions. It took me a bit to get used to fishing the Ultrex in heavy, gusty winds that want to push the boat around.

Also, it’s not a bad idea to bring a Gatorade bottle when it’s super choppy out. Just saying.

Bass Thumb wrote:

Also, it’s not a bad idea to bring a Gatorade bottle when it’s super choppy out. Just saying.

Sounds risky…

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Depends on the temp.

Dang that waters cold !!! ya! and its deep too !!

I was out last weekend by myself, getting older and maybe not wiser I didn’t have a lifejacket anywhere close to me on the pontoon.
As I was pulling up the anchor I had an epiphany.
Let’s just say I plan on getting an inflatable. Being found floating teats up is not the way I wan’t to go.

Great reminder and the cell phone in the bag is a good idea. I wear my inflatable 100% of the time. Being 63 I do not have the stamina anymore to tread water. I always hook up the kill switch as well, good habits. I have 3 inflatables in the boat. As the captain, I agree it’s my responsibility to make sure everyone knows where everything is. I strongly encourage my guests to wear the inflatables and remind them that I will not jump in to save you. I have only had one guy fall out of my boat in 4 years of fishing out of a boat, that was this spring. Nature called but not the one where a wiffle bat will suffice. It wasn’t pretty for sure, luckily he was able to catch my rail and work his way to the boarding ladder and back in the boat. Lectures seem somewhat pointless at the time however I did have extra clothes to make him comfortable. I bought a camping toilet with bags and make sure that everyone understands I have it and it’s $5.00 a use! Not that I didn’t try and find a sandy spot on shore as last time nature called for him I backed into a rock and $1000 (my deductible) later my boat was back to looking new. The toilet seemed cheap!

David Anderson wrote:

I have 3 inflatables in the boat. As the captain, I agree it’s my responsibility to make sure everyone knows where everything is. I strongly encourage my guests to wear the inflatables and remind them that I will not jump in to save you.

I know inflatables seem to be all so popular now but my only hang up is the cost. I know that they’re less bulky and cumbersome but I’m still having a hard time justifying the expense when there isn’t anything an inflatable can do that this one can’t if being worn. At more than 3 times the cost I could have 3 of the Stearns for less than the price of one automatic inflatable. And the newer version Stearns style are surprisingly not all that uncomfortable compared to those from years ago.

If you’re wearing your PFD which you should be all the time, these will keep you floating even with all that extra money you saved in your pocket.

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^^^Agreed. I’m anti-inflatable.

I worked for a large sporting goods retailer when the first ones came out. A manager let me product test one….fell backwards off a dock into about five feet of water….thing didn’t inflate.

A couple years later as they became more and more economical, and my manager grew very tired of me occasionally sharing that story with other employees more than anything (didn’t want to get fired and tried to omit it with customers as much as possible but wasn’t going to lie to anyone if they asked me point blank what my thoughts were….was always candid, felt that was my job). Anyways, he let me product test a new model of inflatable. This time I went out and anchored in about 20′ to 25′ and did a pencil dive and swam myself down until I hit the near ice cold water of the thermocline….

….thing never inflated.

Both times each inflatable was looked over for signs of user error or manufacturer defect—both times no one else could determine anothing wrong with the product or manner I used it. Co2 cartridge was in it and supposedly good to go.

I’ve heard of too many stories of guys buying them and noticing years later there was no cartridge in them….stuff like that to where I’d ever consider using one.

I know a lot of guys swear by them, and if the comfort of an inflatable is enough to cause someone to wear one versus not wear one…it obviously beats nothing [in theory].

Personally, I won’t ever trust my life with anything that could fail mechanically when there’s another option that is devoid of that possibility. In the time I’ve spent hunting over the years I’ve witnessed three different firearms discharge when their trigger was definitely not touched (one in a four wheeler rack, one in a moving vehicle, one in a blind while shifting to a different spot). None were mine, all had their safety’s on, all still discharged. I’ve always pulled the round from the chamber unless I’m actual in the act of hunting, and won’t hunt with anyone that has the barrel of their gun cross my profile even if it’s unloaded. I’ve still got two six shot lead pellets in me (one in right forearm, one in left thigh) from being shot, I’ve been on another hunt where someone in the group was shot and needed to be airlifted to the Mayo clinic to have their life saved.

I view inflatable life jackets like the safety/trigger on a gun—yeah, it will probably save your life, as long as it works.

If there’s even a small percentage of mechanical failure—-you truly don’t know for certain that when you’re counting on it to work, it’ll work.

Test your inflatables. When the water is warm out burn a cartridge and jump in. Know how it’s going to inflate, how quickly, how buoyant it is, how you float while in it (some center their flotation high, some mid, some lower, etc). Do Not—DO NOT—have the first time you experience an inflatable inflating be at a time when you’re counting on it to save your life.

My two cents on them.

I’ll take my chances with the modern traditionals I have in the boat. I’m more worried about hypothermia anyways and they’re better for that as well. Less expensive. If I’m out solo and I fall in and can’t it back to the boat, unless I’m able to make a call, I’m most likely dead. I have a small but powerful LED flashlight on me that has one on those emergency strobe settings in my other chest pocket opposite my cell phone (it’d be just my luck to get run over by a guy that otherwise could’ve saved me had he seen me). Still, my view is that most likely all a preserver is going to do is save them having to wait a couple days until my body bloats enough to float up so they can recover it.

Wear your kill switches, and another thing…know whether or not you can get in and our of your boat solo if fishing solo. I know I can. I’ve jumped out of it, swam around, and used the hydraulic lift to pull me up after grabbing a hold of a handle I installed on the stern specifically so I had something to pull myself up on.

It cost me like $5 bucks…less than a single rapala.

Know your gear, know your limitations, err on the side of caution, have a backup plan for your backup plan, run through it in real life to practice it don’t just run through it in your head, and do this because it doesn’t cost much in either time or money to do so and it’ll make your time on the water more pleasant having that extra confidence that you’ve got more than a puncher’s chance if something happens…..

…..and one day you might be alive to tell the story of how important it was that you made the effort on such precautions.

Crap happens. People that don’t expect crap to happen at some point are the people that die when crap happens, largely because they panic and don’t know what to do. If I fall in I can mentally tell myself, “You have a plan, you’re going to be OK, get back to the boat, get back aboard via the stern handle and motor like you’ve done before, once back on you’ve got dry warm clothes you can change into, you’ll be fine…”

I like to relax when I’m fishing and not have to worry—it’s a lot easier to do when I already did.