Wear your kill switch and life jacket!!!

[Ultralite]

Can't believe I'm writing this, as I was just reading through a thread in another forum yesterday about the guy in Big Lake.

Was riding a 16' flat with a 50 tiller handle today out of Forked Island for work. We ran a canal to the job site and were heading back to the dock down the same canal when WHAM!

Before I knew it the boat turned 90° and I was flying across the boat, smashed my face into something then just went underwater head first. We were running about 25-28. I thought the boat was going to flip. It happened so fast you wouldn't believe it. Faster than getting thrown off an intertube or faceplanting on a knee board. I only realized what happened once I was in the water.

We were extremely lucky as neither of us hit the prop and we came away with only bruises and a few cuts.

Life jacket and kill switch probably saved me and my co-worker's lives today.

We hit something just under the surface. Log I guess. The water was deep and I couldn't feel the bottom when getting back to the boat.

[prefers shiners]

So glad you are safe......no doubt that your life jacket and kill switch saved you from much worse injury.....thanks for sharing.....I hope this will be an eye opener for those who do not take those safety precautions......

[Ultralite]

I was always told while growing up that I had two choices: learn from the mistakes of others, or learn from my own mistakes.

All of the stories I've read online about people not wearing their life jacket and kill switch is what always motivated me to take the extra precaution, and it looks like it paid off this morning.

Its only a matter of time before you hit something while running a boat.

[Tracker123]

I agree, thanks for posting.

[free bird]

Thank you for posting this. I'm definately glad that you are safe and sound. Your message is one we need to hear.

[DrNip]

Yes there is a great possibility they saved your life's or saved you from great injury from a boat running over and over you. I see people out on the water all the time without these things.

[HillBilly]

Maybe others will see that following the safety rules saves lives,,Thanks for posting and I am glad you and your buddy are ok

[fishervet]

Great post.

[mermentau]

Glad you made it out of that mess. Thanks for sharing that.

[saute86]

Glad you are ok. I know the feeling. I once hit a log at night and my buddy pulled me out the boat. I ended up grabbing the transom. I was skipping along wide open looking at that 20 merc screaming. I reached up and hit the kill switch. I knew if I let go it would come back. Back then we didnt have tethers. Someone was watching over me that night. To this day I wont run a boat without a kill switch. I do need to start using a life jacket though.