Life Jacket Use

I don't know if the moderators will allow this; but, here goes. Several years ago I posted a story about a near drowning experience I had. I just think I should re-post it in hopes that it will encourage at least one reader to use his/her life jacket. Since that incident I swear to you that my jacket is on me 100% of the time while I'm in my boat ( including launch and recovery). In fact several times I wore my jacked while driving all the way home, just forgetting I had it on. So, here is my re-post.

I am 75 years old and grew up around the water in Rhode Island. I learned to swim when I was 4 or 5 years old. I was in the Coast Guard. I have no fear of the water and have nothing but confidence in my abilities on and in the water. Just five days ago I was crappie fishing from my boat on the Alabama River at Millbrook, Alabama where I have been hundreds of times. I was in the middle front seat of my boat and leaned to my right to get a minnow from the bucket. No more than one second later I was under the water as the base plate for the seat that is secured to the deck with six screws, just pulled completely off the deck. Seriously, no more than one second. I did not feel any panic, my thought was; well, I’m in the water just swim up and get to the boat. But as I started to swim up I realized I was still going down! My wet clothes were weighing me down. I redoubled my efforts to get to the top. I was making progress; however, remember I said it took about one second to fall into the river? Well that meant I did not have any time to take a good deep breath before going under. As I looked up I began to wonder if I had enough air to make it. Now my chest is beginning to tighten and my brain is telling me I need to breathe and I need to do it right now. It would have been so easy to do that. Even as I write this I recall how easy it would have been to take in a big lungful of water. Obviously I held my breath and made it to the surface. So, to THE MAIN POINT FOR WRITING THIS. DO NOT BE LIKE ME. WEAR YOUR LIFE JACKET. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE DO SO. DO NOT FOR ONE SECOND THINK YOU WILL HAVE TIME TO PUT YOUR JACKET ON. I CERTAINLY DID NOT HAVE ANY TIME TO DO SO, AND THERE SAT MY JACKET ON THE DECK, NEAR MY FEET AS I FELL INTO THE RIVER

Thanks for posting that

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Thanks for the reminder. We are all either just getting ready for the season or already started. Good timing.


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I remember as a teenager falling in lake in winter with hunting suit on and boots. Yes very hard to swim and luckily my dad was right there to help me. Now especially having two young daughters to raise I take absolutely zero chances. Life jacket is on before I leave land and stays on until I’m back on land. Like you said split second is all it takes.

Amen. I'm 100% wearing mine while on my fishing boat. When on the 21 foot ski boat, always while under power or swimming.

Great reminder, thank you.

I am a firm believer in wearing a life vest. I purchased inflatable vests and anyone who fishes with me wears one. My boat my rule. I have had the opportunity to talk to several people who survived a boat wreck, either struck by another boat/struck another boat or hit an immovable object. They pretty much have all said “it happened so fast or and the next thing I remember was being in the water”. Thank you for sharing your story.

Thanks for sharing this mishap with the rest of us. It's all too easy for us to become too overconfident and way too complacent. I have found myself far too complacent, but came to grips with it some time ago. I'm glad to hear you had the presence of mind to avoid panicking until you could get back to the surface. You were also blessed that the wind or current didn't move the boat away from you faster than you could swim to it.

I recently bought a boat and I also invested in some Mustang Survival vests and put a folding ladder on the back of it just in case. Thanks again for sharing your story of an "all too scary" close call.

Yep, it goes on when I get to the ramp, and doesn't come off until I get in the truck to head home... I'm not proud but Mark Spits better have his stuff together or I'll beet him to the bank!

Thanks for sharing.


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Originally Posted by longhunter

Yep, it goes on when I get to the ramp, and doesn't come off until I get in the truck to head home... I'm not proud but Mark Spits better have his stuff together or I'll beet him to the bank!

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hey my good buddy , its been A LONG time brother .
missed you ,glad to see you still are in the game my friend .
KABOOM is the word :cheers2
now show us dem west texas fisheez …..:crazy:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by SuperDave336

I remember as a teenager falling in lake in winter with hunting suit on and boots. Yes very hard to swim and luckily my dad was right there to help me. Now especially having two young daughters to raise I take absolutely zero chances. Life jacket is on before I leave land and stays on until I’m back on land. Like you said split second is all it takes.

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i fell thru the ice one time myself in full hunt mode at way below freezing …..i still remember that quite well . my dad went down with me .the worst part was going BACK in to pick the rifles up off the bottom i tell ya .
my boot laces froze so hard i had to sit in front of the fire for what seemed like all day to get them off .
we actually went back across that river many hours later and hunted the "other" side .
the part that really sticks in my mind is dad saying don't shoot son they are just does ….
i obliged even though i was pretty sure i had a bead on a nice 8 ...they ran down the hill and KABOOM the guy below us kilt my deer :banghead

Life jackets are kinda like parachutes.

Not good if you need it and left it on the seat.

Everyone in the boat wears one or they get to explore the shoreline opportunities.

My 2 cents

Thanks for posting this.....

Thanks for the post, I never go in my boat without my vest and I keep in on till the boat is loaded, and yes- sometimes I forget to take it off.

I see too many that say they wear it if the big motor is running. We lost a young prominent dentist who practiced that policy. He was using the trolling motor in the cove in front of his house. Apparently he either slipped or tripped causing him to hit his head when he fell, rendering him unconscious. He drowned right in front if his house simply by not wearing his PFD 100% of time.

Now that is sad and so easily avoidable.

The inflatables and the old school orange ones are safest in my view. If you are knocked out they work to ensure you float face up.

Many others will float as easily upside down as "right" side up. Just my two cents.

WOW! That is a sad, tragic story. I was like him until I had my mishap. I WAS LUCKY; HAD TO LEARN THE HARD WAY. DON'T BE LIKE THE OLD ME, BE THE NEW ME AND WEAR THAT PFD.