Officials Searching for Missing Teen - Boating Accident

[thetragichippy]

This teen (14 yo) has not been found and the search continues as far as I know. As a Father I cannot imagine what the parents are going through....

For the rest of us, this is a slap in the face reminder to be safe on the water.  I was able to drive a 12' boat with a 5.5 Johnson by myself, unsupervised at 10 years old.....but Dad had been training me since I was 5. The most enforced rule was never step in that boat without my life jacket on. If I left it in the boat for some reason, I was wading in the water to get the life jacket out of the boat. He caught me in that boat without a life jacket, I was done for the summer. 

Train your kids to wear that life jacket at a minimum of when the boat is under power.  I hate reading these type post.

 

 

 

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[bullets13]

he’s been found.  Unfortunately, but not unexpectedly, he was deceased.  What an awful story.  I can’t even imagine.  

[LumRaiderFan]

Very very sad situation, thoughts and prayers for the Curtice family.

[tvc184]

Probably the saddest day of my career was when we pulled up two drowned Vietnamese children (maybe 3 and 5 years old) on Pleasure Island where one was in distress and the older one went to help. When found several hours later, they were holding on to each other.

[Bigdog]

17 hours ago, thetragichippy said:

This teen (14 yo) has not been found and the search continues as far as I know. As a Father I cannot imagine what the parents are going through....

For the rest of us, this is a slap in the face reminder to be safe on the water.  I was able to drive a 12' boat with a 5.5 Johnson by myself, unsupervised at 10 years old.....but Dad had been training me since I was 5. The most enforced rule was never step in that boat without my life jacket on. If I left it in the boat for some reason, I was wading in the water to get the life jacket out of the boat. He caught me in that boat without a life jacket, I was done for the summer. 

Train your kids to wear that life jacket at a minimum of when the boat is under power.  I hate reading these type post.

 

 

 

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Yes, very sad.   Unfortunately the law cuts off at age 13 for mandatory life jacket wearing while underway.   It should be changed to all must wear a jacket while underway.

My father-in-law just reinforced this to my child, he's 73 and still wears his jacket when the boat is moving.   Way to many people could be saved by this if it was mandatory for all, just like a seatbelt.

[CardinalBacker]

I’ve always been a strong swimmer but as I’ve aged and gotten less active I actually feel a little vulnerable in open water these days. It’s not something I’ve ever been concerned about. 
 

I think at this point I’d probably wear a life jacket when underway. One thing that drives me nuts is young guys wearing waders in the boat. If you were to end up in the water wearing clothes, waders, and a jacket, what are the odds that you could shuck your jacket, unfasten your waders, get them off, and somehow manage to surface while still fully clothed, possibly in the dark? It’s just asking for a bad outcome. 

[Bigdog]

15 hours ago, CardinalBacker said:

I’ve always been a strong swimmer but as I’ve aged and gotten less active I actually feel a little vulnerable in open water these days. It’s not something I’ve ever been concerned about. 
 

I think at this point I’d probably wear a life jacket when underway. One thing that drives me nuts is young guys wearing waders in the boat. If you were to end up in the water wearing clothes, waders, and a jacket, what are the odds that you could shuck your jacket, unfasten your waders, get them off, and somehow manage to surface while still fully clothed, possibly in the dark? It’s just asking for a bad outcome. 

True about the waders, they just become anchors if you can't get them off fast enough.   How strong of a swimmer you are shouldn't determine if you wear the life jacket though, because if you are thrown from a moving boat you could be knocked out or dazed which is what it sounds like happened in the case of this kid.

[tvc184]

50 minutes ago, Bigdog said:

True about the waders, they just become anchors if you can't get them off fast enough.   How strong of a swimmer you are shouldn't determine if you wear the life jacket though, because if you are thrown from a moving boat you could be knocked out or dazed which is what it sounds like happened in the case of this kid.

Yep.

Obviously wearing a life jacket if for unforeseen emergency situations. It isn’t intended a jump in the river at your own choosing for a leisurely swim. 

[thetragichippy]

2 hours ago, tvc184 said:

Yep.

Obviously wearing a life jacket if for unforeseen emergency situations. It isn’t intended a jump in the river at your own choosing for a leisurely swim. 

If we are being honest, I don't wear my life jacket 100% of the time in either of my boats personally, and I know I should at minimum under way, but anyone under the age of 18 does in my boats.

 What I find incredibly odd is the life jacket regulations. When you get stopped they ask to see life jackets, sure let me get them, they are under the deck, and the deck is locked, let me get my key, here ya go! Game Warden, thank you......about the same with every safety device.

I do keep my life jackets out in case I do need them. 

[Bigdog]

2 hours ago, thetragichippy said:

If we are being honest, I don't wear my life jacket 100% of the time in either of my boats personally, and I know I should at minimum under way, but anyone under the age of 18 does in my boats.

 What I find incredibly odd is the life jacket regulations. When you get stopped they ask to see life jackets, sure let me get them, they are under the deck, and the deck is locked, let me get my key, here ya go! Game Warden, thank you......about the same with every safety device.

I do keep my life jackets out in case I do need them. 

Yeah, the law about just having them doesn't make sense.  You won't have time to get them if something happens.  At least have the throw device out just in case.

[LumRaiderFan]

2 hours ago, thetragichippy said:

If we are being honest, I don't wear my life jacket 100% of the time in either of my boats personally, and I know I should at minimum under way, but anyone under the age of 18 does in my boats.

 What I find incredibly odd is the life jacket regulations. When you get stopped they ask to see life jackets, sure let me get them, they are under the deck, and the deck is locked, let me get my key, here ya go! Game Warden, thank you......about the same with every safety device.

I do keep my life jackets out in case I do need them. 

Which is odd to me, the regulations say they must be easily accessible but I've done the same thing, had to dig them out of storage and no problem.  I guess there are some that may enforce it more to the rule.