Maybe Someone will Learn From My Mistake!!!

[hawg4dawg]

Hey all this is my first post on this fourm but I read it all the time But you must know how thankfull I am Today and you must know Im serious about not letting this happen to someone else. Laugh,call me STUPID.or say it wont happen to me And I hope it does not!!! HERE IS MY STORY AND IM STILL IN SHOCK BUT GRATEFUL.
Sunday 11-18-2007 me and my nephew went out on Tims Ford Lake Bass Fishing and I Had A Good Day but he hasent had A Bite All Day around 3 pm the rockfish started in the jumps.So I wanted him to catch some fish and we thought we would give it A try!!!! After about 45 min we caught doubles and mine was the Biggest rockfish I have ever
caught and he was stripping line off by the feet and all of a sudden he decides to turn so hes gets by the main motor but he gets in the line in the trolling motor and I raise the trolling motor up and it hangs so I Reach over to try to get my line under the trolling motor and all of A sudden the trolling motor lets go and I Have One Place to GO--Over board!!! Now get this Im 50 years old In Good shape and A Good Swimmer no problem Right!!!! Water Temp. is 58 Degrees Air temp 64 we always wear Our PFD While running the Big Motor and Take it off to fish like alot of people do
So Yes Big dummy had no PFD on!!!! I had insulated Drawes Bluejeans and a jacket not much Right!! When I Hit the water all that went through my mind was Kick Kick Kick and I Tried BUT I WAS not GOING UP!!!! I WAS NOT MOVING MY LEGS WOULD NOT DO WHAT MY MIND WANTEd THEM TO DO But I never let go of the trolling motor Rope THANK GOD!! And I never let go of my Fishing rod which was brand new!! All of a sudden I relized i was in Trouble so I Let go of the Rod and grabbed the Trolling motor robe with my other hand to pull myself up and when I got my hand on the shaft of the trolling motor and pulled myself up beside the boat I COULD NOT BREATH????? Well my nephew thought I would just pop back up like I Did one time before (summertime water temp 85 Whole different ballgame) but I Didnt I Finally got In The Boat And Got my breath Back But I Couldnt understand why I could not function Normally.
COLD WATER SHOCK!!!!! WATCH THE VIDEO!!!!!!
http://www.mustangsurvival.com/resources/gallery/videos/RedCross-Hypothermia.wmv

Please Dont Let This Happen to You Or Your Friends I Was Very Lucky!
Never asume someone is gonna pop back up no matter how Good they can swim!
If you are with someone that Goes Over Give them something to get their hands on ASAP!
Just Keep it simple WEAR YOUR LIFEJACKET ALL THE TIME!!!
NEVER TAKE CHANCES ON THE WATER NEVER MAKE MY DUMBARSS MISTAKE!!!!! PLEASE!
Im not trying to sell NOTHING of all the post I have read on this board I Know their are alot of good people here
and IM JUST TRYING TO HELP!!!!!
HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!!!!
TONY

 

[smokinbasser]

RE: Mabey Someone will Learn From My Mistake!!!

I am glad your still around to post this important reminder to those fishing when the water is cool to cold. Have a great Thanksgiving

 

[EricM]

RE: Mabey Someone will Learn From My Mistake!!!

Thanks for the reminder. I am the official CFF poster boy for going overboard during the winter, 3 times last winter! The cold water is an amazing shock and this is a very dangerous situation. Glad it worked out for you!!

 

[rsimms]

RE: Mabey Someone will Learn From My Mistake!!!

Thanks for sharing... it's good for all of us to hear about a real-life dose of reality.

 

[MadBomber]

Amen, PFD's all the time!

 

[Fat Albert]

RE: Mabey Someone will Learn From My Mistake!!!

smokinbasser - 11/22/2007 12:55 PM I am glad your still around to post this important reminder to those fishing when the water is cool to cold. Have a great Thanksgiving

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<font color="#ff0033">that is a big Ditto and one needs to wear the pfd all the time...  trouble will pop his ugly head up anytime....FA  thanks for sharing.</font></p>

 

[DHaun]

RE: Mabey Someone will Learn From My Mistake!!!

Thanks for taking the time to post your story. I felt the shock of cold water at Nantahala river a few years ago and it scared me enough to start wearing my PFD. A good friend of mine's father was a strong industrial saltwater diver who was a great swimmer and at home in the water. He drowned in a shallow stream fishing alone after falling from a canoe. My kids told me I cannot go fishing unless I promise to wear one.

 

[tso]

Glad you made it. I started wearing PFD all the time several years ago when I almost went over board. I did fall in the Hawassee when I was a kid. Nearly went into shock before my dad could get me to the truck. Cold water is a killer.

I imagine your nephew got a lesson as well.

 

[Ram Jack Scott]

wow!!!! that's alot to think about. i think i will have to keep my PFD on during these cold months.....especially when i'm fishing alone. i can just see myself in the middle of the channel beside my boat.....PFD on the seat of my boat and me with no strength to get myself back in the boatemoDoh

 

[fisherpal2k]

Sorry to hear about your mishap, but glad that you are alright. Thats a very hard way to learn a lesson! Hope all is well and you still get to catch a few along. Thanks for the heads up!

 

[Guest]

Great story and a great story in our lives, we forget how easily tragedy can come a callin.

 

[jcv]

Thanks for the great article and attachment.
A reminder that most of us should be more aware of our bad habits.
I to wear a vest while running to my fishing hole, but I am guilty of taking it off to fish.
Maybe its time to get rid of the old fashioned bulky vest and invest in the new fish-able models.
It may just save our life one day.
You have changed my ways.
Thank you.
jcv

 

[WLG]

I went fishing yesterday by myself and I thought about this post ...and kept my pfd on the whole time. I fell in back in the summer and still not really sure what happened to make me fall in...but I did...and had it been cold water I woulda been in trouble. I usually keep a change of clothes in the boat with me in the winter time just so I could get out of the wet clothes quickly should I fall in.

 

[SpurHunter]

I too thought about this post last week when I got on the water in that cold, and super-wind last Friday. I put my inflatable on, and kept it on...didnt even notice it after a while. Thanks for reminding us all!

 

[Fuzzy]

My wife made a deal with me before she was able to move up from Georgia. I have to wear my life vest all of the time when I am by myself. I am so used to it now that I feel weird if I don't have one on. (yes...I am man enough to admit that I honored her wish!)
Now I have the opposite problem. I have had the vest inflate by accident twice, once just sitting in the boat and once in my tool box. I was just in a tourney and had gallons of water hitting me (literally, 45mpg gust, 2-3footers and an TR186!). Vest never inflated. I am so nervous that something is wrong, but the vest still shows "activated".
PS: I also have two loops tied on to my cleats, about 1 foot in diameter for a handhold in case I get dunked. They "usually" don't get in the way and for what it's worth, I will put up with them

GREAT POST and TOPIC!

Fuzz

 

[SpurHunter]

Fuzzy, I had seen these funny looking loops on the back of EricM's boat and wondered, then read one of his posts about them. You guessed it!...for getting back into the boat! I believe he is the self-proclaimed falling-in-the-water expert round here!

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I bet he would even post a pic of those for reference if anyone is interested!</p>

 

[bd angler]

I missed this post first time around, great food for thought. I am one of the guilty ones that very rarely wear a pfd. Trying to change that bad habit.

 

[BackOnTheWater]

bd angler - 11/29/2007 2:31 PM I missed this post first time around, great food for thought. I am one of the guilty ones that very rarely wear a pfd. Trying to change that bad habit.

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Same as above. This is always on the back of my mind, but it will be on the front of it from now on!</p>

Welcome to the forum, and we're all glad everything worked out for you. Thanks for sharing!</p>

 

[redwingonlookout]

wow another story I hate to hear about but glad I did, you see I am one to not wear my pfd when im fishing OR moving in daylight hours I know bad habit, well My friend at work in september was fishing on nick and was headed back at dark hit a bouy at about 35 mph tore his trolling motor off and ripped a big hole in his boat, I now will wear my pfd at all times, might have to purchase a expensive one that is not combersome but as I read your post You NEVER KNOW when something will happen thanks for reassuring me of pfd's and glad yoyu are ok to fish another day wow!!!!!! be safe guys use a PFD

 

[Rock Buster]

Glad you made it alright. I had a similar thing happen except I was throwing a castnet and the water was 42 and the air was 35 one fine winter morning. I was wearing about 3-4 layers of clothing and lost my balance throwing the net and went over. I was ALONE, but before I even hit the water I was moving at Mach 1 towards the trolling motor shaft and I managed to climb up the trolling motor before I began losing movement abilities. I was a couple hundred yards from a bridge (Wahoo creek bridge on lake Lanier) but I didn't care, I stripped naked, dried off with a towel I keep on my center console, and put on dry cloths that I keep in a bag under my console. A few cars honked but I doubt they saw much as it was COOOOLLLD. emoRolleyes ALWAYS KEEP A CHANGE OF DRY CLOTHS IN THE WINTER. All this happened real fast but if I didn't have dry cloths I would not have made it by myself back to the ramp I put in at, which was several miles away and it was about 35 degrees that day... Thats when I quite throwing the net in the winter and thats a big reason why I now fish almost exclusively with trout as bait in the cold months (Plus they work great for stripers).

I agree that a PDF is important too, and I am the worst to never wear one... Tight Lines