Near Drowning!

[tnhooker]

emoScratch I do not know what people are thinking when they approach one of our many TVA dams to fish. It is a dangerous place to say the least. Saturday afternoon the Watts Bar dam was releasing through the generators about 40,000 cu. ft. per second. That is like the Colorado river flow. I and a friend were there trolling in the slack water out of the current when we heard a small boat, 16 -17 feet, struggling against the current. Three people were in the boat. The boat managed to get over the boil on # 1 and the back-flow threw it into the dam nose first. The water came over the rear and drowned out the engine. No power and taking on water over the transom is a sad situation. They screamed for help and sounded their canned air horn. Only one boat was in the area that was capable of getting to these people. Some guys from Georgia came to the flow at Watts Bar to fish for stripper. They had a center console SEA FOX about 25 feet and 225 HP. Four guys were in that Sea Fox. They untied from the wing wall and made a mad run to the people. They pull off first a lady. Next her boy friend. And finally the girls Dad who had to jump from the tip of the bow of his sinking boat to the Sea Fox. I can't imagine the fear they must have felt. Now I thought what luck to have that big boat there. Now that I think about it, it was not luck at all. The MASTER had placed the boat from Georgia there and with enough people on board to do that rescue. Everyone is alright. The boat later, beaten and submerged, came down stream and with only the tip of the bow above water at different times. I hope it will completely sink and not be a boating obstruction down stream.

People, DO NOT go near these dams when they are generating or releasing storm flow. You may get away with it for a long time. It will catch up to you. If you stand in the interstate, cars and trucks will avoid hitting you. If you continue to do it, well you know the answer to that. I hope I don't offend anyone but, some people do not have enough upstairs when it comes to danger. Please be safe.

 

[wrechin2]

I personally am afraid to get anywhere near the dams!!!!!! For such that reason. I fear the engine will not start and I will get sucked in.

Glad they are alright. I bet they all smelled like poo though!!!!!!!!

 

[drumking]

Praise the Lord that they are safe. Now pray that he will give them better sense than they have. I have fished up there for stripers many many times and have been there with the flow at 45,000 cfs, but never have I ever gotten on top of the boils or ever tried to go behind them. Never will either. emoGeezer

 

[jim4596]

A friend of mine lost his father and step brother at that damn several years ago.
Motor wouldnt start and they were above the damn when the flood gates opened. they had on lifejackets, but they both drown. probably from the fall when they went through the locks.

 

[Guest]

For June 2009 the average release from Glen Canyon dam into the Colorado is expected to be only 10,500 cfs. Just saying for comparison sake.

 

[pbobo]

Good lord, those folks are lucky

 

[procraft]

yes it is a bad thing to be behind the boils my x fatherinlaw all most lost his live an nearly took 2 more with him it was at weiss we was on the far side up in one of thoes holes dont know what they are called when the horn sounded the water exploded 10 yards in front of us we was in a 17 foot monarc with a 40 horse merc with a 13 year old with us when i saw what was going on i grabed the young boy and ziped his life vest up handed him the throw ring thank god that the curent had pushed us over about 4 feet from the bank i threw him up on the rocks at this time my x fatherinlaw put the boat in reverse that was the
worst thing he could have done the back of the boat was filling up fast i yeld go forward he put it in forward and give it all it had and we got out alive wet and scared but other than a few bruses from being thron on to the rocks we was ok that was all it took for me to lern i have not been in the tail waters since nor will i be thank the lord we all made it emoWorthy