First drowning - stupid accident

[muskyjim]

Re: First drowning - stupid accident

Even smart people do dumb things. I've owned and operated boats for about 15 years. I've sure made my share of stupid mistakes. Hopefully you learn from them so that you don't repeat them.
In 2004 I took a Coast Guard approved on-line boating safety course. Wow, what I didn't know. I tried to pass along some of my new found knowledge to a friend. He already knows what he needs to know about boating without my help.
Like most of you I've been buzzed by PWC while canoeing and boating. So far I've been able to resist chucking a musky lure their way. Just wishful thinking. Not worth lossing a good lure over some thoughtless yahoo.

 

[muskyjim]

Re: First drowning - stupid accident

It really is terrible about what happened to the boater in S.C. Did they ever find the missing boater. It's amazing how quickly a poor decision can affect the lives of our loved ones.

 

[wvit1001]

Re: First drowning - stupid accident

Drowning victim found after 17 days in Lake Norman

By Bill Kiser, LAKE NORMAN TIMES

DENVER - A three-week ordeal for both the victim's families and area volunteer rescue workers came to an end with the recovery of a drowning victim on Lake Norman.

The body of Sean Larkins, 35, of Commodore Loop in Mooresville, was found by divers the morning of March 25, 17 days after he was thrown from a speedboat near the Little Creek access area.

According to rescue officials, Larkins' body was found in approximately 60 feet of water near the spot where he and fiance Christine Conard, 34, also of Mooresville, were both thrown from a 26-foot Donzi speedboat that Larkins had recently purchased the evening of March 8.

"It was very close," to where Larkins was thrown overboard, said Susan Spake, director of Lincoln County Emergency Management, which has coordinated the search efforts. "It was pretty much in the same general area as where Christine was picked out of the water, very close."

Larkins is the first drowning victim on Lake Norman this year. Last year, nine drowning deaths were reported by authorities, including three over a three-day stretch in August.

 

[ParallaxBill]

Re: First drowning - stupid accident

I kind howdy to all local NC/SC boaters.

I grew up fishing and boating & later skiing on Lake Norman just after it was created and all through the 60's and 70's. It was quite a fine lake in those older more peaceful times. We (my dad and I) would rent a wooden or fiberglass boat from Oni's Landing for a couple of bucks put our 5 hp Sea King 5 outboard on it and fish all day catching all the fish we needed never leaving sight of the landing. Now it's all about yacht's, parties and high social living. Probably a familiar theme on most of the more built up areas but sad just the same.

When I first heard about this "accident" on Lake Norman and saw the news film of the boat running in circles I thought to myself...."that's a fairly new boat, why wasn't he using a kill switch lanyard or a vest?" Oh well, probably the same reason people don't use or disable other "intrusive" safety features. That incident is just one in a long line of bad "accidents" in the more recent history of Lake Norman. Not too many years ago someone managed to crash his boat into I-77 and hit some cars on the highway. I think that one was fatal too.

With masses of people on the lakes the moron factor multiplies exponentially IMHO. Now I stick to the smaller or more rural, quiet lakes. I also use a kill switch on my 36 year old boat. Life is short, take care of it.

 

[Mark42]

Re: First drowning - stupid accident

I am beginning to support the "small lakes allow small boats" rule. I see no reason to put a 36 foot cruiser on a 500 acre lake. Not sure what the rule should be, but there should be limits.

Every lake I have ever been to has had some problem caused by a big boat. My guess would be 22 to 24 foot max on a lake under 3000 acres. 17 ft max on a lake under 1000 acres.

I know someone's going to complain.

 

[cbavier]

Re: First drowning - stupid accident

We Boat/Fish on a 89 acre lake with a Horizon 190 - 20 ft. I was concerned at first that it might be too big for that size of Lake. After Boating on it this past summer. I am happy to report it is just about the perfect size. I would not want any bigger boat on a lake that size but I have for several years used a 13ft aluminum fishing boat on that same lake and I'll take the Horizon any day.

I think the person who has too big of a boat on any given lake is going to tire of that lake very soon and look to larger pastures. He/She is not going to need someone else telling them their boat is too big for that particular lake. They will get bored in a hurry running in circles.

If they are fishing, the boat in relationship to the size of lake doesn't matter,
giving with in reason of course.

In other words nobody in their right mind is going to put a 20 ft boat on a farm pond. We don't need more rules. Just enforce and practice the ones that are already in place.