New candidates for the marine Darwin award

[MWhite]

That’s very sad. They were trying to help her and couldn’t think clearly. Poor kids.

[Esteban1955]

I once suggested to a lawyer at a fire board meeting that her policies made her a candidate for the Darwin Award. She later responded in writing to the community and the board that I had threatened her life.

[thomm225]

Inexperience can get you in trouble fast on the water.

I have been very luck as I learned on my own by buying a junker boat at age 16.

My training was some kid told me about the 3 R's for coming back in the channel and reading the markers. (and I was good at getting engines running)

One night I was on the bow of my 16' power boat about 6 miles out into the Chesapeake Bay. It was just after dark.

Waves were about 3' and I was on the bow pulling in the anchor.

Bow was going underwater as I was doing this and the waves hit.

I was alone. No PFD on.

No radio and folks knew I was out on my boat because it wasn't in the yard but I could have been on Seaside (Atlantic Ocean side) or Bayside. (Chesapeake Bay)

Had I slipped and gone in the water the anchor probably would have been dropped but the tide and waves may have taken me away from the boat depending.

if I was behind the boat and the anchor caught I wouldn't have gotten back to the boat against the tide wearing long pants, shoes, and shirt.

Another time in March 1975, I was coming back in a creek. Temperature maybe mid 40's.

I decide to get on the bow and stand as the boat was headed in under power. Tiller outboard.

I was having a nice time. I was the only boat out there.

I was moving pretty fast and decided to glance back at the engine.

When I did I saw it starting to turn and being young and agile I jumped from the bow to the center of my 16' wooden boat and squatted at the same time just was the engine slammed rapidly all the way to one side which almost flipped the boat.

Had I not glanced back I may have gotten run over by the boat at worst but would definitely been in the really cold 40 degree water wearing tons of cotton cloths and no PFD

That's just a couple incidents........

[svfinlandia]

Originally Posted by RaymondR

Maybe, but I'd like to see a more comprehensive and authoritative report than a short media scrip. People who can't swim are generally reluctant to leap into deep water.

The article did not say that they could not swim. It said that they were not strong swimmers.

Al, S/V Finlandia

[capn ken]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

Hard to believe, but all too possible...

https://us.yahoo.com/news/two-girls-...112755341.html

Jim

Very sad all around. Where the heck were the pfd,s Ihopethe coast guard goes after the rental company !

[boatpoker]

Originally Posted by thomm225

Inexperience can get you in trouble fast on the water.

I have been very luck as I learned on my own by buying a junker boat at age 16.

My training was some kid told me about the 3 R's for coming back in the channel and reading the markers. (and I was good at getting engines running)

One night I was on the bow of my 16' power boat about 6 miles out into the Chesapeake Bay. It was just after dark.

Waves were about 3' and I was on the bow pulling in the anchor.

Bow was going underwater as I was doing this and the waves hit.

I was alone. No PFD on.

No radio and folks knew I was out on my boat because it wasn't in the yard but I could have been on Seaside (Atlantic Ocean side) or Bayside. (Chesapeake Bay)

Had I slipped and gone in the water the anchor probably would have been dropped but the tide and waves may have taken me away from the boat depending.

if I was behind the boat and the anchor caught I wouldn't have gotten back to the boat against the tide wearing long pants, shoes, and shirt.

Another time in March 1975, I was coming back in a creek. Temperature maybe mid 40's.

I decide to get on the bow and stand as the boat was headed in under power. Tiller outboard.

I was having a nice time. I was the only boat out there.

I was moving pretty fast and decided to glance back at the engine.

When I did I saw it starting to turn and being young and agile I jumped from the bow to the center of my 16' wooden boat and squatted at the same time just was the engine slammed rapidly all the way to one side which almost flipped the boat.

Had I not glanced back I may have gotten run over by the boat at worst but would definitely been in the really cold 40 degree water wearing tons of cotton cloths and no PFD

That's just a couple incidents........

Admirable !
Few would admit to being a multiple Darwin Award Winner

[Cpt Mark]

It said it all in the beginning. They were inexperienced boaters on a rented boat. They simply didn't know what they should and should not be doing.

As far as the rescue. Maybe 1 guy jumped in, got into trouble and the other guy jumped in to try and help. Who knows.

None were trained in lifesaving otherwise they never would have left the boat.

PFD's? Assuming they were onboard and not worn by the adults, maybe kids too. Can't imagine a rental boat not being required to provide pfd's....even in Florida

[AKA-None]

Originally Posted by boatpoker

Admirable !

Few would admit to being a multiple Darwin Award Winner

Only a candidate not a winner [emoji23]

[CaptTom]

To be even a candidate you have to do something which takes yourself out of the gene pool. A near miss could get Honorable Mention, at most.

[Ike]

Another demonstration of the rule, never leave the safety of the boat. Throw, don't go. Throw a seat cushion, life ring, anything that floats, but tie a line to it first. This is really sad for the two girls. At least they had the sense to call for help.

[Tillikum]

Perhaps the "spouse" of the woman jumped in first and when he got into trouble the other man went to his aid? Or they both got Sir Launcelot Syndrome at the same moment and dived in? The woman must have been upset and calling for help to prompt either one jumping in. The poor kids must have realized the men had drowned and may have even witnessed it; terrifying and traumatic for them.


Water is not our natural element after birth.

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by boatpoker

Admirable !
Few would admit to being a multiple Darwin Award Winner

I don't mind.

I was a teenager. (Self taught) First boat at age 16.

I remember every mistake I made also which can be helpful if you live through them........

Boat motor and trailer $300. (Plus I had a $71/month car payment while making $1.10/hour working after school)

I taught myself about boating in a very dangerous place.

Another good one is riding waves back in through Barrier Island Inlets from the Atlantic Ocean while just hoping the engine didn't quit. Had to ride waves in due to how shallow it was.

If the engine did suddenly stop, the 14'-16' boats we used probably would have been swamped and possibly sunk.

Most times there were only 1-2 PFD's onboard for 3-4 people sometimes, but back then it was cool in early Summer, so we wore jeans which can be used as a PFD

I did take life saving / lifeguard training.

When you grow up near the Atlantic Ocean and the Chesapeake Bay, you learn quite quickly about swimming.

The huge waves coming in on Assateague Island that we swam in as children were a great teacher. You dive under a wave wrong or at the wrong time you don't come back up under the wave or waves allow you to.

That is a hard lesson for a 10-11 year old going under 6' plus breakers off the beach in 68 degree water. Lots of scaring on the chest on those days in May and early June back in the day.

They would put the water temp on a black board where you paid the toll to enter Assateague Island.

We did get to warm up though on the trails and many times there would be a wild Shetland pony in our path which was always interesting

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOXEiiCvAVA