Hello fellow BR members. Perhaps this post is in the wrong section of the forum, but I feel as if this topic is extremely important and that it will get more exposure here on the General Bass Fishing section. Mods please move this if need be. Let me preface this by saying that I used to be one of those guys who rarely ever wore my PFD. They're bulky and constricting, granted. I made it just fine for years like that. I fish throughout the winter here in the Washington DC area where water temps will dip into the 30's and air temps can get even colder. Hypothermia can strike anytime when the combined air and water temperatures are below 120F.
My better half made me promise that this year I would wear a PFD every minute that I am on the water, and man am I glad that she did.
So... earlier today a good friend and I were out fishing the Potomac River here in DC and having a decent day. I was wearing my PFD (as promised) and we were catching decent fish near the Kennedy Center wall. On our way back to the launch we were moving at a brisk pace beneath the 14th St. bridge, which is actually 5 bridges. We were greeted by a massive barge wake and the barge was between the next set of abutments, so we didn't see it until it was too late. I was ejected from the boat into the 50 degree river, and the air temps were in the low 50's. Once in the water I went into slight shock. I grew up swimming, but this was totally different. My boat capsized, and I was probably 30' from it.
At first I panicked a bit, which left me feeling exhausted after about 10 seconds (literally.) Then I remembered to be calm and conserve energy and heat. I kept my body in the HELP position and made my way slowly to a floating cooler, which was much closer to me than the hull. Once I had a hold of the cooler I slowly paddled back to the boat while holding the cooler for extra buoyancy. Thankfully my friend landed much closer to the boat and was able to pull himself onto the hull quickly. I made it shortly afterword.
Once we were safely on the hull was when it dawned on me that we would not survive if we were out there for too long. Calling for help was not an option as our electronics were all submerged and the closest phone was floating 100' from the boat in a dry box. Thankfully a boater happened by us within the first 5 minutes, and helped us aboard his boat. His name was Steve, he really saved us today. He then called the Harbor Police to assist.
The DC Harbor Police, DCFD and Steve saved us today; but had it not been for the PFD's they probably wouldn't have found us alive. The Harbor Police also managed to save my boat, tow it to the launch and help me to load it onto the trailer. Thanks guys!
This subject is a little bit humiliating and embarrassing to talk about, but it is the least that I can do to share my story with you all. Ladies and gentlemen of Bass Resource, make no mistake about it... my PFD saved my life today.
Please remember to always wear your PFD's. If you don't have a comfortable one to fish in, then bite the bullet and buy one that you will actually wear all the time. It could very well save your life one day. Mine was worth every penny I paid for it. And please remember to travel at a safe rate of speed during the colder months, we can't afford to fall in the water when it's cold.
Thanks in advance for reading this.
-Andrew
ps. The PFD I was wearing was a BPS XPS class III. I don't particularly care for inflatables, so I bought this one as it's light and comfortable. It also has a lot of pockets and is probably a good choice for wading.
