Have You Fallen In The Water By Mistake=Boat Or Shore

[RoLo]

I did go overboard once, it was on Lake Kissimmee in February, 2010 (67 at the time).

I was standing in the bow, holding my fishing rod in one hand and a sandwich in the other hand.

I tossed a piece of bread to a passing gull, who promptly scooped up the offering, then swooped upward

above my head. I made the mistake of trying to keep the bird in sight, which was directly above my head.

I bent my head backward as far as my neck would allow, then suddenly realized that my balance was irretrievably lost.

Instead of trying to regain my balance, I choose to break the fall, then rolled over the gunwale

in a nice tight ball, smack into the drink.

 

It was a bitter day, the water was over my head and we were far from shore.

The water temperature was 59 deg (cold for Florida), the air temperature was colder

and I was not wearing a flotation device (You've made your bed, now lie in it). I was underwater about 4 seconds,

but it felt more like an hour. When I grabbed the bow gunwale, I seen my wife's hands reaching over the side.

I shook my head 'no', and told her to meet me at the transom. There's really nothing a woman can do

for a 220-lb clown floundering in the water. Hand-over-hand, I walked about 15 feet of gunwale to reach the stern.

I had difficulty boarding thru the motor cutaway until I remembered the anti-cavitation plate,

which possibly saved my life. I was wearing a brushed cotton jacket that wicked up the lake,

and as I finally stepped over the transom, it felt like I was wearing a lead X-ray jacket.

After spending about 10 min in 59-deg water, my energy level was noticeably lower (a very humbling experience).

My sunglasses had disappeared, and despite the snug chinstrap, my Stetson somehow wound up in the drink!?

I started the engine, retrieved my hat, and then proceeded to my next waypoint.

"Where are you going?", my wife asked. I said I'm going to my next waypoint.

She replied: "You're soaking wet, we've got to go in!". Realizing that hypothermia was still a latent threat,

I knew she was right and begrudgingly called it a day. 

 

Roger

[AQUA VELVA]

After reading some of these posts I'm reminded of a saying I heard a long time ago.'' The stupidity of your actions will always be in direct proportion to the number of people watching you.'' Personal experience seems to bear that out.

[Mass Bassin']

Ive fallen off jetties releasing fish from slippery rocks.

[MemphisFF]

Yep one time with a buddy who threw me in or maybe it was my fault, didn't have the seats on his bass tracker and a cooler I was sitting on..

Pickwick in bear creek fishing buddy and I was there fishing as I was sitting on the cooler in the back of the boat.. Buddy got ticked at other guys who came all the way across the creek to cut us off from fishing a spot, buddy pulled trolling motor up fast didn't realize what was going on, he started the motor gunned it and out I go...

Did a backwards tumble out the back it was really quick lost my sunglasses and hat...buddy was like I don't understand all he heard was ice he thought it was gravel from him gunning the motor in the creek anyways he was embarrassed and lucky the prop didn't get me and we had something to laugh about and so did the other guys as they told my buddy he done thrown me out the boat.. If this was on video it would have been award winning...

[mrmacwvu1]

Of course

Anyone that fly fishes that says they have not is not doing it right

[Khan of the Res]

Watch your step. What ended my fishing season last year was a drunken misstep. In the last week of august I was bank fishing off of a place my friends and I call Pride Rock. Its a rock that juts out over the water and theres around a 4-5 drop with jagged rocks and tree roots on the bottom. I remember having an awesome day, having caught 6 largemouths, and I had downed about a pint of Evan Williams finest discount sippin whiskey in short time. I remember standing near the edge and fixing something the end of my rod when I stepped back too far and fell into the water. I scrambled back up the rock face and back onto the bank. I looked down and noticed there was a golf ball sized hole in my leg along with a glob of fat dripping out. I shoved a liquor bag in the hole and tied down with fishing line and limped about a half mile or so out of the woods. I was lucky to run into my friend's brother who called him to take me to the hospital. Got me 14 stitches and missed out on September bass fishing. I was lucky I didn't go through the muscle and couldn't walk for about a month.

[BassmanDan]

I had a perfect fall record going for 16 years until last summer. I was fishing a new lake that is mostly "regulars" and had heard they try and keep the place quiet and you almost have to have an invitation even though it is a public jon-boat only rental situation. Anyway it was closing time so everyone was in the loading area and I had noticed a few looks like "who's this guy fishing our lake?" I stepped out of the boat onto the bank with the battery and the boat shifted and into the water I went. Nobody laughed out loud but there were plenty of smiles and grins to go around.

[geo g]

About 20 years ago I went to the glades with my principal, who was my best friend of 20 years. It was a late May morning with fog, high humidity and an unusual number of big gators in the L67 canal. This canal is the largest everglades canal, surrounded by miles of shallow flats full of everything imaginable. We ran about 6 miles from the closest road and shut down with no one in sight. I mentioned to Tom the incredible size and number of huge gators that morning, and it was still a half hour from first light.

Tom had a brand new Shimano Reel that was top of the line. He made his first cast, and the zara spook went twice as far as any cast he had ever made. The spook was hanging in a tree at the edge of the canal. He asked me troll over to where the lure was hanging so he could get it out of the tree. I positioned the boat with the stern close to the overhanging branches. Tom needed about another foot to reach the lure so he decided to steep on a large bolder next to the tree. With one foot on the boat, and one foot on the rock, Tom found himself going into a split as the boat moved away from the rock from his pressure.

All of a sudden I heard a big splash, turned around and saw Tom swimming in 8 feet of water with 10 foot gators within 40 yards of the boat. In the darkness and sudden panic, I had hit the off switch button on the foot control. Tom was yelling, treading water, and I finally figured out what happened to the trolling motor. It flashed through my mind at this moment, how I was going to tell everyone at school, how I took the principal fishing, and he was eaten by gators.

I never saw anyone climb up that big rock so fast with a rod and reel in one hand, hat in the other, all while screaming for me to come get him off this dam rock. Once back in the boat and I knew everything was in one piece, we both laughed at the stupidity of the whole thing. Why he would ever step off the boat for a $6 lure in the dark, with monster gators everywhere. We laughed about this for years, and I have told the story many times at Tom's expense.

Sorry for the long story, but My good buddy Tom is no longer with us, but I still smile and laugh with him every time I tell this story. A minute of shear terror, but years of gut busting laughter!

[Jtrout]

Happened to me friday One day before my trip to south florida. I went trout fishing in a nearby river and and it was icy and the river was part frozen and I'm carrying 3 rods and a tackle bag I go to step around this little tree and slip on ice and my right leg slips of the rocks and breaks ice and goes into the water while my left leg stayed up on the rock I happened to grab the branch which saved me from going all the way in. So I pull my self out and my right knee gives out I guess I twisted it really bad I hobbled back to my car and went home and put a knee brace on and left for florida. It's not keeping me from catching fish on my vacation! Il probably have it looked at when I come back.

[bucky]

I have never fallen out, but did get thrown out while running on Dale Hollow a few years back. It was early April, water temp was at 50 dg, and my partner and I were traveling about 55mph and we must have stuck an underwater log or something. The boat turned sharply and over the side I went, and my partner went out the back. We were wearing auto inflatable life jackets and the did their job of firing. I would have drowned if I had been knocked unconscious or had broken an arm because when I surfaced, my inflatable straps were still under my arms, but the inflated part had been pulled over my head when I hit the water. I was floating with my head under the water and had to slip my head through the opening. My partner had no problem with his because he was wearing his under a large 100mph BPS parka. There was about a 15 mph wind on the lake and we were thrown far enough away from the boat that the wind carried it out of our reach before we could catch on to it.

   I discovered another problem with inflatable PFD's on that day. You can't swim well at all, in fact all you can do is the back stroke because you can't turn prone, it is impossible, or was for me. The jacket keeps you from being able to turn your head well from side to side so it is difficult to see anything. Once we lost sight of the boat, we never found it. We floated in the frigid water for 20 minutes until another boater came by and found us. I could not get into the boat but had to be dragged into it. No use of my legs at all and very little arm usage. My pants were ripped off and I lost wallet, keys and everything in my pockets. Went to hospital and was released but my partner had to spend the night because of minor cuts and bumps. Still don't know what we hit, not a scratch could be found on the boat or motor. Everything check out ok with the steering.

 I have a regular life jacket for running down the lake and only use the inflatable when fishing or moving slowly. I am 70 so when I get into the boat, I put my pfd on, and take it off when I get into the truck to go home. I feel fortunate to be here to day. Wear those pfd's, they will save your lives. Thank the good Lord, I made it.

 

 

 

[MemphisFF]

I have never fallen out, but did get thrown out while running on Dale Hollow a few years back. It was early April, water temp was at 50 dg, and my partner and I were traveling about 55mph and we must have stuck an underwater log or something. The boat turned sharply and over the side I went, and my partner went out the back. We were wearing auto inflatable life jackets and the did their job of firing. I would have drowned if I had been knocked unconscious or had broken an arm because when I surfaced, my inflatable straps were still under my arms, but the inflated part had been pulled over my head when I hit the water. I was floating with my head under the water and had to slip my head through the opening. My partner had no problem with his because he was wearing his under a large 100mph BPS parka. There was about a 15 mph wind on the lake and we were thrown far enough away from the boat that the wind carried it out of our reach before we could catch on to it.

I discovered another problem with inflatable PFD's on that day. You can't swim well at all, in fact all you can do is the back stroke because you can't turn prone, it is impossible, or was for me. The jacket keeps you from being able to turn your head well from side to side so it is difficult to see anything. Once we lost sight of the boat, we never found it. We floated in the frigid water for 20 minutes until another boater came by and found us. I could not get into the boat but had to be dragged into it. No use of my legs at all and very little arm usage. My pants were ripped off and I lost wallet, keys and everything in my pockets. Went to hospital and was released but my partner had to spend the night because of minor cuts and bumps. Still don't know what we hit, not a scratch could be found on the boat or motor. Everything check out ok with the steering.

I have a regular life jacket for running down the lake and only use the inflatable when fishing or moving slowly. I am 70 so when I get into the boat, I put my pfd on, and take it off when I get into the truck to go home. I feel fortunate to be here to day. Wear those pfd's, they will save your lives. Thank the good Lord, I made it.

Great story about using those PFD's and I'm glad you're still here because you and your partner were wearing them. Thanks for sharing

[calibassin]

Yes, I was in a boat for 2 hours straight. Got dizzy from the swaying, went to a beach area, lost ny balance and just fell WITH my rod into the water. good times.