Chance_Taker4 Posted January 6, 2018 Posted January 6, 2018 Nik and his brother are on the same pro staff as I am. We have been getting updates through the team multiple times a day. It happened on Thursday during a Costa event. They guys never made it back for weigh in. The boat wrecked (still unclear how). Bill was found on the boat disoriented and with hypothermia early Friday morning. He is in the hospital and still isn't able to tell authorities what happened. Nik is still missing. judging from photos of the guys before the event and the wrecked boat authorities believe that the accident happened during the morning launch. while traveling SW. That is all the details I know as of this morning. They are still searching for Nik. Quote
Super User Sam Posted January 6, 2018 Super User Posted January 6, 2018 Thanks.  Very sad news. Very upsetting news.  I hope Nik is OK and they will find him, soon. Quote
Super User geo g Posted January 6, 2018 Super User Posted January 6, 2018 Big O is a massive body of water and because it is so shallow, it can produce big waves quickly. The wind action also pushes large quantities of water from side to side depending on wind direction. Area that were safe for navigation can become too shallow because the water was blown out. Rocks in between waves lengths can be exposed, that are usually safe on calm days.  It is also easy to get disoriented, especially if your electronics  go out. Compass reading, and visual sightings, are always a good back up. The lake is bigger then most can imagine the first time you journey out into open water. It is truely an inland sea. Lake O and bad weather is a rough and sometimes dangerous combination.  God bless the family of both anglers. I hope they find the missing man so the family has some closure. It is a sad time for all of us that love the sport. 1 Quote
Super User slonezp Posted January 6, 2018 Super User Posted January 6, 2018 I read elsewhere they speared a wave. Both fishermen were thrown from the boat. Bill made it back to the boat and tied himself to the trolling motor. Nik still is unaccounted for Quote
fishraptor Posted January 6, 2018 Posted January 6, 2018 6 hours ago, frogflogger said: I do not know the details of the disaster this past Friday but it is heart breaking and it has happened before on this lake. Many of us on this forum love to fish the big O - many dream of it - at 30 miles wide it is a shallow inland sea - it can get dangerous in a heart beat - if you go there be a weather watcher and know something of handling a boat in rough water and of course wear a good life jacket - You can get disoriented easier than on most lakes. I feel if you fish big water you should consider a boat handling course it is easy to be so into the moment when fishing that one can forget boating basics. Don't stay away from the lake just respect it and know you and your boats limitations.  Your comment "consider a boat handling course if on big open water"....... I did not know they had such a thing. I have been boating on the Cape for 4 years and boating on inland lakes much longer than that.  Is this course for very first boaters that don't know diddly or can someone that has boated on the ocean for quite a while learn anything.  I don't mind taking a course but not looking for the simple basics and such. Where are these courses listed and taken. Thanks. Quote
frogflogger Posted January 6, 2018 Posted January 6, 2018 US Powerboating.com will get you headed there. Â Quote
Super User soflabasser Posted January 7, 2018 Super User Posted January 7, 2018 Today I went night fishing to Lake Okeechobee from land for some specks and saw how ruff the lake was. Whitecaps where visible from shore and there was lots of big waves. It was very windy, easily +15 mph winds and it was cold for South Florida standards( mid 40's-low 50's). It was very dark tonight, I would not want to be in that water at night. I hope they find the man and hope that boaters learn to drive slower and more careful when on Lake Okeechobee . 1 Quote
BillP Posted January 7, 2018 Posted January 7, 2018 Hopefully Bill recovers quickly and Nik is found Quote
Super User slonezp Posted January 7, 2018 Super User Posted January 7, 2018 I don't know how FLW and BASS handle weather issues. On days with heavy winds and storms, my club gives the us option as individuals to not fish. As a group we can also postpone the tourney and schedule a "rain date" 1 Quote
je1946 Posted January 7, 2018 Posted January 7, 2018 59 minutes ago, slonezp said: I don't know how FLW and BASS handle weather issues. On days with heavy winds and storms, my club gives the us option as individuals to not fish. As a group we can also postpone the tourney and schedule a "rain date" Wise choice, NO tournament or fish is worth loosing your life and or boat. If you have to ask is it safe, than you've answered your own question. 2 Quote
Super User WRB Posted January 7, 2018 Super User Posted January 7, 2018 On January 6, 2018 at 6:23 AM, Chance_Taker4 said: Nik and his brother are on the same pro staff as I am. We have been getting updates through the team multiple times a day. It happened on Thursday during a Costa event. They guys never made it back for weigh in. The boat wrecked (still unclear how). Bill was found on the boat disoriented and with hypothermia early Friday morning. He is in the hospital and still isn't able to tell authorities what happened. Nik is still missing. judging from photos of the guys before the event and the wrecked boat authorities believe that the accident happened during the morning launch. while traveling SW. That is all the details I know as of this morning. They are still searching for Nik. Any updated news on finding Nik or what happened ? Tom Quote
SWVABass Posted January 7, 2018 Posted January 7, 2018 I read on another forum that they speared a wave, knocking the co angler out. Then the boater tried to turn back to get him and when he did it swamped the boat.. couldn’t restart the motor and tried to use the trolling motor but then he to was knocked over board. Some how he manage to tie himself to the trolling motor. This is just second hand info from another forum... don’t want to call it the truth though.  sad day for fishing in general. I have fished one extremely rough day in a tourney out of a 18’ as a co. It scared the ***** out of me. I learned from that day on if I’m not good with the conditions I’ll donate my money to the pot and go to work, I have enough uncontrolled risk related with my job I don’t need to increase it with something I do for fun.  Prayers and thoughts for the co anglers family as this will be a tough time moving forward, and prayers to the boater I can only imagine what he must be dealing with god bless both and their family’s. Quote
Ben Miller Posted January 7, 2018 Posted January 7, 2018 Â I found this... Â http://www.tcpalm.com/story/sports/2018/01/06/tragedy-lake/1009430001/ Quote
DINK WHISPERER Posted January 7, 2018 Posted January 7, 2018 The search resumed as of safe light this morning. But still nothing found. The waves out there are insane right now and have been all week. Going to be really hard to find him until this wind lays down some. Still hoping for a miracle on the Big O. 5 Quote
Super User WRB Posted January 7, 2018 Super User Posted January 7, 2018 Sounds like the driver panicked after hitting a wave wrong ejecting his partner, turned too fast swamping his boat then fell out and couldn't get back in, then tied himself to the trolling motor. It's impossible to get back into a boat from the bow, you must work around to the stern that is low to the water, difficult task clothed in rough water. Pray for these anglers and their families. Tom  1 Quote
Super User geo g Posted January 8, 2018 Super User Posted January 8, 2018 A big problem with the search is the wind will not only blow the body around, but also floating mats that may cover the body in yards of thick green stuff. The body may just not be visible through the cover, and its now a race before the wildlife arrive. Once the wind dies down, cadaver dogs on search boats would be a big help in finding the body. They will alert on the slightest smell, and very successful in searches throughout the country.  FLW could certainly provide assets to get these recovery teams here to help with the search. 1 1 Quote
hawgenvy Posted January 8, 2018 Posted January 8, 2018 I was out on the lake yesterday (Saturday), windy and cold (by FL standards) with air temps 40s to 50s, water in the low 50s, and 15-20 mph winds from the north. Darn choppy too, especially dangerous if you're trying to go fast. My buddy and I kept our bass boat in moderately protected areas, which were still unpleasant. I can see how you can get tossed out of a little bass boat on a fast run through chop, become unconscious through impact or incapacitated by hypothermia and in either case not be able to swim back over to the boat. And everything that looks like land is a floating island or emergent tall grass. Even where there are trees, they are probably afloat on a thick mat. And if you do find a dry spot in a tree, your clothes are wet and wind chill is in the 30s. Awful to picture any plausible scenario. And, BTW, the fishing was horrid -- we had only 2 bass all day. 3 Quote
Chance_Taker4 Posted January 8, 2018 Posted January 8, 2018 21 hours ago, WRB said: Any updated news on finding Nik or what happened ? Tom Only thing to add now is searchers are now looking in grass mats because if he got tangled in it, the boaters and helicopters wouldn't see him unless specifically looking in it. Also Bill has an app that locates his car keys and his keys are sitting in the bottom of the lake. The app shows the exact location of where the accident happened so searchers now have a specific area to comb over. 5 Quote
BassNJake Posted January 8, 2018 Posted January 8, 2018 Still missing and a gofundme has been set up  https://www.gofundme.com/nik-kayler   2 Quote
FSOPAMitch Posted January 8, 2018 Posted January 8, 2018 I am with the USCG AUX and a member of BASS.  I would like to see it mandatory that a strobe light would be attached to your life vest to aid in finding you.  They are not that expensive and can save your life.  I have them on all my PFD,s with a mirror and whistle.  Have you ever tried looking for a basketball at 300’ in the Air from a moving chopper?  2 Quote
Super User Sam Posted January 9, 2018 Super User Posted January 9, 2018 All types of boats are headed to the area to help with the search. Â I read that the cadaver dogs are also on their way. Â Terrible situation. Â Wakeup call for us all. 1 Quote
DINK WHISPERER Posted January 9, 2018 Posted January 9, 2018 Even saw Scott Martin and Brandon out there helping. I still can't believe this myself! Slowly losing hope. ? Quote
Super User geo g Posted January 9, 2018 Super User Posted January 9, 2018 57 minutes ago, Sam said: All types of boats are headed to the area to help with the search.  I read that the cadaver dogs are also on their way.  Terrible situation.  Wakeup call for us all. Cadaver dogs would be the best help in thick floating mats. They will smell what you can't see. 1 Quote
Fishing_FF Posted January 9, 2018 Posted January 9, 2018 Cadaver dogs arrived today to help with the search.  More local resources are arriving too like Orlando Fire Dept’s boat team.   I saw a video of a 26’ inshore boat on the lake yesterday that looked like a Jon boat being tossed around in the big waves.  Nik was a USMC instructor for water survival, so there is hope he’s on one of the many small islands. 3 Quote
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