Tragedy Avoided-Be Careful

[Van]

It easy to get complacent about what we are doing in ours boats.
Think about this story which happened over the weekend.
The husband of a collegue here at work has been boating for years.
The other day he is going down to the boat like thousands of times before. He has some groceries in his hands and is about to step onto the platform. His foot missed a bit and he slipped and fell into the drink. Somehow either going down or trying to get back up he cut his leg severely on the prop. 50 staples worth ! Tore calf muscle and lost plenty of blood. Surgery for three hours.

He came up under the platform and panicked thinking he could not get back up. Luckily some dockmates heard him go in and came over and pulled him out. He was incoherent from the shock. Just imagine how this could have turned out. Another minute and he might have gone down for good.

Lucky is an understatement.

It made me think of how routine it is doing some things are on my boat, but what can actually happen even with all the experience I/we have.

End of lecture..........

[RIJIMMY]

thanks for sharing

[MrHunters]

i think of crap like that all the time. you just never know... only thing to do is be as careful as you can.

lucky guy...

[piemma]

Here's another one where God was watching out for me.

I had to re-wire my GPS. I'm inder the center console trying to pull a connector off with a needle nose pliers. Well, the connector finally breaks free and the plier tip hits a fraction of an inch above my eyeball then imbeds itself in my face. Lots of blood but no real damage. An 1/8 if an inch south and I'm blind in my right eye....

[MrHunters]

jeez em how sharp is the point of your pliers?

[piemma]

Originally Posted by MrHunters

jeez em how sharp is the point of your pliers?

They were 10 inch long needle nose pliers.

[parker23]

I was out one early spring morning about 12 years ago. Pulling out of the marina, I see splashing and a dinghy flipped over. Went to take a look and there is a man in his mid to late sixties in the water. He had rowed out to his mooring to replace the winter stick w/ his pendant. The water was probably low 50's and he said that he was in the water for at least 10 minutes. I had to pull him into the boat, he had absolutely no strength left. Several years later, I read that a boater in Tiverton was changing out his winter stick and was found floating in the Sakonnet River dead from exposure.
I think of all the stupid things I did on the water as a kid. One Easter Sunday my neighbor and I decided to launch our raft we had built over the fall/winter. We were so excited, that I forgot to change out of my Easter dress clothing. When they found us in the water and we were just cold wet and muddy, I got my butt kicked for my stupidity and for ruining my clothes.
We are not infallible, always error on the side of caution.

[Fish On]

Everything else second. Safety first!

Thanks for sharing. Always good to hear a reminder.

[Striper1]

Originally Posted by Van

It made me think of how routine it is doing some things are on my boat, but what can actually happen even with all the experience I/we have,

One time I had a guy that keeps his boat a few boats down from my boat at the marina thank me for having a fold down ladder on the back of my boat he told me he fell in the water trying to work on his motor and had to use the ladder to get out of the water.