Mob (Men Over Board)

[fish]

Wasn't going to say anything about this but the more I thought about it the more I think it should be mentioned.

Reader's Digest version....

Wife and I were staying down at Lilleys for a long weekend of R&R end of this July. Decided to get out of the cabin and make a run up to Short Ck and drift back down. So we are motoring up the river and get to the first corner where old Sun Valley used to be. I looked up ahead and said "What the H*** !!!" I see two guys floating behind a swamped boat. Of course we pulled up and two big ol boys were in the drink w/ four units running and no life jackets on We tried to pull one guy in our boat but he is too big and our boat rides too high to get him in. Told him to hold onto the side which he did. The second guy got back to the back of their boat and tried to climb in. It was a 14' V- bottom and all he managed to do was capsize it and everything inside went floating downriver. By now there were a couple other boats watching. They rounded up what was left of their gear. Got over to the second guy and got him to hold on to the side(He was shaking from the cold.) Got their boat tied to the ours and we idled across the river towards the shallow sidewhile the wife was holding on to them. Don't think if either had let go we could have done anything. Anyway we made it to shore within sight of Lilleys.

I think that is when it hit as to what might have happened to them. They said One of them stood up to stretch at the same time the other leaned to the side. Result. Both of them went out.

Got the boat flipped back over and bailed out and gave them a ride back down to Cooper Ck ramp. They were more than thankful.

What might have been??? But, All's well that ends well

[edit] Went to BPS after we got home and got a four step ladder for the boat. Got me thinking what if one of us went overboard

[Gilly]

I'm going to be totally un-PC here but to quote/paraphrase a SNL skit..."Fat man in a little boat".

You wonder why people make stupid decisions and in this case, multiple ones. Thank goodness you weren't dealing with a tragic outcome.

[Trevor K]

I've had a similar situation happen to me before, but it was just in a pond, so it wasn't really a big deal. My boat didn't tip all the way over either, just enought to send my dad and me into the drink. Those guys got really lucky that you were in the right place at the right time and able to help them.

[Trout Commander]

Good on you for helping Fish. Sounds like others just observed.

[Trevor K]

They're both lucky that they didn't hit their head and get knock out when they went overboard too.

[David Unnerstall]

Whenever I read stories like this I wonder if this is the result of stupidity or can something like this happen to everyone. It seems you hear about something like this every month.

[mobluegill]

I stayed at Lilley's this May. I saw a lot of people some of them children boating full blast without PFDs. I had a hard time fishing and keeping mine on (vest style) so when I came home I went to BPS and bought an inflatable. It is like not wearing a vest. I forget I have it on. I fish from my john boat and was thinking about fixing a loop that I could use to get back in.

Thank you for being there for these guys.