Bass boat no driver

[MOPanfisher]

it is amazing how quick and easy it can happen.  I know two people who went over their boat on Truman.  they were both standing up front running the tolling motor, cruising from one spot a little way to another, cruising along enjoying life, one hit a stump and one hit an old barb wire fence, it was either fall out or step out on the water.  I would have injured myself attempting to stay in the boat probably.

[skeeter]

The posts about balance coupled with age are right on the money.  Try combining that with the long-term neuropathy that hits the extremities post-chemo.  I'm just now, three years later, getting confident enough to venture out alone, but not on a windy day or this weekend.  It's surprising how much of your balance depends on sensation/nerves in your feet and when that goes numb you have to kind of re-learn your balance based on your Vision. 

Some smart person needs to invent some kind of ladder that can be reached by a person in the water after falling out of a Bass Boat where the person can actually climb back into the boat unassisted. 

[kjackson]

A boarding ladder on the stern should help that.  I know I will have one on my next boat.  However, if you do take a dive, you can use the trim on the big motor. About 15 years ago or more, a walleye pro went over the side when he was fishing alone in cold water (translates to a lot of clothes). He worked his way back to the big motor, straddled it and hit the trim button. It lifted him up enough that he could make it back into the boat.  I've not tried it, but I keep that in mind as I'm hitting that window of age with a realization that balance can be an issue.

I wear an inflatable PFD but don't use the kill-switch lanyard. I run a 50 hp tiller, so it's not quite the same situation as when in a bass boat.

[MOPanfisher]

A boarding ladder is certainly not a bad thing, however it won't mean much without a kill switch used.  A circling running boat isn't going to stop for you it will hit you, make some wicked chops with the prop, and circle back for another try.  We teach our employees the tilt/trim method among other ways to re enter a boat if you end up out of the boat unexpectedly.  Even the stern mounted ladders are sketchy, usually even the folding ones don't put a rung very far into the water, often less  than a foot deep.  Heck if I could flex enough to get my foot that high I could probably climb back in.

[Jan_Z]

On 5/26/2016 at 11:02 PM, abkeenan said:

NEVER good to hear this. Another reminder to WEAR YOUR PFD's! Even more so on busy holiday weekends. Takes 10 seconds to throw on a life jacket, takes even less time to make a mistake and pay with your life.

And wear the kill switch lanyard

[Bass Enforcer]

Has anyone heard the latest on the driver/owner?

[bobby b.]

My eighbor just told me that they suspended the search due to the holiday boat traffic according to the 5/28 6 pm news.  That's gotta be hard on the family.

[MOPanfisher]

Yeah but no point in getting someone killed trying to recover a body.  If it is deep, and I think the report was 100 feet, it could be a while before the body comes up, assuming it isn't hung up on something.  Wouldn't be the first body that TR kept, hopefully it doesn't turn into a worse situation and the body float up amid the holiday pleasure boaters.

[Dylan Cluver]

The guy had just launched at stillwaters and was running his boat out of the creek headed for the main lake when he hit a wake in front of Indian Point Marina and was ejected from his boat. Folks from different parts of the marina saw it happen and saw the guy in the water struggling. The owner of the marina jumped into a pontoon and raced out there but could not get to the guy in time. The bass boat was circling in full throttle and the marina owner took a tube rope and was able to get it in front of the boat and tangle the prop. The water patrol searched until about midnight and dove a few spots and suspended efforts for the evening and diving operations began the next morning at 5:30. It was unsuccessful and the WP ran imaging all day on the area of the incident where they marked a few points that are going to be dove tonight 5/28 after the boating traffic has slowed for the day. 

[bobby b.]

4 minutes ago, Dylan Cluver said:

The guy had just launched at stillwaters and was running his boat out of the creek headed for the main lake when he hit a wake in front of Indian Point Marina and was ejected from his boat. Folks from different parts of the marina saw it happen and saw the guy in the water struggling. The owner of the marina jumped into a pontoon and raced out there but could not get to the guy in time. The bass boat was circling in full throttle and the marina owner took a tube rope and was able to get it in front of the boat and tangle the prop. The water patrol searched until about midnight and dove a few spots and suspended efforts for the evening and diving operations began the next morning at 5:30. It was unsuccessful and the WP ran imaging all day on the area of the incident where they marked a few points that are going to be dove tonight 5/28 after the boating traffic has slowed for the day. 

I'm wondering if it was one of those wake boats.  I've heard that there is a movement to outlaw those water ballast in Mo.?