Indian point drowning

[Dylan Cluver]

Multiple eye witnesses saw it happen. His remains haven't  been recovered.

[Bill Babler]

Yes, if someone saw him in the water and I had not seen or heard this I for sure retract my thoughts.  Only thing I knew was they saw the boat circling.  Here is the deal however.  A body that drowns is not in motion and does not go into motion until Liquidity sets in and raises gasses in the body.  There is no current even with the dam running full boar that will move that body from the position that it came to rest.  If there were eye witnesses on the exact location, within a couple of hundred yards he should have been recovered as I don't think it is even close to 100 ft. right there.

It was my job on the Water Patrol to recover bodies.  And boy did I.  It was one of the main reasons I quit, just got tired of pulling them out.  Over 30 in a single year when myself and Pat Byrne worked the Missouri River from the Nebraska Line to St. Louis.  Even in the Mighty river if we got on scene quickly we made recoveries  exactly where the body submerged.

I did not know there were eye witnesses.  That makes it all the more puzzling.

[m&m]

I did not hear about the eye witnesses either.  So if there were witnesses who saw him fall out of the boat and thrashing in the water, then I also retract my earlier comment.  Sad story.

Mike

[dtrs5kprs]

4 hours ago, Bill Babler said:

Yes, if someone saw him in the water and I had not seen or heard this I for sure retract my thoughts.  Only thing I knew was they saw the boat circling.  Here is the deal however.  A body that drowns is not in motion and does not go into motion until Liquidity sets in and raises gasses in the body.  There is no current even with the dam running full boar that will move that body from the position that it came to rest.  If there were eye witnesses on the exact location, within a couple of hundred yards he should have been recovered as I don't think it is even close to 100 ft. right there.

It was my job on the Water Patrol to recover bodies.  And boy did I.  It was one of the main reasons I quit, just got tired of pulling them out.  Over 30 in a single year when myself and Pat Byrne worked the Missouri River from the Nebraska Line to St. Louis.  Even in the Mighty river if we got on scene quickly we made recoveries  exactly where the body submerged.

I did not know there were eye witnesses.  That makes it all the more puzzling.

That's a lot of river for two officers. Goodness. It's about three miles from me right now. 

[Bill Babler]

Yes, it was a heck of a job.  We patrolled the KC area and the St. Joseph area, and just were on call for the rest of the river.  At times we would work out of Carrolton or down as far as Columbia, but most all we did those last two years was search and recovery.  At that time there was a lot of murder's with the bodies thrown in the drink.  St. Joe to Sibley was the absolute worst.   I still have nightmares about navigating that river In the dark.   We once went from River Front Park to almost Nebraska looking for lost souls on 3 different evenings, staying on the river all night.  That is not a job for the meek.

[MOPanfisher]

Bill, you and those who still do that job have my respect, I have recovered a few but not a job I ever liked or sought out.  The old WP guys including Pat were solid gold for me.   Up here, Hutton and Foster were always available and worth their weight in gold, nothing against the newer guys just seem to be harder to contact sometimes going through the MSHP system.  I learned quite a bit from the "old WP guys" on recoveries.  First year at Pomme in 92 we had a drowning in March, not sure exactly where he went down, lots of boats dragging, area kept expanding except for 2 old WP guys in an aluminum boat, kept dragging the same area, finally they pulled up the victim.  I later asked them about why they stayed on that spot so long, "We rolled the body early in the dragging process but didn't hook him", of course I had to ask how they could know,  "Son we've been doing this a long time, we know what it feels like to roll one".  Never caught their names but they were true professionals.  I hate to see it when a recovery is not made, don't remember now how many are un-recovered in TR but its got to be tough on a family not to have that final closure.

[Flysmallie]

I remember Foster. He was a good guy but a very stern guy. Seems like he liked to flag me down at the most annoying time to make sure I had a float cushion. He seemed to live to harass me but I never minded talking to him.

In 92 was that the boat mechanic that worked out of 83 Marina? He was a good guy too. I always wore my life jacket after that.  

[MOPanfisher]

Yes it was the mechanic, I was ashamed I couldn't remember his name, should have looked it up.  I try to remember the ones I worked on as a sign of respect but time and chemo has robbed much of that ability from me.  Foster was unique in his ability to give you a glare, from his 6'3" or so height and flat top hair cut that made you shrink, then pop a smile that would light up the world.  Have seen him handle folks both ways depending on situation.  

[Flysmallie]

Just now, MOPanfisher said:

Yes it was the mechanic, I was ashamed I couldn't remember his name, should have looked it up.  I try to remember the ones I worked on as a sign of respect but time and chemo has robbed much of that ability from me.  Foster was unique in his ability to give you a glare, from his 6'3" or so height and flat top hair cut that made you shrink, then pop a smile that would light up the world.  Have seen him handle folks both ways depending on situation.  

Don't feel ashamed I can't remember it either and I spent a fair amount of time harassing him in that shop. I remember going to his visitation with my dad and his friends and seeing that he was a navy pilot at one time or something like that. I figured if he couldn't make it out of that one then somebody like me had no chance so I've worn the life jacket religiously ever since. 

As a young college kid Foster was pretty intimidating at first. But I respected him so we had a good relationship. Even though to an outsider it would always look like he was riding my butt about something. 

[AdMaven]

He was recovered by Indian Point.