Pickwick Lake Tragedy.

[jdmidwest]

I know it was a freak accident, it has happened in the past. Cell phone calls for help?  If the were in the middle of it, too many open gates to get to side with slack water? Trying to fish and win a tourney and did not realize the danger?  I guess we will never know more than what we see.

 Moral of the story, stay clear of big dams when spilling or generating.

[tjm]

I normally leave the phone in the truck. But if they had called who would they call and what would be the response time? I imagine that it took seconds from when they realized they were in trouble to the point of no return. Destroying all those dams would prevent this sort of thing, but nothing will prevent people taking risks. 

[Flysmallie]

39 minutes ago, tjm said:

I normally leave the phone in the truck. But if they had called who would they call and what would be the response time? 

911 would be a good place to start. 

[tjm]

3 hours ago, Flysmallie said:

911 would be a good place to start. 

Think that's a 30-45 minute response ? I don't know but presume that 911 goes to the sheriff and then a dispatcher would route it to some water patrol who might have to transport and launch a boat or travel the length of the lake by boat, meanwhile those seconds were ticking away and the phone talker wasn't helping to paddle the boat. I don't  think it would have made any difference if all three had phoned in or if sixteen bystanders on shore had all phoned in. If a rescue boat was within line throwing distance they would have responded without a phone call. Not having seen the video or having access to the 911 records we can only guess, but my guess is there just ain't time to write home in those circumstances.  Phone calls would be the last thing that would occur to me in any crisis, but it would have gotten the body search underway sooner.

[fishinwrench]

18 minutes ago, tjm said:

4 hours ago, Flysmallie said:

 

Think that's a 30-45 minute response ?

Surely not.   But even if so.....2 teenagers and a couple of flat-sided Plano boxes should have been able to get the boat out of the current.  

I just can't get this image out of my head....of some ding-a-ling saying "welp, SURPRISE, the motor died...guess we're all gonna die".

[moguy1973]

18 hours ago, fishinwrench said:

Naw c'mon, there had to have been a significant amount of time for someone to react.    

If nothing else the two boys could have paddled the boat hard enough and long enough for someone to make a 911 call and for help to arrive.   I've singlehandedly paddled a 24'pontoon boat against heavy wind and boat wakes.   You may not gain much ground but you can darn sure hold your position if your life is at stake.

200,000 CFM, you'll need a pretty big paddle and Hercules manning it.

[tjm]

12 minutes ago, moguy1973 said:

200,000 CFM, you'll need a pretty big paddle and Hercules manning it.

  12,000,000 CFM?

On 2/27/2020 at 6:07 AM, jdmidwest said:

over 200,000 cfs

Right now the Osage is @23,500 CFS at Bagnell so think ten times that much water, if jdmidwest is correct. What is a good guess for current speed with that flow. 25-50mph?

[fishinwrench]

You don't have that kinda flow force ABOVE the dam !    

Those are figures from below the spillway.    

Surely they weren't 50-100' from the giant waterfall when the motor stalled.

[fishinwrench]

This is yet another prime example of why it is so stupid for the EPA to force manufacturers to design motors that won't run at all....unless they can run CLEAN and GREEN.   

If an engine quits at an inopportune time, then people (taxpayers) can die.  A little bit of bad exhaust is a small price to pay for 3 lives.

[dtrs5kprs]

24 minutes ago, fishinwrench said:

This is yet another prime example of why it is so stupid for the EPA to force manufacturers to design motors that won't run at all....unless they can run CLEAN and GREEN.   

If an engine quits at an inopportune time, then people (taxpayers) can die.  A little bit of bad exhaust is a small price to pay for 3 lives.

Indeed. Cut the emissions elsewhere.