Lake Hunter Warning

[willybee]

Heard a news report of a man drowning in a lake tuesday. they said
his canoe
drifted away from shore and he attempted to retrieve it by swimming after it.
He went under once and never came up. That was tuesday at 4 pm. No mention
of the name or identity of the guy or arrowhead hunting-just that he was 25 years old.


Turns out it was a guy I know. He was arrowhead hunting in a large lake
by canoe without a life jacket. His buddy watched him drown from shore.
Nothing he could do. Jason just went under once, and never came up.
Although I wear an inflatable emergency belt at all times-there have been
several occasions where I swam after my boat in just the same situation.


The guy who drowned was healthy as a horse, young, and a professional
drywall hanger-short but whipcord strong. A little close to home-could
have been any of us. Jason was smart and strong and
not drinking or on drugs. i could not have been convinced that jason
could have been PURPOSELY drowned much less accidentally.

This guy could dig arrowheads all day and it wouldn't even phase him. Shocking how stuff we don't even associate with dying can kill us.

BE CAREFUL ON THE LAKE-they don't call it a life preserver for nothing.
Guy was just married and a 3 month old kid. All you lake hunters out there- remember your flotation device.

willy

[Dirty_Digger]

Sounds like we lost a good one. I myself dumped my canoe just a week ago. Lucky it was just a creek and all I had to do was stand up. But you never know. Sorry for your loss Willy. Give Jason's family our best.

[CDEAN]

How did he drown?

[Middle Mountain]

Maybe a current or maybe the kind of lake bottom that you sink in (just guesses) several feet. Sorry to hear about that Willybee.

I almost drown at johnson shutins when I was 13 going down these little waterfall things and kept trying to reach air then gave up and suddenly head was above water so I must have been fighting the current? You guys dont get too brave with waders in deep water!

[willybee]

learned a little more, but nobody knows why he actually
drowned. he was a strong swimmer.

i didn't go out that day because the winds were gusting
30-40 mph on tuesday. it was warm-but i don't go out on
the water when its that windy-its too uncomfortable and difficult.

apparently there were 3 guys in the canoe. i looked up where
the emergency crews went and they were about one mile across
the lake from the boat ramp. with 30-40 mph wind gusts it could
be easy for a boat to blow away from the shoreline. apparently
they were hunting the shoreline when the canoe blew away
out into deep water. i am guessing he swam after it with a real
quick spot decision-he swam into deep open water.


They should not have been on a large lake with 30 mph winds-
especially in a canoe. just a couple bad decisions and a moment
of panic-and your numbers up.


willy

[joshuaream]

That's too bad. I assume he had his clothes on and that can wear out even a strong swimmer very quickly.

[dogteam]

That's right on Josh, I've seen people get in real bad trouble trying to swim to a boat with their clothes on, never realizing ahead of time that it would be an issue. Not saying that's what happened here, but just a word to the wise. Probably the canoe was still drifting, too, forcing him to go just a bit further...then further...

[Scotto]

Oh man, that is too sad. Leaving a wife behind and a baby. Sorry to hear that Willy.

[willybee]

Originally Posted by joshuaream

That's too bad. I assume he had his clothes on and that can wear out even a strong swimmer very quickly.

yep-found out he had all his clothes on-which means he made a bad
decision and his two buddies didn't snap to it either. crazy.
went lake hunting today and realized you have to make bad decisions to be in real danger. but-bet your a$$ i wore my full sized life preserver out there
today though.



willy

[rockhunter]

what a bummer, I'm kinda wondering the lake or area, I've been a drywall hanger most of my life and worked alot of areas. Might know the guy. Either way that sucks. you gotta be carefull, even when it seems like you dont. I got stuck knee deep in mud on a high bank when spring was starting and about 3 tons of dirt started coming towards me, thought I was gonna be buried alive. It was a major wake up call. I've been hunting some tight caves lately and wont go too extreme until I get a friend to be there with me. Dying is bad enough, but when your alone and your last though is never being found, thats scary. mama always said caution is a sign of intelligence. be careful guys