Boating Alone

[aardvarc]

My question involves an injury that occurred in the state of: All of 'em, but particularly Florida

If you are a white male, over age 50, and you like to go out in your boat alone...

You are potentially 3 of every 5 boating-related deaths we've investigated so far this year. For your own sake and the sake of your friends and family, please remember your life jacket. It can't save your life unless you WEAR it. Ego alone won't save you if you have a medical event, slip and fall, or get swamped by a wave or another boat. Ok....So you look like a dork. Live to laugh about it.

:::::slapping down 2 cents and jumping off milk crate :::::

been one of those days....

[PandorasBox]

And no matter how strong a swimmer you are.....know how to get out of a rip current....

[souperdave]

Always do the life jacket thing! Many moons ago my BFF bought a boat that tried to kill us on more than a few occasions......notably, a dusk 'cruise' on Tampa Bay one fine evening. The POS craft died for the umpteenth time not too far outside one of the main shipping channels. Whilst we were trying any and all manner of "CPR" techniques we drifted into the path of a rather large freighter......shortening the story some.....we took a glancing blow off the bow (ya think they'd be watching the 'road' for stalled traffic!) nearly un-assing all of us from the SS Minnow. In this instance we had time enough to don the life jackets.

A few weeks later we were caught in the Gulf by one of those famous Florida afternoon storms. Trying to speed back to the shelter of the Intecoastal we went through, yes THROUGH, a rather large wave which not only removed most all of the widshield, windows, deck trim, and such, but also two of our passengers....sans life jackets! It was truly by the Grace Of God that we were able to get to a point where we could not only locate them, but pick them up.

In what seemed like an eternity looking for them in 4 to 6 foot swells my mind kept going back to the fact that we thought we were in no need of life preserving paraphenalia 'cause we'd survived a boatload of (mis)adventure on the high seas.

Life jackets are sorta equitable to seat belts, sure they may be uncomfortable and dorky, BUT!, you only need it once! And during the events that lead up to that once, you ain't gonna have time to stop and think and put it on.......

[janelopez]

Carrying life jackets on-board your boat alone is compulsory.

[PandorasBox]

I remember those Florida storms. They come on so fast you really have little or no warning.

[LawResearcherMissy]

We have surprise squalls up here on Lake Erie.

That's how my Dad died - he and his buddy were out on the boat, stoned, no lifejackets on. Lake Erie threw one of her infamous fits, he got tossed overboard, whanged his head on the boat, and that was that. Took the Coast Guard a week to find his dumb ass.