Water Safety

Brothers and sisters, I know at the start of the fishing season we are
all anxiouse to fire our boats up and get to our favorite fishing holes,
but before we do that, lets have a little reminder about the dangers of
being on the water, especially since our rivers and lakes here in
southern Ohio are still very flooded, and more rain is on the way.

My older brother, we'll call him Leroy to hide his true identity, got a
boat as a birthday gift from his wife last fall.

After years of bankfishing, Leroy was thrilled and couldn't get wait to
take it out on the water.

Last weekend, as the rain stopped and the sun started to shine a little,
Leroy decided it was time. He called Mom up to ask if she was
interested in a boat ride on Rocky Fork Lake, but her knee was acting
up and she declined. And with the water so high, anyone with good
sense said "no way".

So Leroy headed out to Rocky Fork alone. It was Wednesday of last
week, and it was still cold and dreary, and the water was still very
high, but Leroy had been dying to get the boat in the water all Winter.
The lake was very choppy due to the high NE winds, and the boat
started to take on water about 50 yards from the shoreline, the boat
started to sink, faster and faster.

Fishing poles, tackle box, everything he had collected to fish all these
years gone or being strewn about on the water. When he saw his life
jacket go he decided it was time to jump in and swim to shore.

He made it, but by the time he could get on the bank and turn to look out
at the lake, his preciouse vessel had been swallowed by Rocky Fork.

Poor Russ, I mean Leroy, they managed to get the boat back, but he lost alot of his gear, and his pride.

Now he is facing some pretty hefty fines from the ODNR, for what, I'm not sure, but they aren't too happy with him.

And when I told my mother what had happened she said "it's a good
thing I didn't go with him, my fat a** can't swim 50 yards, I'd have
drowned!"

So kids...when you're out on the boat alone, always, always, always
wear your life jackets!

:cool2:

 

Kids? He is 40! And the funny thing is, he's the only one in the family who is NOT blond!

Thanks!

 

Suprisingly, he had minimal damage to the boat. He did lose his battery though.

He says he's selling it and getting a pontoon, lol!

 

No, this is not an April fools joke. I think he did forget the plug, at least that's what our cousin Dave said.
:tounge_out: