Worth the time to read

[Big Fin]

Here is a link to a story that should serve as a good reminder to all of us who partake in outdoor activities and how we at times might take for granted our preparedness, or lack thereof.

The guy is an experience outdoor writer and angler who nearly died in Lake Michigan last week. Shows just how quick and how easy it is for things to go wrong while out doing the things we do.

http://www.glangler.com/_blog/Great...Adrift_and_Thanking_God_for_a_Coleman_Cooler/

Anyone who hunts or fishes should read it. Hopefully it reminds us of the little things or preparedness that make the difference between fishing again, or not. I always travel in a way that I think will prevent this kind of calamity. But reading this, makes me wonder where I have grown lax and lazy on such topics.

 

[MTbowhunter84]

Thanks for the post and real eye opener to remind myself to double check my backpacking list before heading out this fall.

 

[dustinf]

Crazy.

 

[MNElkNut]

Just got back yesterday from fishing salmon on Lake Michigan so I can visualize it pretty well. Very lucky and it shows how important it is to be prepared for all situations.

 

[idnative1948]

Wow! What a story. Just goes to show that things can go bad in the blink of an eye.

 

[Rat Fink]

As a former Charter Fisherman on Lake Michigan with 9 years experience in the charter fleet and many more as a fun fisherman, I can say these guys are really lucky. They swamped a boat so fast hey couldn't get a mayday call out, and their flares failed. I have been overboard myself, but have never sank a vessel. It is scary being in the water, whether it is for 2 minutes or 4 hours. There is so much uncertainty. I have towed in disabled vessels, and plucked people out of the water and it touches you deep in the soul knowing that you likely just saved someone from drowning. Valuable lessons were learned and old lessons renewed. I'm glad everyone made it out of the water safely.

As a side note, the fishing that week was excellent. I spent a couple days on the water around the 4th and caught some nice Chinook and a Brown. Here is the video from last Thursday.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=isdxGW4HPrY&feature=player_embedded

 

[tjones]

Wonder what became of the boat?

 

[Selkirk]

Scary stuff and a good reminder to all when we get 'lax'. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Papa-Zulu]

Gads, what a story! They are lucky to be alive. I was up in Saskatchewan last month on my 41st trip to Amisk Lake, and the former camp owner told me a harrowing story of some North Dakota guys back in the '80s who moved to the stern of a 16-foot Lund, had a wave come over the boat, which swamped it. Luckily, they were far from shore and got rescued after dark when they didn't show up in camp. Dean, the camp owner, said they were "wet, scared and humbled."

I always say that I am far more scared of water than I ever have been of bears.

 

[Papa-Zulu]

That should have read, "weren't far from shore."

 

[recon6036]

I live and work in a city on Little Bay de Noc (Lake Michigan waters) and spend many days on the lake. This is a huge reminder of how fast a good time can go bad. I've seen too much tagedy out on the lake being a Public Safety Officer and a member of the ice rescue team. Thankfully everyone was saved in this incident. Time for me to re-check the boat to make sure everything is in order.