Blatant act of stupidity

Coastal Laker · 08-02-2005, 10:41 AM

Just when you think you’ve seen and heard it all…

At approximately 6:30 pm Friday I was just passing Cass Point and heading toward Little Island in Paugus Bay when I saw a few birds in the water quite some distance off to my left, so I stayed clear and went wide heading toward the island. As I continued, now about halfway between the point and the islands I noticed the birds were really two round blobs in the water that had a striking resemblance to human heads. I decided to alter course and check it out – and yes indeed, there were two men in the water. Both were in dark colored PFDs and were swimming toward shore.

These men were out with their friends on two wave runners that overturned and became swamped. All of them couldn’t re-board since the machines had taken on so much water, so their friends told these two guy which direction to start swimming and then left them there, going back to their dock about a mile away to get something else (boat, PWC, who knows) to come back and pick them up. Why two machines had to go for help is beyond me. One of them should have stayed there.

Needless to say, I had the two men board my boat. I told these guys they are lucky to be alive. In the opposite direction, they’d be obscured from view due to the late day glare. They were in dark t-shirts, black vests, and had dark colored hair making it pretty amazing that I saw them. Without losing my cool with them, which was an effort, I told them that their friends obviously were not thinking, placed their lives in jeopardy, and should have used only one a machine to go for help while the other stayed with them and kept them visible in the water.

When I finnally dropped these guys off at the dock, which was a small challenge to find since they had only been there once, there didn’t appear to be any activity with a sense of urgency to get a boat out to pick them up.

At least the two men did say thank you. I don’t think they realize just how thankful they really should be.

ITD · 08-02-2005, 05:26 PM

Coastal Laker,

Your curiousity and good will probably cheated Darwin of two victims. One of the most important rules of water safety is to never leave the boat or leave passengers out in the water to fend for themselves. The only justifiable reason to leave the boat in my opinion is because of fire.

Good job CL.

Coastal Laker · 08-03-2005, 03:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ITD

Coastal Laker,

Your curiousity and good will probably cheated Darwin of two victims. One of the most important rules of water safety is to never leave the boat or leave passengers out in the water to fend for themselves. The only justifiable reason to leave the boat in my opinion is because of fire.

Good job CL.

I could have made it more miserable for them by making them wait in the water for the MPs while keeping my boat out of thier reach. After all, being a female alone on the water with two strange men is not high on my list of desirable situations. Then again, they weren't bad looking...

ApS · 08-03-2005, 06:28 PM

I was just reading last week about a similar situation that took place two miles off Florida's southeast coast.

The two swimmers told him to "go take a hike" (in English). The boater, irate because he almost ran them down with his heavy high-speed boat, called the Coast Guard.

The Coasties told him the swimmers were free to be there, and it was up to him to "maintain a proper watch". Anyone else read it? It was at that big-boat site.

Like that true story I dig out every year of the two little (8 to 10 years-old) boys out after dark, there are a lot of improbable stories out on the Lake.

(Speaking of improbables, yours sounds like a criminal revenge-thingy. It doesn't q-u-i-t-e add up -- but that's just MHO).

Outlaw · 08-03-2005, 10:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Coastal Laker

I could have made it more miserable for them by making them wait in the water for the MPs while keeping my boat out of thier reach. After all, being a female alone on the water with two strange men is not high on my list of desirable situations. Then again, they weren't bad looking...

Next time you pick up a couple of good looking guys, let me know.

SIKSUKR · 08-04-2005, 09:44 AM

Hey Hey Hey! Is this turning into a dating forum?That would be an unusual way to pick up woman! SS

08-02-2005, 10:41 AM	#1
Coastal Laker Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: In the Beautiful Lakes Region of course! Posts: 130 Thanks: 1 Thanked 9 Times in 4 Posts	Blatant act of stupidity Just when you think you’ve seen and heard it all… At approximately 6:30 pm Friday I was just passing Cass Point and heading toward Little Island in Paugus Bay when I saw a few birds in the water quite some distance off to my left, so I stayed clear and went wide heading toward the island. As I continued, now about halfway between the point and the islands I noticed the birds were really two round blobs in the water that had a striking resemblance to human heads. I decided to alter course and check it out – and yes indeed, there were two men in the water. Both were in dark colored PFDs and were swimming toward shore. These men were out with their friends on two wave runners that overturned and became swamped. All of them couldn’t re-board since the machines had taken on so much water, so their friends told these two guy which direction to start swimming and then left them there, going back to their dock about a mile away to get something else (boat, PWC, who knows) to come back and pick them up. Why two machines had to go for help is beyond me. One of them should have stayed there. Needless to say, I had the two men board my boat. I told these guys they are lucky to be alive. In the opposite direction, they’d be obscured from view due to the late day glare. They were in dark t-shirts, black vests, and had dark colored hair making it pretty amazing that I saw them. Without losing my cool with them, which was an effort, I told them that their friends obviously were not thinking, placed their lives in jeopardy, and should have used only one a machine to go for help while the other stayed with them and kept them visible in the water. When I finnally dropped these guys off at the dock, which was a small challenge to find since they had only been there once, there didn’t appear to be any activity with a sense of urgency to get a boat out to pick them up. At least the two men did say thank you. I don’t think they realize just how thankful they really should be.

08-04-2005, 09:44 AM	#6
SIKSUKR Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 5,075 Thanks: 215 Thanked 903 Times in 509 Posts	Hey Hey Hey! Is this turning into a dating forum?That would be an unusual way to pick up woman! SS __________________ SIKSUKR

08-02-2005, 05:26 PM	#2
ITD Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Moultonboro, NH Posts: 2,953 Thanks: 484 Thanked 703 Times in 393 Posts	Coastal Laker, Your curiousity and good will probably cheated Darwin of two victims. One of the most important rules of water safety is to never leave the boat or leave passengers out in the water to fend for themselves. The only justifiable reason to leave the boat in my opinion is because of fire. Good job CL.

08-03-2005, 06:28 PM	#4
ApS Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Florida (Sebring & Keys), Wolfeboro Posts: 6,028 Thanks: 2,285 Thanked 789 Times in 564 Posts	I was just reading last week about a similar situation that took place two miles off Florida's southeast coast. The two swimmers told him to "go take a hike" (in English). The boater, irate because he almost ran them down with his heavy high-speed boat, called the Coast Guard. The Coasties told him the swimmers were free to be there, and it was up to him to "maintain a proper watch". Anyone else read it? It was at that big-boat site. Like that true story I dig out every year of the two little (8 to 10 years-old) boys out after dark, there are a lot of improbable stories out on the Lake. (Speaking of improbables, yours sounds like a criminal revenge-thingy. It doesn't q-u-i-t-e add up -- but that's just MHO).