THE LAST CAST >SCOTT SIME Man Overboard! The author and his son practicing MOB techniques. It had started out as a sunny early summer day of sturgeon fishing at Pointe du Bois, Manitoba for a friend of mine during a recent trip. With him was a friend and young son, who was hoping to catch his first sturgeon. A few hours in, the sun was enveloped by cloud, and a bit of a breeze, my friend and his boat mate, no longer in need of the shade, decided to take a moment to put the boat’s canopy down. It was during this seemingly innocuous moment that the young boy, rod in hand and quite inexplicably, tumbled out the back of the boat. The boy quickly slipped downstream in the fast moving current, yelling for help. Instinctively, the boy’s father jumped into the water, but not before putting on a life jacket himself. He caught up with his son, and together they drifted further downstream. My friend moved quickly to get the boat started to go after them, however his anchor lines had become entangled and for a brief period (that I’m sure felt like an eternity) couldn’t get them out the water. By the time my friend had started his boat, two boats that were in the immediate area had moved in to retrieve father 46 | HOOKED | Summer 2011 and son. Wet and a little scared, everyone was fine, and they went on to have a great weekend. This story had a happy ending. What caught me though was how arbitrary and unexpected it was. Good weather, no improper or dangerous boat operation, no alcohol, no inadequate supervision. The fact that at one moment everything was normal and fine, and in a split second turned upside down is chilling, especially if you let your mind wander through the “what-if’s” list. What if the young boy wasn’t wearing his lifejacket? What if the father jumped into fast water without a lifejacket? What if, god forbid, the other boats had not been there? How many recent water tragedies that we have read about started in similarly innocuous circumstances? In a split second, our lives, and the lives of others can be changed forever. For me it’s a sobering reminder that however cliché it sounds, we need to be prepared. Personally, I realize that going out in fair weather only and making sure my son wear’s his lifejacket is not enough. If we both ended up in the water I’m not going to be much help to him if I’m not wearing a lifejacket myself (even when the boat’s not under power). I also don’t think I’ve done enough to teach my “The boy quickly slipped downstream in the fast moving current, yelling for help. Instinctively, the boy’s father jumped into the water, but not before putting on a life jacket himself.” son about the basics of boat safety. Beyond that, I can honestly say I’m not completely clear on what I would tell my family to do in the event of a person overboard situation. I’m doing something about that. Everyone in my boat, including me, will wear a lifejacket, under power or not. I realize now that not wearing a lifejacket myself, beyond hypocritical, is also potentially endangering the safety of my family. I’ve also learned about Man Overboard (MOB) procedures, and even did a few drills with my family at the lake so we could all become familiar with what to do. I can’t tell you how valuable it’s been for us all; we even had fun doing it. My friend and his friend did nothing wrong, and because of their quick actions and the critical assistance from fellow boaters, their day ended well. I hope that their cautionary tale can serve as a reminder for you to not only continue to do everything you can to prevent accidents, but to be prepared for when they do. It makes all the difference in the world. SAFE and HAPPY BOATING TO ALL! ■ MOB Primer: www.greatlakesboating.com/spotlights/ spotlight/man-overboard
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