George,
It is with regret I read the third sentence "Both were wearing waders and no life jackets". Such a combination is lethal. If you get water into, or over the top of your waders then your chances of getting out of the water drop by 90%. A life Jacket with a gas cartridge so it can be activated by pulling a cord is VITAL. It will save you. Whenever I have to wade which these days is seldom, I always wear a life jacket and carry a 'Gut Hook' knife. If I then get water in my waders I can stick the gut hook point in just above my ankle and rip open the wader to the top without risking cutting myself. I've never needed to use it yet, but it's with me just in case every time I am out in the wilds.
Getting out of water filled waders is difficult enough on land, in water it's impossible without special equipment like that 'gut hook'knife.
Sadly, many people don't appreciate that many lakes have feeder streams running into them, and these can erode narrow but deep chanels in the silted lake bottoms that are invisible to the eye. You don't know that they're there until it's too late.
Sadly I think it's most likely the boy has drowned if there hasn't been any trace of him, especially if he was wearing waders when he went overboard.
You know what to buy your step/Nephew for his next birthday don't you? Either a life jacket or a gut hook knife, better still both of them.
My sincere condolances to the family of the lost boy.
Harry
Last edited by Harry Eales; 01/16/11 06:15 PM.
