doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Hunting tragedy this weekend

Way too close to home! Two 17 year olds, including Drew, a step-nephew of mine, duck hunted a big natural lake near here Saturday morning. Both were wearing waders and no life jackets. One of the kids dropped off my nephew in waders in a shallow bay with some decoys. The other boy left in the boat and went out of my nephew's site around a grass point; the next my nephew noticed the boat was running circles.

Drew had no phone and it was impossible to wade out of the water or around to where his companion had apparently fallen out of the boat. He did have the presence of mind, though to fire his gun repeatedly and call toward some nearby houses on a golf course which borders the lake. After two hours a lady noticed and told her husband she thought she had heard calls for help from a hunter. Someone made a 911 call and the authoriies arrived. Drew was picked up and the boat was run down and found empty.

The search effort went on all yesterday afternoon, and at dusk was taken over by the Air Force's Search and Rescue unit which is based at local Moody AFB. The lost boy's dad is a recently retired high ranking officer. The search includes two sonar boats, a dive team, and a helicopter with all the most advanced equiptment, but no sign of the victem has been found. The sheriff's department thoroughly searched the woods surrounding the lake yesterday in case he had made it out of the water, and again this morning.

The boy's family as well as my brother and his family are still hoping against hope for a miracle. Your prayers, hopes, or just 'good vibrations' will be appreciated...Geo

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

There'll be time a'plenty to consider 'how it should of been done', including Harry's excellent advice regarding waders, or maybe actual use the the 'kill switch' on the outboard. The water's not as cold down here as most of you may be accustomed to, even in mid-winter.

These were 17 year old boys though, and while they were not strangers to the lake, the equiptment they were using, or the 'right' way to use the equiptment, they obviously didn't do what they should have. Looks like they've paid the ultimate price for that also...Geo

Sorrow.

Profound sorrow.

George,Prayers sent! Bobby

Prayers for the family. I couldnt imagine losing a son in this manner

I hunted a couple of weeks ago in a 12-foot boat in 35 feet of water, wearing waist waders just for launching the boat. I put on a PFD before we launched and I couldn't convince my hunting partner to wear his. I'll refer him to this thread.

Very sad news, and so totally avoidable. Best wishes and prayers to the family.

So saddened to hear of this tragedy, George. But, thank you for posting it. It just may save someone else's life someday. Maybe even mine. I drift the Savannah River in a camo'ed kayak for ducks occasionally. I can't shoot with a life vest on, and have been doing without anything. I am going to order one of the CO2 powered vests before I go again.

Prayers for the family have been lifted up.

Stan

Deep prayers and hope from Iowa. Thankfully your water isn't as cold as ours. I have been ice fishing some lately and I wear one of the auto deploy vests when walking to and from. I do take it off in the tent.

As far as good vibrations go some time Back 3 former class mates of mine went over the river dam in my old home town. This was summer but they were not wearing PFDS and spent several hours bobbing in the undertoe of the dam and all made it out alive. Perhaps with the slightest of chance the lost youngster managed ashore and is overwhelmed in the weeds somewhere? I hope it turns out, though the outcome looks very bleak, we all need to take a lesson from this and not ignore the lesson being taught.

Good luck and God's prayers

Not easy to find, but Stearn's made a PFD with mesh shoulders, and all the flotation material below shoulder level so there's nothing to interfere with gun mount. Mine has a couple of velcro pockets that hold shells and such, and the best part is that it came in a mud brown color. Found it a few years ago at WalMart.