From Aol News:
Four Men Feared Drowned in Idaho Reservoir (http://www.aolnews.com/nation/article/four-men-feared-drowned-in-idahos-american-falls-reservoir/19586423)
Mara Gay
Contributor
(Aug. 9) -- The children watched the men drift away, flailing their arms as they tried in vain to get back in the boat to safety.
That was the dramatic scene officials described today as they recounted the details of a presumed drowning on an Idaho reservoir in which four men vanished during a boat trip, leaving five young children to float alone in the middle of a vast body of water southeast of Boise.
Read entire story on Aol News: http://www.aolnews.com/nation/article/four-men-feared-drowned-in-idahos-american-falls-reservoir/19586423
If it was horseplay that started this terrible tragedy, that is so much more sad. They speculate that none of the adult males could swim and only one had a life jacket that he jumped in without actually putting on. Even in calm water conditions like that people can too easily drown.
The Saturday before we took the Godchildren out on St. Clair, a man drowned on the Canadian side of the lake after jumping in moderate waves to save a child that was swimming and started having difficulty. The child made it back into the boat, but the adult did not.
Please take safety on the water very serious. Some of your prep and thinking time should be spent on safety equipment and readiness. Make sure you are up on boating safety requirements. Since there are no training or licensing requirements in Michigan anything can happen at any moment.
Get a copy of this booklet: http://www.boat-ed.com/mi/handbook/
While Jeri and I were fishing the Team Bass Charity Open on St Clair a couple weeks ago, we got boarded by the Coast Guard for a safety inspection. It was actually a great thing, because it let me know I had everything I'm required to have. They were a great group of people, had a cool boat, and even gave us a couple tips. Safety is nothing to fool with.
It certainly is a tragedy, but it's hard t believe that 4 guys who are out on the water can't swim. I made sure my kids could swim as soon as they could walk.
It's actually very common. Whether it's the urbanization at work, or just everyone thinks they are too busy to sweat the 'small' details. There was that horrible tragedy recently of 6 kids drowning together in the Red River. It just shouldn't happen. But it does.
Follow up on the story - bodies found. Alcohol in the boat, but officials not sure if it was a factor - from Aol News:
Bodies of 4 Missing Boaters Found in Idaho (http://www.aolnews.com/nation/article/bodies-of-4-missing-boaters-found-in-idaho/19587831)
by Mara Gay
(Aug. 10) -- The search for four missing men at an Idaho reservoir ended in tragedy when dive teams recovered the bodies of two brothers, their cousin and a friend, who vanished at the American Falls Reservoir in southeast Idaho during a boat trip this weekend.
Officials in Idaho say Darrel Shappart Jr., 57, Jared Hale, 26, Aaron Hale, 30, and Stephen Vereeck, 30, all drowned in a freak accident Sunday that started with a little innocent horseplay and left five small children floating alone on a small boat in the middle of the reservoir to recount the tale. The bodies were found Monday evening.
Read entire article on Aol News (http://www.aolnews.com/nation/article/bodies-of-4-missing-boaters-found-in-idaho/19587831)