Thinking of going to the whirlpool? I suggest you use the stairs !!!!

[smally21]

i did it in a wooden barrel and everbody looked at me like i was some sort of idiot.

[strakey]

WOW they were almost candidates for the charles darwin award.

Edited August 12, 2010 by spawn

[Billy Bob]

A few years ago (read many for you young guys) I allways took my boat over to the south side to fish the bar from april to june (had a slip in port untill june and than subleased to a sail boat guy and came back to T.O. to fish the drop off untill fall)one day I had a party that wanted to go up the river at lunch time , cook up some trout we had caught enjoying the sights in the gourge and than fish the late shift on the way back. I had years of fishing off the mouth and knew the waters between Grimsby to the bar like the back of my hand , but the river was unknown waters.So upon entering the river (I than had a 38 foot sport fish not a small boat,twin 4 fortys the whole nine yards)I stayed in the middle going slow and watching the graph afraid to hit a sand bar or run agroud 90 feet of water under me most times and never went shallower than 25 feet so all was well . Had a 20 + footer 500 or so yards ahead of me and I followed in his wake hopeing he knew what he was doing . We went around a bend and he headed in close to shore , damn what to do now do I follow in close or stay in middle well all of a sudden the boat (as I said this was not a dinggy) spun around and we were headed back the way we came (poor guy in the head came up with wet spots all over his pants , yelling what the hell happened) the power of the current in the whirl pool has to be felt to be belived spun the boat around like a top . After that day I studied the river and learned where and when to turn and NEVER again ventured into the whirl pool . Crazy ,these people were lucky to get home alive .

 

I'm a bit puzzled....you say the "Whirlpool" but maybe you mean Devil's Hole...I can't see how a boat of your size (38') making it past the calm section of Devil's Hole.

 

In all the years I fished the lower river and Devil's Hole I only once seen a jet boat venture past Devil's Hole. I know I would NEVER even attempt it my boat or any other fishing boat as the river looks pretty shallow at that point. But if that is what really took place, you have something to write home about and Thank the Lord for watching out for you.

 

Bob

[dobee]

im pretty sure jet boats go past devils hole all the time, no?

[Bill Shearer]

Dave

Glad you are full of confidence!

Two pontoons should be easy?

Right?

[capt bruce]

Bob call it devils hole what ever , if ever there was a place the devil would hang out it was there ,when the guy ahead of me turned into shore I sould have turned aroud , but I hesitated because it was so shallow at that point I did not waht to leave the middle of the river , I have tipped a 26 footer upside down in lake eire(lost a great dog that day me and bro made it but dog did not), put a forty footer on its side when hit by lighting on my way from T.O. to port D in lake O in the middle of the night, broken arm and thank god for harbor and hospital in grimbsy , but the current that day ripped the wheel out of my hand and just spun boat around never felt current that strong , maybe ocean guys with tides etc. but not in the great lakes , I have fished the lakes since the 70's first with my dad and than when I took over by myself ,ive been in superior in NOV, never never will I go that far up the river again . And in a dingy of all things just crazy these people are so lucky to be alive ...

Edited August 12, 2010 by capt bruce

[blaque]

this boat does not look like your average owners... there is am orange beacon on the light bar, as well as a spotlight..

 

Ya i was thinking the same gerritt. Almost wondering if these two stole a coast guard boat and were on the run

[BillM]

Damn, Darwin almost got another two.

[Guest Johnny Bass]

Crazy. Those people should buy a lottery ticket! People have to learn to respect mother nature! Thank goodness they survived but I assure you, they have a new perspective on life for sure.

[Bondar]

Regarding the story of the dingy that attempted to climb the class 5 rapids on the lower Niagara River, a reliable source sent me this, but asked not to be named:

 

Here is what the two people on the Zodiac were doing or at least what they told Lewiston, NY Police. “This couple set out from Quebec driving to Oshawa, ON. Because the traffic was so bad, they decided to take this small zodiac from Oshawa across Lake Ontario to the Niagara River. Once there, they set on their way to the base of Niagara Falls (THAT’S RIGHT, the base of the falls) so they could take some photos.”

 

I’m not sure if they knew the rapids were there or not, but they clearly had no appreciation for them based on the route they took, let alone any white water knowledge…

 

Even if they some how managed to navigate those class 5 rapids at Devils Hole, they still would have had to deal with the whirlpool, and the class 6 rapids too! The Whirlpool Jet Boats aren’t even equipped to deal with those rapids!

[Harrison]

Because the traffic was so bad, they decided to take this small zodiac from Oshawa across Lake Ontario to the Niagara River.

 

I've done this tour, they are lucky the lake didn't blow up. I've had a couple white knuckle trips back and forth.

 

In hindsight, they could of just stayed in the Shawa, there is lots of interesting "things" to photograph!

[dobee]

whats the traffic on the niagara like today? im thinking about hitting the whirlpool but not if theres an accident.. people always seem to stop and watch!!!

[capt bruce]

They drove the dingy from the shaw across the lake before they went up the river ???!!!!! Nuts completely crazy how did they manage to live this long , someone this dumb should have died not long after birth ...

[TC1OZ]

You are all getting trolled, this has to be a summer reminder not to screw around in the rapids....

 

Wheres the news story?

[Bondar]

You are all getting trolled, this has to be a summer reminder not to screw around in the rapids....

 

Wheres the news story?

 

 

Getting trolled?

[craig bailey]

A few years ago (read many for you young guys) I allways took my boat over to the south side to fish the bar from april to june (had a slip in port untill june and than subleased to a sail boat guy and came back to T.O. to fish the drop off untill fall)one day I had a party that wanted to go up the river at lunch time , cook up some trout we had caught enjoying the sights in the gourge and than fish the late shift on the way back. I had years of fishing off the mouth and knew the waters between Grimsby to the bar like the back of my hand , but the river was unknown waters.So upon entering the river (I than had a 38 foot sport fish not a small boat,twin 4 fortys the whole nine yards)I stayed in the middle going slow and watching the graph afraid to hit a sand bar or run agroud 90 feet of water under me most times and never went shallower than 25 feet so all was well . Had a 20 + footer 500 or so yards ahead of me and I followed in his wake hopeing he knew what he was doing . We went around a bend and he headed in close to shore , damn what to do now do I follow in close or stay in middle well all of a sudden the boat (as I said this was not a dinggy) spun around and we were headed back the way we came (poor guy in the head came up with wet spots all over his pants , yelling what the hell happened) the power of the current in the whirl pool has to be felt to be belived spun the boat around like a top . After that day I studied the river and learned where and when to turn and NEVER again ventured into the whirl pool . Crazy ,these people were lucky to get home alive .

Just trying to understand this....Are you saying you got your boat all the way up into the whirlpool? I know the jetboats do it everyday but they have major horsepower with huge Rolls Royce engines.I've taken boats hundreds of times into devil's hole but have never seen a boat other than a jetboat go past there.I think you might be confusing the whirlpool with another section of the river.

[SRT8 smoker craft]

Craig I was fishing in the whirlpool at the heli pad and saw a guy in a lund trying to drift the WP.

[SudburyAngler]

crazy....

[craig bailey]

Craig I was fishing in the whirlpool at the heli pad and saw a guy in a lund trying to drift the WP.

Good advertisement for Lund boats. How did he make out in there? I would think you could get some good drifts in there. Just can't imagine taking my boat past devil's.

Actually....don't answer.....more people might try it

[alexcba]

Been done already

 

 

lol that vid was pretty cool. altho at one point the reporter over estimates the depth of the river by a few HUNDRED feet lol... "500 feet deep" hahahahahaha try 170 at its deepest pal.

[SRT8 smoker craft]

I don't think the lund had as much to do with it as the 200hp+ merc did I couldn't tell exactly what motor it was but I think it was a 250hp as for his drifts they were around in circles he struggled to keep it drifting the right way and left pretty quick must have been disappointed risked his life and boat for a half hour of WP fishin.