Search and recovery here in Haldimand County today.

[Old Ironmaker]

I heard the 1st yellow Coast Guard helicopter fly by very low about 2PM. The pilot was circling our place continually, not a good sign. I was going to a friends at Featherstone Point on the west shore about 3. There were 5 OPP vehicles and about 30 folks gathered at the cottage of a very close friend that had passed a few years back. His daughter rents it as a vacation property now. When I got to Featherstone there were 3 boats west of the point. Our OPP Zodiac and 2 from our Coast Guard station in Port Dover. I am very surprised that our glass OPP boat wasn't out there too.  edit: That would have left a large portion of the lake and Grand River without a marine vessel. About 4:30 a second chopper began to search as well. They were searching a very tight grid. As the day went on and the second helicopter arrived the grid got larger heading east, There was a mild wind from the south west all day. 

An update. Global News reports that a 42 year old man was reported missing yesterday, Wednesday morning from what was supposed to be a short fishing trip west of Featherstone Point. He was in an inflatable boat. The boat was recovered yesterday but not the missing fisherman. A poor news report in my mind. What type of "inflatable"? A CTC blow up toy or a proper inflatable.  Did he have a PDF with him? Does he have any safety items with him? Is he a strong swimmer? many questions that could have been asked. I pray for a good outcome but this will be the 2nd night missing. It's much different reading about a search for a missing boater and watching the search. The boys were doing a job on the shoreline and scouring the shore with good binoculars watching for a body to wash up on shore. I can't imagine the grief the family will have if the outcome isn't good. Going from a vacation week on the lake to grieving at a funeral home. 

Edited August 23, 2019 by Old Ironmaker

[Reef Runner]

Sad indeed.  Good luck to the recovery team. 

[Old Ironmaker]

This AM they are reporting it was a 48 year old male that went missing. The report says that an hour after the boater left for fishing his friend saw the unoccupied boat from shore using a telescope. I have a telescope here on the lake with a "land lens". It is very, very difficult to use on land unless the tripod is set in buckets of sand and the image comes in upside down. Hard to pick out a Tall Ship let alone a small dingy out in this lake. My years of investigation has made me pessimistic, we'll see. 

[pics]

Reports of hot fishing sometimes has people taking unnecessary risks.  This type of thing used to be common on Quinte back in its heyday when you could limit out in an hour in 7 feet of water...

[Old Ironmaker]

3 hours ago, pics said:

Reports of hot fishing sometimes has people taking unnecessary risks.  This type of thing used to be common on Quinte back in its heyday when you could limit out in an hour in 7 feet of water...

You are absolutely right Pics. I have heard of guys launching here at Nanticoke to get the abundant numbers of Walleye here on Erie in 14 foot tinnies with 2 to 4 foot waves. They are insane. 

[npt1]

CP24 NEWS  reports that the OPP  divers  have recovered a body near Featherstone Point on Lake Erie.

Sorry for the family

[lew]

2 fishing boats collided on Stoney Lake over the weekend with one man dead and another missing.

Looked like one boat T-Boned the other.

Edited August 26, 2019 by lew

[woodenboater]

Heard about that on the radio Lew. Don't recall if it was daytime or night when it happened, horrible accident nonetheless. Also people forget that they really need to have their heads on swivel when on the water.

[Old Ironmaker]

On 8/23/2019 at 7:23 PM, pics said:

 

Reports of hot fishing sometimes has people taking unnecessary risks.  This type of thing used to be common on Quinte back in its heyday when you could limit out in an hour in 7 feet of water...

Disregard above. The body of the missing man was found just east of Featherstone Point on Sunday. Not far from where they were searching Thursday at 4PM. The name of the deceased has not been released. My condolences go out to the friends and family of the man. 

It seems every weekend in the summer there is a fatality boating related. It is hardly ever the boats fault. 

Edited August 26, 2019 by Old Ironmaker

[lew]

1 hour ago, woodenboater said:

Heard about that on the radio Lew. Don't recall if it was daytime or night when it happened, 

I think they said 9:30 at night.

[12 Volt Man]

it kills me to see pics all over the place of people fishing or posing with fish from tubes, inflatables or kayaks and no life jacket on.

in order for it to be effective you have to be WEARING IT. 

 

 

[Old Ironmaker]

1 hour ago, Duckie said:

it kills me to see pics all over the place of people fishing or posing with fish from tubes, inflatables or kayaks and no life jacket on.

in order for it to be effective you have to be WEARING IT. 

 

 

Oh I agree 110% Duckie on wearing one, all the time. Why is it any safer to pose for a pic in a boat without a PFD on? It isn't much safer in my mind. Many bodies they recoved fell out of perfectly safe boats and those bodies didn't have their trouser zippers done up. And no PFD. I've seen it many, many times. Especially from our little 12' tinny. Trying to balance with the guys legs against the side of the boat just knee high, one hand on a jug trying to keep dry and the other on his piss pump all while the boat is bouncing up and down, back and forth in gear. I always told my 1st mate to do the task on his side as to not get any human bodily fluids on my line when trolling. Nothing like turning a fish or me off than to get piss all over my line, on my tackle box and or making the big splash a 250lb anchor makes. 

edit: On the lighter side the only thing worse than to find 1 guys pants unzipped is to find 2 guys pants unzipped and no PFD's on. I have no prejudice against homosexuality but I am talking safety here folks. 

Edited August 26, 2019 by Old Ironmaker

[Whitespinnerbait]

1 hour ago, Old Ironmaker said:

. Many bodies they recoved fell out of perfectly safe boats and those bodies didn't have their trouser zippers done up. ..

Absolutely no proof of this whatsoever......old wives tale !!!

[misfish]

4 hours ago, lew said:

I think they said 9:30 at night.

I heard it was late into the night. 11:30. Then again,it,s the news. Sad none the less. T boned ? No lights on  ? Not paying attention ? Sad none the less.

[LeXXington]

very sad .. unfortunately a yearly occurance

[Old Ironmaker]

3 hours ago, Whitespinnerbait said:

Absolutely no proof of this whatsoever......old wives tale !!!

I have heard of guys falling out of  perfectly safe beds too. Wearing zipped up and unzipped trousers. Some safe and others not safe at all. That's my wife's tale. 

[Old Ironmaker]

2 hours ago, misfish said:

I heard it was late into the night. 11:30. Then again,it,s the news. Sad none the less. T boned ? No lights on  ? Not paying attention ? Sad none the less.

I deleted a response. You guys are talking a different Ontario drowning. I'll bet the beach neither had a PFD on. Any bets here? 

[Ronzo]

10 hours ago, Old Ironmaker said:

I deleted a response. You guys are talking a different Ontario drowning. I'll bet the beach neither had a PFD on. Any bets here? 

Any idea what the statistics are? I can't really recall the last time I heard of someone drowning and read the words "they were wearing a PFD" in the same story. The occasional "had PFD in vessel but not on body" comes up.

This, unfortunately, is the safest bet in unsafe boating practices.

[Old Ironmaker]

6 hours ago, Ronzo said:

Any idea what the statistics are? I can't really recall the last time I heard of someone drowning and read the words "they were wearing a PFD" in the same story. The occasional "had PFD in vessel but not on body" comes up.

This, unfortunately, is the safest bet in unsafe boating practices.

From an article I found on Global TV site.

"The Lifesaving Society’s 2019 Alberta drowning report, released to Global News on Tuesday, found that men accounted for 71 per cent of water fatalities between 2012 and 2016. The statistics are the latest available, as the society must wait for the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner to release the data and then it has to be compiled. In 95% of those deaths the drowning victim was not wearing a  personal floatation device, P.F.D."

[lew]

53 minutes ago, Old Ironmaker said:

From an article I found on Global TV site.

"The Lifesaving Society’s 2019 Alberta drowning report, released to Global News on Tuesday, found that men accounted for 71 per cent of water fatalities between 2012 and 2016. The statistics are the latest available, as the society must wait for the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner to release the data and then it has to be compiled. In 95% of those deaths the drowning victim was not wearing a  personal floatation device, P.F.D."

I wouldn't think anyone would actually need any kind of report to know most people that drown weren't wearing PFD's

[woodenboater]

It's not as if Alberta is chock full of waterways, but I'd love to know how many of those are alcohol related. My guess would be pretty high tbh  

[Whitespinnerbait]

2 hours ago, Old Ironmaker said:

From an article I found on Global TV site.

"The Lifesaving Society’s 2019 Alberta drowning report, released to Global News on Tuesday, found that men accounted for 71 per cent of water fatalities between 2012 and 2016. The statistics are the latest available, as the society must wait for the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner to release the data and then it has to be compiled. In 95% of those deaths the drowning victim was not wearing a  personal floatation device, P.F.D."

No mention of the zippers being down on their '' trousers '' either !!

[Old Ironmaker]

Whitespinnerbait. You making fun of my rightin' young feller? Some may have had track pants on so we will never know. 

Edited August 27, 2019 by Old Ironmaker

[Old Ironmaker]

2 hours ago, lew said:

I wouldn't think anyone would actually need any kind of report to know most people that drown weren't wearing PFD's

Anyone that refuses to wear a PFD when on my boat isn't getting invited back. 

[Whitespinnerbait]

10 minutes ago, Old Ironmaker said:

? Some may have had track pants on so we will never know. 

Lol