18 people dead this season alone at L.B.L W.Kentucky

[WAVENBYE2]

Well its official #18 dead, on the lake that I boat at, I tell people all the time to wear their PDF's and they look at me like I am the one thats crazy, wear it or don't, doesn't matter to me, I am no ones Momma and I am not going to hold anyones handand these are full grown men who know better than I do, I live here and maybe they don't know the things I do , but I will assist in dragging them out of the water after they ask us to help find the body as vollunteers. Just wanted to share, venting or whatever you want to call it.
You can click on and watch the news broadcast from today.
Click on "West Kentucky's drownings have tripled"
http://www.wpsdlocal6.com/mediacenter/local.aspx

 

[bigredinohio]

Re: 18 people dead this season alone at L.B.L W.Kentucky

What exactly happened? 18 people in one year is insane!

 

[WAVENBYE2]

Re: 18 people dead this season alone at L.B.L W.Kentucky

Too many people just being stupid and not respecting the water(bouylines) or others for that matter, getting out there like they are invincable and then reality smacks them upside their head real quick, alchohal played a little role, but the rest just being ignorant and not realizing the dangers involved in boating or some just don't care.

 

[bigredinohio]

Re: 18 people dead this season alone at L.B.L W.Kentucky

That's just nuts! You would think after the first couple that authorities would of added patrols.

We had a guy drown two years ago which was big news here but boy do I see stupidity all the time. Heck, I even posted a picture in my resto forum of a guy from last year riding on the stern ladder while the boat was underway!

 

[WAVENBYE2]

Re: 18 people dead this season alone at L.B.L W.Kentucky

We have one boat and they only put her in if there is an emergency, we don't have patrols like you guys do. We do have fish and wild life, and park rangers but not in the water patroling the water, Thats basically what we all do, thats why everyone here hangs out on channel 16, to help and assist or hail some one, because everyone is on 16, If there is an emergency then we will call the closest marina and the ambulance and rangers will be on the shore, but no we don't have patrol, We are!! but it's always after the fact of a situation. This is kentucky, a common wealth state, we don't live by federal guidelines. If you watch the news link I put on here, you don't see one patrol, just voluteers assisting.

 

[jdlough]

Re: 18 people dead this season alone at L.B.L W.Kentucky

I live 50% on the Chesapeake Bay and 50% on an ocean beach (Ocean City, MD). I don't understand how so many people drown in a lake! In OC, due to stupid gov beach replenishment programs, the surf now slams into the steeper shore, killing or paralyzing about 20 tourists per year. Sudden coastal storms often capsize boats. I thought lakes were nice, calm, flat things.

In Maryland, the biggest lake is about 2 miles long. There's no killing surf or current.
What kind of lakes are all you inland folks talking about. Do you get white caps? Swells? Current?

 

[lowkee]

Re: 18 people dead this season alone at L.B.L W.Kentucky

This is kentucky, a common wealth state, we don't live by federal guidelines. If you watch the news link I put on here, you don't see one patrol, just voluteers assisting.

I am going to fing love Kentucky.. where you still have the right to die of stupidity. What is not to love about this story? Saving stupid people from themselves only keeps them alive long enough to take someone else with them (or worse, kill someone else and live to do it again). Not all death is a tragedy.

...not sure what the beach reply has to do with this thread, but it does show letting nature take its course is often the best approach to solving a problem.. which fits pretty well.

 

[jay_merrill]

Re: 18 people dead this season alone at L.B.L W.Kentucky

I live on the ocean. How the **** can you drown in a lake!

Very easily. The water doesn't have to be rough and the lake doesn't have to be large. All it takes in an accident, a poor swimmer, a submerged object, etc. It is known that a very high percentage of boating deaths result from drowning. Sadly, it is also known that a very high percentage of those deaths, would have been prevented by proper use of a PFD.

 

[nlain]

Re: 18 people dead this season alone at L.B.L W.Kentucky

The inland lakes can get just as rough as your sound easily, the depths can go to 100, 200 feet in some cases, there are some lakes that only get 20 feet deep, they can all get rough when the wind blows or a storm rolls in. If people would wear their PFD's they would at least float if something happened to them and friends could at least see them to help.

On that note have you ever tried to tell a drunk, or even some stone cold sober people, how to do something or that it should be done this way, they most always know it all already and you are wasting your breath, you still should try then when something happens you at least know you tried to help.

 

[gonefishie]

Re: 18 people dead this season alone at L.B.L W.Kentucky

Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley are big, really big. They're loonggg and not very wide and can turn into a wind tunnel in a flash. They're also full of power boats and barges. Do they get white caps and huge rollers? hell yeah. If you're dumb, you will drown purdy darn quick.

 

[BoatBuoy]

Re: 18 people dead this season alone at L.B.L W.Kentucky

LBL is located between Barclay and Kentucky lakes. I don't know about Barkley but Kentucky lake has over 2000 miles of shoreline and over 160,300 acres of surface area. Kentucky is owned/operated by TVA. Barkley is owned/operated by Army Corps. of Engineers (if I remember correctly). They are both federal property. LBL itself is under US Forest Service management. I'm not sure what Kentucky being a commonwealth state has anything to do with all these federally owned lakes and property. Anyway, one can drown in a bathtub.

 

[Thad]

Re: 18 people dead this season alone at L.B.L W.Kentucky

In a way, I have to say population control seems to be at work here.
But, then the more sensible part of me says, What the...

All joking aside, I can not belive that there are no patrols of any kind on these lakes. We have two sections of boatable river separated by dams. We have DNR regularly patrol these areas. As well as any and all other boatable waters. From a state owned 10hp limit lake to the Mississippi.
There are several agencies that patrol. IDNR, Army Corps of Engineers, County Sheriff, the list goes on.

We have no water in this state that even comes close to those lakes. That is just down right insane. And to put the added responsiblity on the recreational boaters already on the water??? An irresponsible boater is not only going to laugh at a person "not in a position of authority", he most likely will take offense and become violent.

I don't even know where else to go with this one, I was planning a trip down to those lakes next year, I think I will just stay north and stay alive. I don't want some drunk with no worries of being caught slamming by boat.

 

[WAVENBYE2]

Re: 18 people dead this season alone at L.B.L W.Kentucky

I am not saying that everyone who boats here are drunk, irresponsable boaters. We have alot of good responsable boaters/campers who take full advantage of the beauty and activities here, One of the reasons why we have so many who come here, Yes I believe it's because the waters aren't patroled and is one of the last places that aren't patroled, Is potroled waters really that great?? Well alot of people would say that they really don't want patroled waters just to get harrassed every move they make, like I have seen on other lakes in Illinois, Most of the people who are getting hurt(differant topic) and not killed are out of state people, and I believe thats why alot of people do come here to camp and boat, We don't get harrassed all the time, and people enjoy that freedom. ANY lake is as safe as the boaters that use them. Not every one here runs around like crazed drunk lunitics who are out of control. We have alot of wonderful people who come here and love L.B.L and the camping. I believe that why most of the people who get hurt or killed are the ones who don;t know the waters and even bother to get or look at the charts that are so readily available, Do people drink here, Sure they do, But it is not the main reason, I think its 2 out of evry ten is due too alcohol.

 

[jdlough]

Re: 18 people dead this season alone at L.B.L W.Kentucky

Sorry, my bad...

My idea of a lake is what we have here in Maryland. 1-2 mile long man made ponds where if you fall off your paddle boat you can just backstroke or walk to shore. To me lakes are basically little flat things mostly unaffected by weather, unlike the bay/ocean.

I guess I've just never seen a 'real' lake that you guys are talking about. "2000 miles of shoreline and over 160,300 acres of surface area"? Sounds more like 'inland seas', or the Chesapeake Bay without the outlet to the ocean. Must be nice not to deal with salt water or tides, though.

Jim

 

[sox 1]

Re: 18 people dead this season alone at L.B.L W.Kentucky

In a way, I have to say population control seems to be at work here.
But, then the more sensible part of me says, What the...

All joking aside, I can not belive that there are no patrols of any kind on these lakes. We have two sections of boatable river separated by dams. We have DNR regularly patrol these areas. As well as any and all other boatable waters. From a state owned 10hp limit lake to the Mississippi.
There are several agencies that patrol. IDNR, Army Corps of Engineers, County Sheriff, the list goes on.

We have no water in this state that even comes close to those lakes. That is just down right insane. And to put the added responsiblity on the recreational boaters already on the water??? An irresponsible boater is not only going to laugh at a person "not in a position of authority", he most likely will take offense and become violent.

I don't even know where else to go with this one, I was planning a trip down to those lakes next year, I think I will just stay north and stay alive. I don't want some drunk with no worries of being caught slamming by boat.

I think lake michigan is a tad bigger than all the lakes south of 30 combined

 

[RICHARD5]

Re: 18 people dead this season alone at L.B.L W.Kentucky

I stay off the lakes in the summer. Too many folks with more HP than brains. I've almost been run over several times. I've seen an upright skier run over by a following boat, I've seen a boat at full power run over it's own skier, I've seen boats run right up onto the beach at full throttle and everyone launched through the windscreen. And that doesn't even mention the crap at the ramp or boats trying to fan their wake at another boat and losing control or running through areas designated off limits due to lower lake levels. No thanks.

At the Morro Bay, CA harbor mouth the out of towners come like moths to a flame. They plan all week, they drive several hours, with all that invested they are going out no matter what. They don't know how to read the sea conditions or just don't pay attention. It's horrible to watch an overloaded open bow try to run up the face of a wave and watch bodies get flung everywhere. And none wearing PFDs. Or they run onto the rock jetty perhaps thinking that will solve their problems. I saw a boat blow up because the guy was dumping raw gas into his carb to try to get the engine to start. 5 people died right in front of my eyes and this after he was thrice offered a tow to the dock and advised to stop what he was doing. I am so sick of this stupidity on the water.

The CG or the harbor patrol can only advise, they cannot deny a vessel passage through the harbor mouth.

Hopefully a forum like this will cause a boater to think twice about water safety. At least an iboater would feel embarrassed for pulling a bone headed move. Safety doesn't just happen, it takes planning and that requires thought.

I guess I hijacked this thread with my own rant.