Search and Rescue has become a Recovery here where we live

[Old Ironmaker]

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.

 

[sphelps]

That’s always sad news . We have the same situation down here . 2 off duty firefighters were taking there just departed fathers boat out for one last fishing trip . Been missing for a week now . The CG has called off the search . Searched from south Florida up to the Carolinas . Sad stuff for sure .

 

[Old Ironmaker]

Local reports today say it was a 48 year old man reported missing an hour after he went out fishing. He still hasn't been recovered. The way the wind was blowing he should have been found on the first point of land. The waves were going straight into the corner of the bay he was last seen in. A local cottager took his tinny out into that bay yesterday afternoon and threw a white jug into the water parralel with the tip of Featherstone Point, it made it's way right into the shoreline where the elbow of that bay is. Anything that went into the water should wash up somewhere on the point, however the current may have brought him out into the lake. Most likely that happened. There are super currents here on Erie. I once tipped my canoe* about 1/2 mile out, the more I swam the further I was going out into big water. Apparently his friend saw the unoccupied boat in the bay with a telescope and reported him missing just 1 hour after he set out in that boat.

Praying for the family for a recovery soon and some closure.

* Don't go out on a Great Lake in a canoe!!

 

[Old Ironmaker]

That’s always sad news . We have the same situation down here . 2 off duty firefighters were taking there just departed fathers boat out for one last fishing trip . Been missing for a week now . The CG has called off the search . Searched from south Florida up to the Carolinas . Sad stuff for sure .

That is sad news. I always have empathy and sympathy for the family of those not recovered, sometimes never recovered. What really bothers me in this tragedy these folks were up here for a lakeside vacation that has turned into a tragedy. I'm sure they may never have a lakeshore vacation again. I see this morning the cottage is MT. A helicopter just flew by as I type. I think it's a Black Hawk.

 

[tpenfield]

Yes, I've been following the news on the 2 missing firefighters in FL. But it seems that these incidents happen quite frequently.

Be safe out there, everyone.

 

[Scott Danforth]

they happen almost weekly down here. you hear often of boaters/kayakers being recovered in the rivers and ICW. about once a month for the gulf.

some times the recovery is people jumping from the skyway. they even have a website tracking jumpers.

 

[dingbat]

some times the recovery is people jumping from the skyway. they even have a website tracking jumpers.

Surprised. They purposely don’t mention people jumping from the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. Don’t want to give anybody any ideas I guess.

Have heard a couple of “be on the lookout” calls while fishing the area

 

[Sprig]

Its always sad to hear of someone in our boating/fishing fraternity losing their life on the water. Prayers and sympathy to his family.
I preface by saying I do not know the circumstances and details of what happened but I’d bet he was not wearing a pfd. Had he been he may have survived or they likely would have found the body by now. Here in California during the warm months May through September we probably lose to drowning on average of a person a week. Many are drowned in the fast high flowing cold rivers but many are also drowned in our many lakes. About 99.9 percent of the victims were not wearing a pfd. In fact I do not remember when I last heard of a drowning where a person was wearing a pfd. The exception being a boating accident or something similar. At several beaches along some of our rivers the local authorities provide racks of pfd’s that people can use for free. Many ignore these pfd’s, some drown. I guess I’m trying to say if people would wear a pfd when they are in or about the water death by drowning would be cut to a minuscule few .
Ive seen 2 drowning victims floating in the California delta over the years,
not a pretty sight. I always wear my pfd in my boat especially when by my self. It’s kind of like my vehicle seatbelt, it gets buckled before I even start the engine.
i hope everyone here wears their pfd’s and encourages others to do so too.

 

[Old Ironmaker]

Nothing much has changed as far as the news reports go. They are no longer searching by air. It has been reported he did NOT have a PFD with him. Why do people continually do this? And yes drownings here on Erie are frequent, usually boating related and no PDF. I find the older a person is they refuse to wear a PDF. I'm 65 and my crew is about the same age or plder. I am the only one to wear a PDF, inflatable. I've tried to talk them into being intelligent, no way, no how. I've told them if they drown I'm not carrying their fat asses in a box.

It's amazing how inaccurate these news reports can be, print as well as TV reports. One television news reported 1 OPP helicopter was searching. It was 2 choppers in the air and they were both Coast Guard. There are divers in the water. The man is still missing. I wouldn't want to think how I would handle something like this if a friend or relative went missing. Sad.

 

[MTboatguy]

You have to remember, when you leave that dock, nobody ever thinks it is going to be them, we have way to many every single year, cold water and no PFD makes for a bad combination.

I have done SAR work and I wear a PFD, even if I die, I want them to find me, with a PFD the odds for surviving go up and at least the odds for finding me if the unfortunate increases...

 

[Old Ironmaker]

The body of the missing boater was recovered Sunday afternoon Aug. 25th just east of where he want missing. My condolences to the friends and family of the deceased.

Another boater was killed on the weekend on Stoney Lake Ontario. It appeared to be a "T" bone collision between 2 boats. Sad. Happens to be a fatality every weekend.

It is hardly ever the fault of the boat.