May be a good idea to review MOB procedures

The missing man is described as a "boat owner who jumped into the lake to assist another swimmer experiencing difficulty."

Ironically, the swimmer who was initially having trouble was wearing a life jacket and was successfully recovered. The would-be rescuer jumped in without a life jacket and sank out of sight in 200-feet of water.

I've always understood that if there's somebody having trouble in the water, you have more options available for rescue if you remain aboard your boat. Second best is to get out to the victim in a dinghy. Jumping in has to be the very last resort, doesn't it? Maybe if the victim is going down or unable to assist in their own resuce....but you essentially wind up with two people in the water.

Monday morning quarterbacking- maybe a "throwable device" on a rope, maybe even just a line tossed to the MOB..but once the MOB has grabbed the device or the line it ought to be easier to haul him back onto the deck from aboard the boat.

Maybe if you *have* to go in after the victim, it would be smart to don a PFD, and perhaps grab a second one for the MOB? (in most cases, the MOB won't be wearing one- this specific situation was unusual).?

Who's had some actual training or hands-on experience in this field? Tom, maybe?

You have to admire the guy's courage for jumping in, but a different decision would oviously have been better. I guess the time to mentally rehearse for these situations is before they occur.

Most boaters don't have the equipment to pull off a simple rescue, never mind one that is complicated. Something like a simple throw bag or life ring are absent on most small boats. Throwable cushions are fine, but I'll bet you any amount of money you would like to name that nobody here on this group practices throwing one. Or how to throw one. How many small boats have boat hooks? How many here actually know how to properly throw a cushion or throw bag? How many know how to properly approach a MOB for rescue - or the proper way to rescue an unconscious, or floating face down MOB?

On my Ranger there are three throwable floating devices, one throw bag, a spare PFD, boat hook and a full emergency breathing kit including collapsable ambu bag for CPR all available in seconds. Every time I take somebody out on my Ranger, they get a quick safety lecture - small things like how to start the engine, how to steer, where the rescue gear is located - things like that. Takes three minutes and it's simple enough to remember. How many people do that?

I should write a book. :>)

You learn from the experiences of others - unfortunately a lot of folks just don't pay attention when it happens and apply it to themselves.

Came across one very excellent bit of advice.

It's commonly recommended to throw a life ring ASAP. Many sources remark that the ring will help maintain visual contact with the MOB. Maybe so, but a safety site for commercial fishermen comments that if you can't see the MOB bobbing around, you may also have a tough time spotting the life ring. That source advises additionally tossing an orange smoke flare (which might attract help from a nearby vessel) and if visibility is poor or the light is fading a light as well. I like the floating smoke flare idea, to the point where I will be adding a floating smoke flare to my inventory.

Tossing floating stuff to the MOB is never a bad idea tho. That is why you are required to have at least one "throwable". I keep several scattered around the boat so this can be an instant response. In cases where you can actually land one next to a conscious MOB it sure takes some the ugency out of getting turned around and recovering the victim. Even then time is an issue, particurlarly in cold water or rough seas where a few minutes can be the difference between life and death. Hopefully your MOB will have gone over wearing a PFD if it is that bad out.

Some day we may reach the time when EPIRBs will be cheap enough to where you can have one on every life jacket. The Movie "Castaway" would have been a 5 minute public service announcement if Tom had been able to recover the EPIRB from the safety pack on his life raft. Of course you could have shaved an hour off the movie if he had a 50 cent lighter in his pocket.