What Were They Thinking??

[Lawrence]

http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/s...3c5&k=92777

 

 

Sucks to hear about it, but common sense people

[Maximum]

I was wondering that myself....... 300 cubic m/sec + weir + no life jackets........???????? I don't think you need to be a lifetime Calgarian to see that the Bow moving that fast is bad news.

[dAm]

I think they need to crack down on the PFD bylaw and start handing out some stiff fines instead of just giving out warnings. How many tubers do you see not wearing one and how many times have you seen the patrol boat just come up to them and give a warning instead of a ticket? A PFD may or may not have helped in this case but it certainly would have increased their chances.

[SanJuanWorm]

You know I saw these people earlier in the day. No life jackets, nothing. It is common sense. But a life jacket plus + runoff + weir still = death.

[toolman]

Sad news. Both only 28 years old. A properly fitted PDF would have likely saved both of them.

[LynnF]

This is sad because it's just so unnecessary. What's the bet the city winds up getting sued for not having replaced those buoys.

[SanJuanWorm]

Even with PFD's they had a 50/50 chance. That undertow just keep cycling them under and under like being in a washing machine. Sad to see they were so young but there are also numerous signs on your way to the weir that say GET OUT.

[reevesr1]

This is sad because it's just so unnecessary. What's the bet the city winds up getting sued for not having replaced those buoys.

 

Did the buoys break during this run of high water? If so, my bet it is pretty tough to replace them when the river is high. If they have been broken for awhile, then the city deserves a bit of a slap. However, it certainly doesn't diminish the foolishness of not wearing a life jacket when floating a river the size of the bow anytime, much less during runoff. I've never floated the Bow up there myself, but aren't there lots of signs warning of the wier?

 

From the news report these guys just moved here this week from Montreal. All prayers out to their families.

[admin]

Prayers to the families who lost their sons. It's tragic because it's preventable. Going over the weir is a death sentence, even with a PDF. Hopefully the city (taxpayers) don't get sued for the bouys. It was an act of God that removed it, and as the article stated, it was too dangerous to replace it. Being that the group wasn't entirely familiar with the season's of the Bow, and that they had floated to river 2 times prior in the last month, they likely didn't think twice about the dangers.

[clarki]

my condolence. life jacket or not that weir will kill you during run-off. isnt the rule you just have to have your pfd with you and not wearing it?? if so, thats ridiculous. also, maybe the city could implement a by-law that forbids floating downstream of the zoo bridge? I also have to question what kind of person relies on the booms above a drowning machine to be their take-out point?? tragic.

 

M

[Lawrence]

On the second page there's also a little blurp about the plans on building a series of rapids downstream of the irrigation weir, using smooth rocks and concrete to raise the level of the river and eliminate the hazard to boaters and wildlife

[Glenbow]

Very sad news indeed, and condolences to the families. We have all ben young and stupid. Wiers are death, no two ways about it. I was fishing the Lower K at interlakes yesterday, and the spillway was closed. Some young guy was FLY fishing right at the very foot of the gates in the little pool there for SUCKERS. I saw them with my polarized glasses clear as day. I told him to get the heck away from there, as you never know when they open the gates & he wouldn't even have time to get out of the way. He just laughed. I then told him he was fly-fishing for suckers & he just ignored me. Then the CO came, checked him & told him the same things. He got a ticket for something, I'm not sure what. Anyhow, he fished there all day (thank God the gates never opened) & didn't even get his sucker. At least he got to live.

[Castuserraticus]

I remember the buoy cable broke in '05 and I think in the past also. I'm surprised anyone who went over lived. About 20 years ago two boatloads (power boats) of firemen were killed while trying to rescue some people caught in the recirc of a weir in the U.S.. Both power boats were sucked in. Every few years it seems an incident like this has to happen to educate the next generation.

 

I used to do whitewater kayaking and have experienced how strong the recirculation can be with a natural ledge. I've been roll-shuttered a few times and been stuck and had to work hard to slingshot out. At least there are breaks in natural ledges so the hole has an exit. I've seen friends sucked back in and recirc'ed 3 times before they were able to exit and this was wearing a whitewater rated PFD. For everyone's information, you can't really swim away from the hole, you have to swim across the current to find a break where the current cuts through the surface recirc or you can crawl out on shore. The last ditch exit is to doff the PFD and dive into the downflow off the ledge. I met one person who had to do this after 10 minutes of recirc. He caught the downflow and was rolled along the bottom far enough he got past the recirc which is a surface water current. On the Highwood River one time, a novice joined us for a trip and got caught in the first ledge below Green Ford. He disappeared boat and all for a few seconds. He was sucked out and popped up in bottom of the recirc so I was able to get the stern of my boat to him and get him to the side. It was amazing watching a +10' boat recirc back into the hole. When it had finally caught the exit current it was bent at 90 degrees.

[grannyknot]

Very sad news indeed, and condolences to the families. We have all ben young and stupid. Wiers are death, no two ways about it. I was fishing the Lower K at interlakes yesterday, and the spillway was closed. Some young guy was FLY fishing right at the very foot of the gates in the little pool there for SUCKERS. I saw them with my polarized glasses clear as day. I told him to get the heck away from there, as you never know when they open the gates & he wouldn't even have time to get out of the way. He just laughed. I then told him he was fly-fishing for suckers & he just ignored me. Then the CO came, checked him & told him the same things. He got a ticket for something, I'm not sure what. Anyhow, he fished there all day (thank God the gates never opened) & didn't even get his sucker. At least he got to live.

I saw guys doing the same thing on Saturday. They didn't stand there long, but especially with all the rain out there, probably not a good idea. Not for suckers at least.

[cdock]

This is a sad story indeed and also an eye opener for us that are maybe a bit careless.

 

Recently I was in a local store (Wholesale Sports) lilstening to this guy rant and complain how it's law and no one is gonna force him to wear a life jacket and he'll pay the fines and doesn't care and so on. I would like to see him pay the fines when he's 6 feet under. Why can't people understand safety is essential in order to make it to your next fishing trip?

[Maximum]

This is a sad story indeed and also an eye opener for us that are maybe a bit careless.

 

Recently I was in a local store (Wholesale Sports) lilstening to this guy rant and complain how it's law and no one is gonna force him to wear a life jacket and he'll pay the fines and doesn't care and so on. I would like to see him pay the fines when he's 6 feet under. Why can't people understand safety is essential in order to make it to your next fishing trip?

 

 

These are the same people who refuse to wear seatbelts and no law will make them blah blah blah. All I can say is we'll have to let evolution sort that out.

[Brownstone]

Seems like every other year it happens, It's horrible. The markings for the weir start what, 3 km upsteam i believe. Inexperience and ingorance..all these tragedies can be avoided. Was out fishing last night and thats all i could think about when I looked out into the river. ..I feel for the familes...

[Pipestoneflyguy]

That is so sad.....and so preventable...

 

I always wear my PFD on moving water but tend not to on still water. I find the bulkiness hinders my casting, I know thats not a valid excuse but none-the-less I do it anyway, those with Pontoons/tubes prolly know where I'm coming from...(and I never wear it in the motor boat either) - Anyway I discussed this with the wife (after she saw the fishing trip pictures) and decided instead of trying to change my stuborn behaviour I am buying one of those trick inflatables - I guess in the end we decided my life is worth more than what I spend on a typical reel. Crazy but it took two years before I honestly assessed what risk I was exposing to myself to. Its amazing what I've spent on toys like the new spey rod yet I've walked by those inflatable PFD's numerous times and thought "Hmm those are nice but right now I'd rather have...."

 

I suppose a discussion of auto vs manual inflators would educational....