Near drowning at Squam
 

Be careful out there.

From WMUR's website: http://www.wmur.com/news/23158389/detail.html

AND ONCE AGAIN>>> Michaud was fishing alone, and not wearing a life vest, according to Mardin.

He is a very lucky young man those fishermen were near enough to save him.

Wow!
 

What a lucky dope............

Anyone have any knowledge on a supposed human anatomy, atomatic reflex, where falling out of a boat and nto cold water is very likely to cause inhaling water, coughing, gagging, and possibly a quick drowning?

Two weeks ago, I waded into neck deep water for 15-minutes, wearing just a bathing suit and sneakers, to work on the dock & boatlift. After the first minute in the water, it does not feel so cold as it did at first. If really determined, it can be done because I was able to do it.

Falling out of a boat, what with the unconditioned gag reflex could be deadly?

Back in our early days of white water canoe paddling I had a few quick dumps into ice melt rapids with a wet suit on. It is a real shock but no more water is inhaled than in an unexpected dunking into warm water. The shock is over right away and you quickly move on to other considerations like saving your skin. In time the cold will wear you down even with a wet or dry suit. With no protection the cold will sap your strength real fast.

A pfd would have been very useful as keeping afloat saps the strength extra fast.

I knew someone who was sailing alone down the Merrimack in Newburyport, when he fell out of his boat. Being barrel chested, his life jacket was bulky and he couldn't get himself back into the boat. It was in the early Spring, so he quickly cramped up and couldn't hang on. He let go of the boat and decided he'd just quit when he saw a rope in the water. He took the rope and with the last bit of his energy, pulled himself back to the boat and turned the rudder so the boat beached itself. He then waited for someone to find him and pull him out of the water.

He lived to tell about it only because he was near to the shore and because he was under way in a boat that could be maneuvered from in the water. He realized that due to his body size he didn't have the strength to raise himself out of his boat, so he doesn't sail alone any more. If you can't pull yourself back into your boat, then don't boat alone.
GH

When I worked in the Fire/Ambulance Service, they taught us this AND "A body is not dead, until it is warm and dead", never give up a body, even for hours, submerged in cold water, salt water has a more dramatic effect than fresh water.