Cold water, alcohol and drugs-gctid354840

[Guest]

Interesting evening, last night we had a woman fall off the dock into 47deg water at about 9pm. There are three of us live a board boats in our marina, two of us on the down stream end and one couple living on the extreme upstream end. The marina stretches along the bank about 400 yards and the current downstream is running about 1knt. I'm just getting out of the shower when my neighbor raps on my door alerting me to the news. Apparently the woman had been in the water about twenty minutes before her boyfriend called 911. He actually called her dad asking what to do, that's when her dad told him to call 911 stupid. The local fire siren had just sounded when I grabbed my dive light and headed down the dock hoping this gal was hanging on the end of one of the dock fingers. Her boy friend was screaming her name repeatedly as he searched up and down the dock from the north end of the marina. By the time I got to their boat he is in the water fully clothed reaching under the floats while yelling her name. I told him you better get out of the water before we have another victim, I can smell alcohol from six feet away. The volunteer fire department is on the scene and the sheriffs department is in route by land and water as well. The Coast guard is in route by water from Rio Vista ( 25 miles downstream on a dark and narrow river) and a helicopter with paramedics is in the air. The sheriffs search and recovery team has to assemble and drive 26 miles from Sacramento to Locke ( they are on site in less than 30 minutes) boat in the water. By now the girls parents who live locally are on the dock, mother wailing. I DON'T THINK BY THIS TIME THERE IS A CHANCE IN HELL THIS WOMAN IS STILL ALIVE. In spit of many people calling her name from the dock the search and rescue team in an inflatable searching the docks there is not a sign of her anywhere. By now there are at least 50 people searching for her and a lot of rolling stock on scene. Her mother is out of her mind with grieve. The search shifts gears and becomes a recovery mission. The divers are probing around the docks down stream with poles and things are looking pretty grim when the words comes up the dock that she was recovered on the south end of the marina clinging to the only ladder "on the 400 yards of dock" too weak to climb out. This gal managed to swim at least 350 yards in 47 deg water. She had taken off most of her clothing and was suffering from severe hypothermia and taken by ambulance to a local hospital. Both she and her boyfriend were extremely drunk at the time and have a reputation of using drugs. Apparently while they were having a domestic dispute she either was pushed, fell, or jumped into the water, swam away from her boyfriend around the bow of the boat away from him as he tried to recover her and vanished by the time he ran around to the other side of their slip. She is very familiar with the marina and knew of the ladder at the far end of the docks. I may be jumping to conclusions but a stupid act could have cost this gal her life. It certainly cost us taxpayers a ton of money trying to safe her life. The search and rescue divers said this is one of the few times that ended with a survivor. We had a drowning last year when a woman fell into the water on the public docks stepping from the boarding platform of their boat stepping onto the dock. Her older husband jumped into rescue her and never came up. She made to shore, his body was recovered a week later down stream. The ladder that saved her life was installed by neighbor in case he fell in and not by the marina owner. That very evening I was looking in the West Marine Catalog at ladders to place one on the end of my dock in case I fell in. Guess I'll be spending some money on a ladder.

[Guest]

I too will be installing a ladder at the end of my dock this season . Thank you for posting.

[The_Other_Gary]

We have a ladder in every pair of slips, cheap insurance.

[Go Aweigh2452]

In our area, I see ladders installed by the Marina every other slip... I would think that would be a requirement by your state? If not, I would certainly start a petition...

[Guest]

I once helped a drunk back up on the dock after he fell in. By way of a thank you he punched me in the mouth.

Good times...

[Guest]

At least everything worked out ok and noone died, coulda been alot worse.

I dont think my marina has ladders around the docks.....

[Guest]

Also remember most boats are required by law to have a boarding ladder reachable from water.

[Guest]

We have a ladder on our dock, and both boats have ladders that can be opened from the water. And we're trying to stop drinking! Thank God for the ladders...

[Guest]

biohazard wrote:
At least everything worked out ok and noone died, coulda been alot worse.

I dont think my marina has ladders around the docks.....

Does not. I feel in in the early am leaving for a business trip. It would have been nice to have a ladder as it was pretty lonely draging my fully clothed ars up on angle iron.

[Guest]

TrophyTroubles wrote:
Also remember most boats are required by law to have a boarding ladder reachable from water.

I knew that, but didn't think of it until I was out and I was tone stober.

[Guest]

SCARY!!

We have a pull down ladder on our swim platform.

But it didn't really cost the taxpayers extra unless those folks were not on salary.

[ksanders]

That is really scary! Glad she is safe.

[Guest]

We have ladders on the fingers on both sides of the main dock by our area. My neighbors and I chipped in on getting them.

But you can't fix stupid. Last winter we had three guys get drunk and have a swim competition from the marina service dock to the main dock, probably a quarter mile. One drowned. In winter our water hits 48-50 degrees.

[captharv]

TrophyTroubles wrote:
Also remember most boats are required by law to have a boarding ladder reachable from water.

I could not find that in the "Legal requirenents" handbook for us stateside boaters, although it SHOULD be required.

Maybe being "pickled" with the booze (or what not) saved her.

It would not take a rocket scietist to build a ladder out of 3" PVC pipe The stuff cuts with a hacksaw and glues together. 2 10 lengths and 6 "T" fittings. I would guess a lot less $$$ than a ready made one at WM

On all my boats I have rigged the ladder to be deployed fron either in the boat or water. The CG auxiliary newsletter had a case of a bass boat fisherman who fell in and drowned because the boat had no way of re-boarding from the water. This is important for small boats, particularly fishing, because entering the water in accidental, not like a family boat where prople ente the water as normal recreation.

[Guest]

Had a similar event around the corner from you (Steamboat Resort) just below the bridge. Some guys had their boat beached when it floated off. They drove around to our marina, ran down the ramp, one of them ran across our swim platform, and jumped in! Got about 20 yards out and started foundering. We went out in the Zodiac and pulled him in to the dock. Never went under, but unconscious, so we did CPR, called 911, etc. End result, dead. Was over 300 lbs., about 25 years old, drunk and high on drugs. Died from a heart attack. Coroner said he was probably gone before we got him to the dock (about 3 minutes). His "buddies" were also drunk and high, so we kept them away from the scene until the cops arrived. Sad ending to a great weekend.