Near drowning

I was fishing at Angler's Friend, Roodeplaat Dam. The bait boat refused to come back after dropping off the second line. I was too proud to ask a neighbor to borrow a canoe, after all it did not look that far into the dam, I've done better than that lots of times.

Halfway to the bait boat I hit a current that was flowing in from the Pienaars river. Should have turned around then, but NO!. Besides I was already halfway there, just have to aim far in front of the  boat so that the current will take me to the money. (Second mistake)

So after fighting the current and draining my energy I was stuck halfway between the boat and the shore, with no energy left to reach either.

This was when I realized that I was in trouble. Treading water I was able to signal to shore that I needed assistance. Luckily for me a fellow angler saw ages ago that there was something amiss and was already on his way to rescue me.

Because of pride I nearly lost my life, nearly drowned with my wife and children watching!

Thanks again for the rescuer (he disappeared before I could breath again and I did not get his name), I owe you my life.

Lesson learned: DON'T swim unfamiliar water, wear life jackets and don't let your pride kill you.

I hope my stupidity saves someone from doing the same and coming to a worse end.

 

 

thanks for sharing, will definitely remember this in the future if something like this ever happens.

lesson learned the hard way ne, at least your safe.

:welcomesea:

should have just asked for the canoe.....

Hindsight is 20/20 and I now agree 100% with you.

The first thing I did before this weekends outing was to buy a canoe and a life jacket.

I posted this as a reminder that sometimes our pride and ego overrides commonsense, and I was lucky not to pay the ultimate price.

Hi Pap Gooi,

Gaan jy nou die aasboot met die kano uitvat :-D

Daar is meer by betrokke as net die fisiese, ek dink partykeer die tussen die ore speel 'n groter rol. Dis waarom mense soms 'opgee' in die water wanneer die omstandighede oorweldigend lyk.

Ek hoop jy gaan jou life jacket toets (in water natuurlik). Jy moet weet wat om te verwag van die ding as jy in die situasie beland. Net om 'n life jacket te he beteken niks nie, die life jacket moet jou toelaat om te kan doen wat jy wil doen.

Maak jou kano sodat hy permanente flotasie het, en genoeg. At tap jy die hele ding vol water moet hy steeds reg werk. Wel anders as jy die aasboot uitvat en 'n hoeliegin jaag by jou verby en die golwe spoel in die kano moet jy nie weer van voor af in dieselfde situasie beland nie.

Wat se kano het jy gekry ?

Hi Fanie.

As hy weer so vol streke is sal ek maar moet. LOL.

Dankie vir die raad ek het glad nie daaraan gedink nie maar dit maak sin. Sal met die ding in die swembad gaan spring.

Ek sal die sit gedeelte van die kano vol water kan maak sonder dat hy sink, maar ek sal dit ook eers moet toets.

Oor die tipe? Geen idee? WA toe en gevra vir 'n kano. Die een gevat wat 'n plekkie agterin het om die aas in te vat as die batery van die aas boot flou is. Maar dit is 'n geseelde glass fiber een.

Weereens dankie vir die raad

Die een wat 'n plekkie agterin het om die aas in te vat is die aasboot :-D

Pos bietjie 'n portret van jou kano. Ek weet julle pap swaaiers dink in terme van van die kant af vang, maar wat van as jy van die kano af vang...

Ek het nog altyd gewonder waarom die ouens aan die' kant van die dam hulle aas aan die oorkant gaan afgooi en die ouens aan die oorkant kom gooi aan die' kant af ??? Sou dit nie maar net makliker gewees het om te ry tot daat waar jy sou afgooi nie ?

Well done to you Pap-gooi,it takes a real man to admit to his mistakes and even better for doin something about it.Well done and Stywe lyne

@ Papgooi ... very courageous of you to tell us your story.
And yes I do hope people reading this will be more careful when on the water.

 

Thanx for this, I like to do bassing off my Ski, although I have a life jacket...... I very seldom use it since it's not comfy and hey I can swim, but this made me think I going to buy somthing thats comfy to wear so I can use it

  :kaykak