Crazy July 4th weekend

This is the last year I try to go fishing on July 4th weekend. Way more trouble than it's worth.
Headed out to Taylorsville late Sunday night do a little bow fishing then catfish for a few hours. The storm blew in before we ever wet a line. So i pulled my boat up on the bank, tied off and thought I would be just waiting out the storm and lightning.
My plan went to crap after everyone else decided to bring their boats in because of the storm. A pontoon boat was coming in at Van Buren and motor stalled at ramp. To try and make the story short they basically ended up on the shallow flat going up the river. A runabout was already in the water and went to help them. He ended up catching his motor on fire trying to pull them out of it. The fire was put out after a couple of tries but by then one of the guys on the runabout bailed and for some reason panicked and tried to swim to shore in the direction of the ramp. I can't say for sure how far he was but with the water lever up some I would say it was too far for a midnight swim. At that point we had no choice but to untie and go get him regardless of the storm or not.
We got to him but missed with the throw but was just lucky enough to get close enough for two of us to drag him in the boat. Lucky that no one else bailed out of the boats but we were not sure at that point and looked for more swimmers.
We got to the pontoon and runabout were the runabout owner was in the water and basically keeping both boats from drifting farther on the flat. He had them in deep enough water to hook on but I could only bring one in at a time. We told the guys in the pontoon to put out an anchor and do what ever they had to keep it from blowing farther onto the flat.
By the time we dropped off the swimmer and the runabout the pontoon had blown what looked like the opposite side of the lake and there was no way for us to go get them.
They eventually had to wade the flat to bring it back for me to bring them in but it was a long crappy night and I am done with these holiday weekends.

It never ceases to amaze me at how people panic when there is no reason to.

I had two boats come up to me on KY Lake on Saturday, asking for directions. I find it odd that people who are unfamiliar with a lake never take the time to get a map. One guy couldn't even remember the name of the place he was staying...after I rattled off every campground name in LBL he finally decided that Birmingham Ferry sounded right...he was at Kenlake and it was pretty well dark; I doubt he had a spotlight.

Sounds like quite the experience! I also braved the crowds on the 4th at NRL...other than being washed around by four foot waves, the fishing was spectacular! :D

-Rich

[QUOTE=artcarney_agr;458922]It never ceases to amaze me at how people panic when there is no reason to.

I had two boats come up to me on KY Lake on Saturday, asking for directions. I find it odd that people who are unfamiliar with a lake never take the time to get a map. One guy couldn't even remember the name of the place he was staying...after I rattled off every campground name in LBL he finally decided that Birmingham Ferry sounded right...he was at Kenlake and it was pretty well dark; I doubt he had a spotlight.[/QUOTE

Now that is scary!

[QUOTE=RICHYD4U;458981]Sounds like quite the experience! I also braved the crowds on the 4th at NRL...other than being washed around by four foot waves, the fishing was spectacular! :D

-Rich[/QUOTE]

I never even got to wet a line! So I don't know how good the fishing was gonna be!!!

Give yourself a pat on the back for helping those in need. Only one way to gain experience on the does and don't on the water. People like you make this world a better place to live!

[QUOTE=gocards40;458986]I never even got to wet a line! So I don't know how good the fishing was gonna be!!![/QUOTE]

Guess you'll never know...but kuddos to you for helping those in need!

-Rich

it takes alot to "run" me off the lake.....but i hide in the corner of the basement and dont come out until the 6th of july. by the way the beer regrigerator is in the corner of the basement:eek:

[QUOTE=coombro;458992]Give yourself a pat on the back for helping those in need. Only one way to gain experience on the does and don't on the water. People like you make this world a better place to live![/QUOTE]

Not me. I am not the kind of person that makes the world a better place to live. There is not one person on here that would not have done what we did to try and keep a guy from drowning. If he would have drowned I would not have ever got over it because I know what I was thinking when it looked like I was not gonna have to go back in the water to help them get that pontoon off the flat. But all hell broke loose when the engine caught on fire and the guy tried to swim accross the lake. At that point anyone would have done what we did. We just got lucky to be able to get to him and pull him in.

[QUOTE=gocards40;459154]Not me. I am not the kind of person that makes the world a better place to live. There is not one person on here that would not have done what we did to try and keep a guy from drowning. If he would have drowned I would not have ever got over it because I know what I was thinking when it looked like I was not gonna have to go back in the water to help them get that pontoon off the flat. But all hell broke loose when the engine caught on fire and the guy tried to swim accross the lake. At that point anyone would have done what we did. We just got lucky to be able to get to him and pull him in.[/QUOTE]

Spoken like a true hero!

[QUOTE=coombro;459155]Spoken like a true hero![/QUOTE]

The hero was the guy in the runabout! He is the one that braved the storm to pull those guys in, his equipment just failed him. He is the one that didn't think twice about putting himself in harms way to help someone. He could have chose to ignore them like a lot of people would have. I only went back in the water when I had no choice. Thanks for the nice comment though.

By the way I went back yesterday and had a much better day!