My 14 year old son and I sunk our boat at Crokus Creek on the Cumberland River last Saturday. The amazing thing is that we are both alive to tell this story. God's grace got us to the bank safely (My son with a life jacket and me without). My friends have told me the last 2 to turn their boat over at that spot weren't that lucky.

I'm so grateful that we survived that it is insignificant that the boat, motor and all contents were a total loss. Though it may take some time, all of those items can be replaced.

In trying to move the sunken boat out of the main channel on Saturday, the power head had a hole knocked in it. When I got someone to help me get the boat out on Sunday, we found the damage to the motor. This is an electtric start 40 HP Mercury - 4 stroke (I am being told a Classic 50). Once I have all the motor info, I will see if anyone can use parts from this motor. At least the lower unit appears to be intact.

I did not get back to the spot where we sunk the boat, but other boaters say that it is marked by 3 rods and reels and a yellow deep cycle battery. The rest of the gear was going down the river about 100 miles per hour.

We have survived and, when we can regroup, we will be back on the river. We will be much wiser and much better prepared. There were so many little things that could have gone wrong to make this a tragic story, that I feel like I am the luckiest man (and father) alive.

I am also very grateful to the gentleman that let us come into his home, the Burkesville PD, the wildlife and boating guys and the friends that helped me get the boat out on Sunday. It was nice to have these folks on our side during our crisis. I will never be able to thank them enough.

With such a happy ending to this story, we have been able to joke about a few things. My son caught his first rainbow trout. (1) The wildlife guys told him that when they rolled the boat over on Saturday that it was still in the live well. (2) When that digital camera surfaces there will be a nice picture of him and that trout.(3)The fish have been answering my cell phone.

Please be safe out there, have fun and make sure that you have God with you.

Kevin