The importance of lending assistance

[sflam123]

A friend and I went out on KY Lake later in the day last Saturday as the wind began laying down. We put in at Big Bear. After fishing North for about three hours, we made the big turn from the main lake in to Malcolm Creek about 6:15 PM. Far off to the left we saw a jet ski with the driver waving his arms. Although we were running late and it was getting dark, I came off plane and idled over to se what was up.

The jets ski driver was of Indian/Pakistani decent and could speak minimal English. As we idled up, he pointed west and said "Friend....dead". He repeated this phrase 3 or 4 times as we strained our eyes looking in to the setting sun. We finally saw a form in the water about 100 yds away and idled over. We pulled a very exhausted, very cold gentleman out of the water and after wrapping him up and drying him off we reunited him with his buddy on the jet ski. As near as we could determine from their limited English, the guy in the water had the kill switch attached to his arm and fell off while the jet ski was moving rapidly. The jet ski drifted away and neither of them could swim. He had no idea how long he had been in the water, but judging by his bluish color it had been over 15 minute, likely approaching 30 minutes or more. They indicated they were staying at the Moors (the jet ski appeared to be a Moors rental) so we got them over to the Moors breakwall and let them go in together.

I guess the point here is it would have been really easy to ignore the guy on the jet ski, especially in the fading light. However, if we had not gotten to the guy in the water I'm not sure how much longer he was going to last. And the fading light coupled with his dark coloration and a black lifejacket made him nearly invisible in the limited daylight. We all have time pressures on us, and it is easy to rationalize not helping someone. And we all know how we fishermen feel about jet skis. But think about this situation before blowing off anyone, especially with water temperatures dropping and winter approaching.

Steve

[know1]

It's definitely important to help out, but I wonder why he wasn't helping his friend...

Oh wait, I get it. The guy who fell off the single jet ski had the kill switch. I initially thought it was 2 jet skis.

[raincheck]

Good job and hope if i ever need help someone is there too,I learned a signal at the ABA nationals that if you need help too start waving the net in the air.Be safe and do on too others as you would want too yourself.Terry Adolph

[BurleyDog]

you deserve a pat on the back for doing the right thing.

Those guys are lucky you were there. Seem like a couple idiots from the info you provided.

[sflam123]

you deserve a pat on the back for doing the right thing.

Those guys are lucky you were there. Seem like a couple idiots from the info you provided.

IMO they had no business on the water. I don't know that they were idiots, but they knew very little about the jet ski they were riding and even less about the hazards and safety of/on Kentucky Lake.

Steve

[mhall]

Way to go, you guys did a great and honorable thing and quite frankly may have saved another human beings life. GOOD JOB GUYS, now that's a good day on the water.

[markmac60]

Good man Steve. Nice to see that type of courtesy still exists, especially when you see the inconsiderate side of people way too often. I'm sure you saved many people great heartache had you not helped and the fella died. You probably got upgraded to a Lazy Boy when you get to the other side.

[Owskiwoski]

Nice to see good people out on the water. I sure hope someone would stop if I was ever in trouble...nice job!!

[kygorski]

I have towed a few guys, and it was no big deal, Two yrs ago at dale some guys waved me down, and I offered to tow them to the state dock, about 4 miles from where we were. They wanted to towed to star point. I said good luck fellas, but that was too far for me to travel back and forth, ang gas was over 3.50 a gal. I saw them at the state dock just after sunset.

[elnutsmalljaws]

Ky and Barkley is no place to play and it has been said here many times. I was fishing on North Barkley 2 springs ago and had an outstanding day. One of those days that the front is just about to come thru, overcast, cloudy, perfect spinnerbait day and they were inhaling the Hook Some Bass Green Glimmer like it was a piece of chocolate for a woman during that time of the month, if you know what I mean. I saw a Kayak on the North side of the lake heading towards the dam as the thunder was rolling in from the west. Here I am trying to get that last fish and beat the storm back to Poplar Creek, fish after fish the storm is coming closer and closer but still a good 1/2 hour away I figured. I continued to fish like an idiot and then BAM there was the lightning strike close enough to make the hair stand on my neck. I am in Demumbers and out I go up the south side to the crossing channel in front of Carmack towards Poplar Creek and I see this Kayak back near the condos on the north side heading back towards Poplar Creek waving his arms. I could have easily kept on going but went across the crossing channel then turned around to go see him. It was about a 70 yr old man that was completely out of breath. I got him in my boat and tied his kayak off to the back and off we went. He had a houseboat in Poplar Creek that I dropped him off at as it was raining cats and dogs and lighting was dancing all around. Me and my aluminum boat are no place to be in that type of weather. Storms come up QUICK down there, quicker than any other place that I fish, mainly Cumberland and Dale, and they can be dangerous. I have been caught in them at night by myself and one night Dave Stewart and myself got caught in one as welll. We were fishing Sugar and the GREAT experienced guide that Dave is felt a wind shift all the way up in the back of Sugar and knew something was up. We had put in around Big Bear and had to cross the channel north of Sugar to get back. Dave idles out to the main lake turns on the spotlight and the lake is rolling 2-3 footers to start. I don't know how big they got but I know I had my legs wedged in his Ranger with both hands on the spotlight trying to spot the marker bouys as DAve was crossing. All I saw was wave and sky, wave and sky, had to be 4-6 footers by the time we were crossing. Worst Dave had ever had to cross at night at that time.

If you think people drive autos crazy, just wait until you see the boaters and jet skis drive. These people that get out on the water once a year or twice a year have not clue how to operate these things and certainly don't have good safety habits. Steve saved a mans life for sure and maybe 2 of them if the jet ski operator decides to swim for it, especially if he is drifting towards the dam as they are pulling current with all the rain. Great job Steve.

[mhall]

Did you know there would not have been a Bass Pro Shop if something like this had not have happened. Many years ago in the early days of tournament fishing and before Bass Pro Shops was even a dream Johnny Morris and his partner had a bad boating accident on the Big O and were in bad shape. Morris was laying in the water unconcious and not doing well at all, his partner in about the same shape.
Along came Billy Westmoreland the greatest smallmouth fisherman to ever breath air alive or dead. Billy stuck that big hand of his down in the water and scooped out both guys and rushed them to safety.

Story has it up until Billy's untimely death that he could go in Bass Pro and pretty much help himself, but refused to do it and payed retail likeeverybody else.

True story, pretty cool Huh.

[elnutsmalljaws]

Did you know there would not have been a Bass Pro Shop if something like this had not have happened. Many years ago in the early days of tournament fishing and before Bass Pro Shops was even a dream Johnny Morris and his partner had a bad boating accident on the Big O and were in bad shape. Morris was laying in the water unconcious and not doing well at all, his partner in about the same shape.
Along came Billy Westmoreland the greatest smallmouth fisherman to ever breath air alive or dead. Billy stuck that big hand of his down in the water and scooped out both guys and rushed them to safety.

Story has it up until Billy's untimely death that he could go in Bass Pro and pretty much help himself, but refused to do it and payed retail likeeverybody else.

True story, pretty cool Huh.

Absolute true story for Bobby Westmoreland told me the same thing a couple of years ago when I first met him and we sat and talked about Billy for a couple of hours with Bobby's wife and Bobby's son, who traveled with Billy for a long time when Billy was fishing the circuit. Heard a lot of great stories about Billy and sure do wish I could have met him in real life. Hopefully when I am done with this world we can spend a day on Dale chasing the same fish that we both love, THEM OL BROWNFISH.