Bad Break at Big Break - PB Drowning

Our bro Daviator fishes Big Break all the time.  Sad story, I hope they investigate the tragedy further to educate the public on dangers to avoid when fishing this specific area.  Maybe first thing is to not fish solo if you can help it.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/02/14/BAUK1HN064.DTL&tsp=1

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The body of a fisherman believed to have fallen overboard near Oakley has been found, authorities said.

Harry Lee, 51, apparently fell into the water on Jan. 22 while fishing by himself in the Big Break area of the delta, said Jimmy Lee, Contra Costa County sheriff's spokesman. The victim's empty, 20-foot boat was spotted adrift the afternoon he disappeared.

A man called the sheriff's office at about 8:25 a.m. Sunday to report that there was a body floating a half mile south of Big Break, authorities said.

An autopsy concluded that Lee drowned, officials said.

Was the guy wearing a PFD?
I go against conventional wisdom by having a beer now and then while on a boat, but would never get in a boat without a PFD. I'm guessing 90% of such drownings could have been avoided with the use of a PFD.

Rest in Peace. I feel for the family, never knowing why/how it happened.

Sad....

A crazy aspect of this story is that the decedent was named Harry Lee.  Contra Costa sheriff's rep was Jimmy Lee.  And the reporter who wrote the article was Henry K. Lee. 

WTH is going on with all the Lee's here??!! 

I read awhile back when they found his boat.

From what I understand a lot of powerboat drownings occur when someone tries to pee overboard and falls in.  And unless there's a swim platform or ladder over the side it can be tough getting back on board.

I read awhile back when they found his boat.

From what I understand a lot of powerboat drownings occur when someone tries to pee overboard and falls in.  And unless there's a swim platform or ladder over the side it can be tough getting back on board.

I've heard the same thing... a high percentage of body recovery's on single boater accidents have their fly's down.  That's why I never role without the old Folgers can!

I wonder if this guy was taking a piss when the rogue wave hit LOL.  What a tough SOB!  Q:  why not swimming back to the boat instead of swimming to shore?! 

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Australian man washed overboard survives long swim

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

(02-15) 19:01 PST BRISBANE, Australia (AP) --

Australian police say a fisherman who was knocked overboard by a rogue wave survived a six-hour swim to shore without a lifejacket.

Officials say they realized the man was missing when someone spotted his unmanned boat with the engine still running Tuesday off the Gold Coast, south of the Queensland capital of Brisbane.

Tweed Heads Police Inspector Darren Steel told Australian Broadcasting Corp. on Wednesday that the man's boat was hit by a large wave, knocking him overboard. The boat kept going without him, so he was forced to make the 4.7-mile (7.5 kilometer) swim to shore.

After making it to land, he climbed over rocks and knocked on a stranger's door for help.

Steel said the man was treated at a hospital and released.

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2011/02/15/international/i190109S15.DTL

Poor guy. I feel for the family as well. 

I might swim back to shore if my boat was drifting off faster then i could swim, F-the boat save your life. On the other hand. the boat is safety and I would find it hard to swim away from that

be safe out there all  lets have a ZERO drowning rate please! Praise the PFD and always ALWAYS attach you VHF to YOUR PFD of person so that when shit does go bad you have a life line