| Date of Incident | 08/07/2105 |
|---|---|
| Time | 11:00AM |
| Location: Physical Description | Near the mouth of Galena Bay, Prince William Sound |
| Reporting a | Incident |
| Type | Ocean |
| Water Conditions | Flat Calm |
| Weather Conditions | Sunny 80 degrees |
| Boat Type | Custom aluminum 24 ft. 200 hp outboard |
| Motorized? | Yes |
| Number of People | 2 Males |
| Number of People Wearing Life Jackets | 2 |
| Other Safety Equipment Used | Throw lines and throwable life preserver |
| Event Description | We were drift fishing and my buddy hung his fishing line up on the edge of the boat cab. When he went to reach his line to untangle it a boat wake from a boat that was nearly out of sight a mile or more away suddenly hit our boat. He lost his balance and fell into the water. I was in the back of the boat and heard the splash as he hit the water. I immediately came over to the side where he had just fallen in to see him floating on his back in the water 4 feet from the boat. I immediately went into the cab of the boat and retrieved my throwable life preserver with 50 feet of poly line tied to it and threw it to him and pulled him up to the back of the boat. He grabbed onto the outboard motor bracket for the kicker and the lower unit of the main outboard (the motor was shut off). I grabbed the end of the rope and made a loop and he helped put that around his waist and I pulled him back on to the back section of the boat. |
| Event Outcome | He said I cracked a couple of his ribs pulling him back into the boat, but other than that he seems to have made it through the ordeal very well. Another example of how wearing a life jacket and having your U.S. Coast Guard required equipment saved another life.
Submitted by Robert Sparks |
