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Sad Day on the Lake

3K views 25 replies 23 participants last post by  WATERDOG 
#1 ·
http://www.havasunews.com/articles/2010/08/11/news/doc4c6236c2a192e815342420.txt
Search for missing boater to resume today

By DAVID BELL
Today's News-Herald
Published Tuesday, August 10, 2010 10:51 PM MST
The search for a missing boater believed drowned was suspended due to darkness Tuesday.San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department Sgt. Tim Smith said the search for Joseph Harry Hetherington, 62, of Huntington Beach, Calif., will resume this morning.

“The victim was boating with family north of Grass Island, approximately 200 yards off shore. He shut off the boat and jumped into water,” Smith said. “The wind kicked up slightly and drifted the boat away from the swimmer. He shouted at the juveniles (on board) for help and to bring the boat to him but they didn’t know to operate it. He became distressed and was last seen about 100 yards off shore when he disappeared from sight.”

The call came in at 6:42 p.m. and the Lake Havasu City Police Department boating unit was the first on scene. SBCSD marine unit officers gathered the family and assumed command, establishing an area search.

In addition to LHCPD, Lake Havasu City Fire Boat and three units from the Mohave County Sheriff’s Office marine unit, including the 38-foot Munson Command Boat, assisted.

“The Munson has a good upper tier that provides excellent visibility into the lake. So we used that until the sun went down,” said MCSO Sgt. Doug Schuster. “We will coordinate with San Bernardino in the morning. We will make our sonar unit available and assist any way we can.”

Good Samaritans took control of the boat, a 24-foot tritoon with two bimini tops, and brought it to the Nautical Inn in Lake Havasu City.

The search was terminated at 8 p.m. and will resume at 7 a.m. today. Smith said SBCSD divers will also participate in the search, as well as the SBCSD sonar unit.
 
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#3 ·
How about just somebody jump in and take the guy a life jacket ?!? :))eek:))
 
#9 ·
This happens more often than people think. I was first introduced to a story like this reading where a dad and his two kids were presumed drowned on Lake Erie when their boat was found adrift. They apparently jumped in for a swim, the wind kicked up, and blew the boat away. F'ing creepy and sad when you think about it from a dad's point of view. I couldn't imagine something like that with my kids.
 
#13 ·
I saw a movie a few months back, forget the title, group of friends chartered a sail boat, all jumped in for a swim and realized there was no ladder. It was a gut wrenching movie as one by one they drowned. I need to teach my kids to start and drive the boat or at least clue them in on tossing me something if I get in trouble.
 
#14 ·
Caution first

I guess I'm overly cautious, but I don't "just jump in" unless I'm within MY swimming range to shore. I usually beach the boat and wade in, and wade out. Wonder why he felt it necessary to be in a hurry?.....Sad deal for sure, and I'm betting the kids were Grand kids out with Grandpa a boat ride.......RIP Grandpa..

Ray
 
#21 ·
Sad for sure. My thoughts and prayers are with the family.

I was just thinking the other day that there haven't been very many deaths this year like last year on the river. Seemed every other week we where hearing stories like this.

What seems odd to me is that so many of these reports are "someone jumps in the water and they don't come up". Not to be insensitive but what happens to these people? If I jump in the water I swim back to the boat or shore. I wonder if these people are having heart attacks or something. Doesn't entirely make sense to me. I'm now wondering if I should wear a PFD if I want to jump in the water. I've been swimming my whole life though and wouldn't think twice about jumping in the lake or the river and wonder if I'm gonna come up.
 
#24 ·
This same situation played out last summer @ lake piru, a bunch of guys rented a pontoon boat, the wind grabbed the biminis and blew the boat way out in the middle of the lake while the guys were in the water not paying attention. One guy was a weak swimmer and went under while every one else was swimming for the boat. No body noticed till after they were on the boat again that they were missing a person, he was later found dead from drowning.
 
#25 ·
I used to boat in the Pacific Northwest from Vancouver up to Juneau where there are lots of working fishermen out alone in smallish boats. One statistic that surprised me was that over 50% of the drowning victims who were out alone were found with their fly unzipped. I guess they tried to pee over the side and fell in.......
 
#26 ·
I'm still not sure if I was with this guy a couple of hours prior to this happening. Wife and I spent the day down in Steamboat and then Standard. Stopped in the Channel to cool off. Park next to this guy that said to call him Hank. He said they were from O.C. He had 4 small kids with him that played with the Wife. He said two were grandchildren and two were niece and nephew. I believe he said the oldest was 13 and the next down was 10. Him or not has made us pretty sad around here.
 
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