breaking news

http://www.detnews.com/article/20090728/ME...0443/1409/METRO

QUOTESt. Clair Shores -- A 57-year-old man and a 13-year-old boy are dead after they jumped into Lake St. Clair and apparently drowned while trying to help a boating companion who was struggling in the water, officials said today.

Four people were aboard the pontoon boat this afternoon about three-quarters of a mile offshore from Veteran's Memorial Park, which is off Jefferson and along Masonic Boulevard in St. Clair Shores.

"It's just one of those situations where you're out on a pontoon boat on a beautiful sunny day out on Lake St. Clair just enjoying the day and swimming, and unfortunately a very tragic incident occurred where two people lost their lives," Macomb County Sheriff Mark Hackel said.

The Coast Guard received an emergency call about three people in the water at about 2:38 p.m. today, said Lt. Zachary Ford, a spokesman.

A 31-year-old male was swimming near the boat and began struggling, so the 57-year-old man and the 13-year-old boy went in after him, according to Hackel. A 73-year-old woman stayed on the boat and called 911 for help.

A Coast Guard boat reached the scene of their boat within five minutes, and the crew was able to rescue the 31-year-old man, according to authorities. Ford said the man is in good condition.

A 73-year-old woman, who is being interviewed by officials, was on board the drifting boat at the time and is doing fine, Ford said. Officials say the woman is a family friend of the three male boaters.

From the Channel 7 news reports one guy went in for a swim and started having trouble. The two people who passed away, jumped in to help him. He made it, they didn't

Their has got to be more to the story than this. How the heck do two perfectly healthy people jump into the water to save someone and end up dieing while the guy needing help lives????????? We are not being told something.

QUOTE(PelicanKayaker @ Jul 29 2009, 03:48 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Caught in weeds? I know they're really easy to get tangled up in, thats one reason why i wear a knife whenever im kayaking.

Sad story, my prayers are with the families.

Ive heard stories about getting tangled in weeds. Thats the only thing I can think of also. Man...what a horrible way to go... god bless em'.

No offense to the family or others who have this situation happen to them. But it blows my mind when "some" people think they are way to good of a swimmer to where a life jacket.(Which Im not saying is the case here.) Like its not "Cool" to wear one or something? Ive been around water my entire life and consider myself a good swimmer,but I would never leave my boat without a lifevest. On my boat, if you jumped in the water, you HAD a life lacket on! In my experience too, its always the people I would bring out on the water that have only been on a boat once or twice in there life that wanted to dive right in without a vest! Plus they would be the ones laughing at me on how strict I was about this subject. At the end of the day though, we ALL, always made it home safely...

Hmm, I'm not sure about the "sodas". From the report on Channel 7 last night, the boat owner was the 57 year old man, who was also a priest.
Prayers sent to the familes and friends of those gone to soon.

QUOTE(Big Dog @ Jul 29 2009, 09:49 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Hmm, I'm not sure about the "sodas". From the report on Channel 7 last night, the boat owner was the 57 year old man, who was also a priest.
Prayers sent to the familes and friends of those gone to soon.

Not directed towards this incident, Im talking about friends on my boat.
Regardless of any reason, thats such a sad thing.

A Friend-of-a friends father passed that way. Jumped into help his daughter who was struggling getting back to the boat and had a heart attack and passed. She made it back to the boat safely but lost her dad.

About 6 years ago I was up at Rice Lake with my (x) girlfriend and her dad and his girlfriend and two kids. We rented a pontoon boat and were having a great day. I was getting the lil ones on some nice perch and panfish and just basically enjoying the day.

Towards the end of the day, as we were going over a huge cabbage weedbed, one of the kids lost their hat in the wind, so I stopped the boat. My girls dad, not the healthiest (short, a tad over weight and high blood pressure) 'thought' he was HE-MAN ( like a lot of them do) and took off his shirt and shoes and just jumped in. I KNEW how cold the water was going to be, PLUS, the weeds were high and big, so it was a bad idea, even for me to consider jumping in to 'cool off' and get the hat.

I said no wait, i'll just reverse the boat and we'll get it. But he was already mid-air and dove in. I'll never forget the look on his face once he surfaced. It was the look of fear and helpless'ness. He went into shock right away, i'm guessing from the cold water (even though it was August). He just froze then helplessly struggled to swim towards the boat, but it wasn't happening. LUCKILY I had the boat ready for reverse and moved the boat back a few feet and was able to grab his arm from out the back of the pontoon. It was hard as fak to pull him up over the edge, took a minute I swear. I couldn't imaine what could or would have happened if I had jumped in the water to help him, and what might happen if he 'needed' me to keep him afloat. One elbow to my face and I would have been in the bottom of the weeds in 13 fow. The people left on the boat, would have been my girlfriend, 2 lil kids and the dad's girlfriend, in which NONE of them would have been able to operate the boat in time to get it back to anyone of us, hell, I don't think any one of them would have even known how to operate it. I would have been lost forever, and also my girlfriends dad.

Sh*t happens out there, and it can happen QUICKLY. Experienced swimmers or not, people that do or do not KNOW a body of water, alcohol, getting knocked out trying to save someone, getting tangled in weeds........the list, unfortunately, goes on and on and at some times it is all unavoidable, but sometimes they are. People need to be PREPARED for the worst and NEED to be informed in some way or another, how sh*t can happen on the water like the HE-MAN stunt, and why life-jackets are SO important.

Be safe out there folks and use your head.