Lost a friend

[Cuda]

When we were leaving to come home from the Suwannee River today, I got a call from the wife of a freind. The details were sketchy because she was crying so much, but it seems he and a freind were out on Lake Tarpon in a bass boat. Apparently, his cell phone fell to the deck and while he was trying to reach it, he turned the wheel sharply and ejected both of them from the boat. The survivor said he saw him treading water, the didn't see him again. By the time help arrived, it was too late.

His name is Issac Henry, I worked with him for years on construction jobs. He and I used to fish together, he'd take his, and I'd take mine. Issac loved his boats! I can't keep track of how many different boats he had in the time I knew him. He grew up in the Cayman Islands and had been around boats all his life. I believe he was in the merchant marines for a while.

Zeke as we called him was a big bear of a man. We used to work on condo projects together and it was a standing joke that you never had to look to find what unit Zeke was in. Just listen, his booming voice could be heard above all the other racket.

I am pissed at him because we are deprived of having him with us because he didn't have a life jacket on. This is one case where there is no debate if it would have saved his life.

If anyone has more information on the accident, please let me know.

He was a good man and will be missed by many.

Joe

[Boat_Mon]

Sorry for the loss.... it's ironic, I just logged into the board to search through the archives for opinions on the best wearable life jackets. I think we all have a lot of people that look to us for one thing or another. Whether its your co-worker that you always help at work, your daughter/son you tuck in every night or Grandma you help every weekend to do chores around the house. The list is different for everyone. Type I life vest isn't even a question if I'm out of the no wake zone anymore. It may not be the coolest, but do you really think my daughter cares when I get back to the dock? (see attached)

Again sorry for the loss...hope that SOME good may come of it by lessons learned. :frown:

[Boat_Mon]

found it...

http://www.donzi.net/forums/showthread.php?t=1040&highlight=life+vest

[TuxedoPk]

Joe,

I am sorry for your loss. I lost a good friend without need due to an automobile accident while not wearing his seat belt.

Rich

[gcarter]

Joe, I'm sorry for your loss, and I'm praying for his family.

George

[smokediver]

Joe, sorry to hear of the loss. If you know the name of the town , maybe I can get in touch with the guys that ran the call . take care and god bless .

[Fish boy]

Cuda,
I cannot begin to tell you how sorry I am. It is really tough to lose a friend, I lost 4 this year so far, and I feel your pain. I never new Isaac, but have met his grandson bobby through hot-rod boating events. From everything I hear, Isaac was a very special person and will be truly missed.

The other passenger, Chasen, was bayflighted to the hospital, (I think bayfront) where they re-attached his arm. They are hopeful that he will regain mobility.

I could not agree more with you that Life vests would have made a difference and would respectfully like to add that a kill switch in this case would have too.

Let me know if there is anything I can do, I am right around the corner.

Fish

[MOP]

This has been a tough morning some poor things posted and private stuff on my end. I do hope like I am sure the rest of the members that things turn for the better. My feeling go out to the folks affected by these things.

Phil

[Fish boy]

Phil,
hope things on your end work out for the best. Let us know if there is anything we can do.

Fish

[mattyboy]

our condolences


Matty,Marie, Joe and Jamie

[Cuda]

It's bothering me more today than yesterday.

I just hope someone will read about this and make a decision to wear a life jacket.

If you won't do it for yourself, do it for your loved ones. If you could have heard the pain in his wife's voice, you would understand.

I just got off the phone with Zeke's old partner. He told me the boat wasn't equipted with a kill switch. The other guy in the boat was hit by the boat and his arm was cut off. They reattached his arm. He's had two surgeries and is going to have three more. He also told me that Zeke had some very nice lifejackets made for him and his wife, but they were stored in a locker. He said one of the reason's they were slow getting to Zeke was because so much attention was being paid to the runaway boat, and by they time they got to him, he was floating face down.


Keep in mind people, this happened at 30 mph.

[boxy]

My condolences Joe.
Prayers to Issac's family and friends.

[McGary911]

Joe,
Sorry to hear about the loss of your friend. Too much of this lately. :( Condolences to Isaac's family and friends.

[Formula Jr]

Sometimes we still think we are young, yet we are not. I went swimming about 10 years ago and almost drowned cause what I thought I could do didn't match what I actually could do; especially in fresh water. Since then, I wear a life jacket at all times in the boat. Its a light fishing life jacket. And not all that much, but I wear it cause its comfortable and I can float with it, with out trying, and it has a noise maker attached. If you've ever been at that place were you don't think you can make it in the water, and you can feel that heavy-ness trying to drag you down, you don't think twice any more about wearing something. Adrenaline and fear has a way of branding that in one's mind. And anything is better than nothing. I watched some teens once on Tahoe swim out and back from an Island in Emerald Bay. No one else was paying attention, so I parked the boat and just waited for them to swim across, which they did with no problem. If anyone had asked for help, I would have been right there. It was a crazy thing for these kids to do with out anything floating to hang on to. As a Captain, regardless of the size of the boat, all the people in your boat are in your charge. You set the standard of safely. Even if you have to be rude about it.

[Cuda]

Sometimes we still think we are young, yet we are not. I went swimming about 10 years ago and almost drowned cause what I thought I could do didn't match what I actually could do; especially in fresh water. Since then, I wear a life jacket at all times in the boat. Its a light fishing life jacket. And not all that much, but I wear it cause its comfortable and I can float with it, with out trying, and it has a noise maker attached. If you've ever been at that place were you don't think you can make it in the water, and you can feel that heavy-ness trying to drag you down, you don't think twice any more about wearing something. Adrenaline and fear has a way of branding that in one's mind. And anything is better than nothing. I watched some teens once on Tahoe swim out and back from an Island in Emerald Bay. No one else was paying attention, so I parked the boat and just waited for them to swim across, which they did with no problem. If anyone had asked for help, I would have been right there. It was a crazy thing for these kids to do with out anything floating to hang on to. As a Captain, regardless of the size of the boat, all the people in your boat are in your charge. You set the standard of safely. Even if you have to be rude about it.

Amen brother FJ.

[Scott Heidt]

Sorry to hear about your friend. Here is an Irish Saying that I thought was fitting.

Remembered Joy
Don't grieve for me, for now I'm free!
I follow the plan God laid for me.
I saw His face, I heard His call,
I took His hand and left it all...
I could not stay another day,
To love, to laugh, to work or play;
Tasks left undone must stay that way.

And if my parting has left a void,
Then fill it with remembered joy.
A friendship shared, a laugh, a kiss...
Ah yes, these things I, too, shall miss.
My life's been full, I've savoured much:
Good times, good friends, a loved-one's touch.
Perhaps my time seemed all too brief—
Don't shorten yours with undue grief.
Be not burdened with tears of sorrow,
Enjoy the sunshine of the morrow.


Our friends live on in our hearts and minds!