Water Recovery Safety Devises Yo

Be Prepared ; As the skipper you really need to do a orientation session before leaving the dock if you have any new passengers aboard. Along with it being a CYA situation, it is really to acquaint your passengers for the day on where your life saving devices are, how to wear them along with the other many things (some small) that they may need to know if things start going downhill fast. Where is the bilge pump switch? Which VHF radio frequency do you normal stay on and what is the US Coast Guard's frequency? If they are contacted, they will want your boat ID number. Write it down next to the radio. Where are the throw cushion/rings? Where are your bumpers/fenders kept? Where is the boat hook stored? Where is your intended fishing area? When do you expect to return? Who watches for floating debris or crab pot buoys? If you have a watch person, explain to them how to call out a location to you, like the hour hands of a clock, (floating log coming up at 9 O'clock) and at what distance becomes critical? Direct them to not move around in a small boat while under weigh as this shifts the balance and can be devastating at the wrong time. Put on your inflatable PFD before you leave the shore/dock.

You may be called upon to assist a person that is in the water. You as a skipper need to think ahead, what do you need to carry on your boat, or do, to be able to assist in any type of water recovery that you might be called upon to do? The size of your vessel will also determine how you carry out this process as a 14' skiff will be a lot different than a 20' or even larger boat that may have a rear door to a near water level platform. Do you try to recover the person over the gunnel or move to the stern? You do not want to capsize your boat while trying to recover someone else, which puts you both in jeopardy. Do not put yourself in danger, either water conditions or limitations of the recovery boat itself. At times, it could even be advantageous to bring the person alongside and motor slowly to a safer location to do the recovery.

Good communications of everyone onboard is essential, shout out what you are doing and or want done. This lets the in the water person AND your crew know what is being done and how to react.

It is best to keep a tidy ship. Do not leave a lot of fishing gear laying around, so when you are finished using it, stow it. Keep your tackle boxes stored in locations where they are not underfoot. Keep the spare rods stored out of the way. Crab pots stored and secured best possible. If someone falls overboard, YOU do not want to stumble at the wrong time during this recovery and you also go into the water.

Initially my own thoughts were more leaning toward me falling overboard as I often fish alone. With this in mind, I have made up a 1" Nylon tether strap about 10' long with loop on one end and a quick release snap on the other end. My inflatable floatation vest is an offshore version with harness straps and Dee rings in front that I snap the strap snap into while attaching the other end to the boat. This 10' distance gives me enough length to move around in the boat.

But, what if you come upon someone else in the water? Do you have a plan on how to get them safely into your boat? If they have been in the water very long, they may not have enough energy to assist you in pulling them in, even if you have a helper this my be a chore. It is much different in assisting a active person in who can at least help some, than a very exhausted person, especially one who is of any large size at all.

All sport boats are required to have a throwable device onboard which could be a cushion or ring. Attached to this needs to be a recovery rope (which is not required) it is recommended that it be at least 50' long as seen in the photo on the left below. This cushion's home is stuffed between the back of the cooler and the inside of the boat. Illustrated here the rope is out in the open, normally it is It is stuffed behind at 180 degrees shown.

It is also recommended to have a throw bag onboard in a readily accessible location utilizing a quick disconnect buckle as seen in the right hand photo below. For those of you who do not know what a throw bag is, it is a small bag with a built in hand grips on both ends, containing a small float and about 50' rope. The end of the rope that is not stuffed into the bag has a loop on it's exposed end. This loop is for the thrower to slip their hand into and retain it on their wrist, retaining that end, and holding onto the attached hand grip, do the throwing. It is designed to be thrown underhand like pitching horseshoes ,and the rope unravels as it goes out. The recipient can then grab the floating grip of the bag, and can then be pulled in.

Another thing to use if the person is closer and that all salmon fishing boats have on board, is a landing net. These provide enough gripping area for those in the water to not easily miss.

Be sure that all of your deck ropes float (some don't). If for some reason none of these may be used in a water recovery and when thrown out, it sinks, that does not help moral.

As seen in the illustration below, this simple method will assist the person aboard IF they have the ability to help you..

Options ; If your boat is large enough and you have a power operated crab/shrimp pot puller, you may consider making a 2" wide Nylon web sling with eyes sewn in both ends and 6' long, that can be utilized to slip over the persons upper body and under their arms which may allow you to assist in lifting them out of the water. Here the looped ends are snapped into a LARGE D type Karabiner snap, which also gives a handhold for either the rescuer or the one in the water.

Even if you can only have just a davit (hand powered) like the one shown in the photo below, it is a whole lot easier to pull the rope down than up.

There is also a commercial safety ladder available that is in a bag attachable to a railing, that has a jerk cord that drops a rope type ladder into the water. This is sold by Cabelas online for about $60.

Or if your plan is to bring them in over the transom if you have one side open, then consider building a shelf over your sonar transducers and making it stiff enough to function as a step. In addition to this tie off a 1/2" nylon rope so that it drags in the water off the outside of that stern side. Tie knots in it at about 6" intervals so that it can be used to assist hand holds from slipping in conjunction to the previous mentioned step so if YOU go overboard while alone. In actuality on my boat, it is not deployed unless I am fishing alone, or if we would be in the process of a rescue type recovery.

If you have an outboard motor that has power tilt, if they can get to where they can climb onto the cavitation plate, the power tilt can lift them higher, which will help immensly.

Here is a metal deflector over the transducers diverting water spray away from the motor. It is also reinforced enough to make it usable for a step that may be used to help an overboard person regain entry into the boat.

Do not go in the water to rescue a person, unless there is someone to rescue you and then only with a tether attached to yourself.

Carry a change of clothes and wool blanket or two onboard to use after you have them aboard.

Take a First Aid class, and have a fully stocked First Aid kit onboard. Learn to evaluate/recognize a hypothermia effected person.

Be Prepared ; The one thing that needs to be drilled into every boater/s brain is PREFENTION. As a skipper, train yourself to always be vigilant, NEVER let yourself become complacent. As that is the time when bad things can happen, and when they do it could be almost Instantaneous, which could be deadly. This could be simply calling it a day if the weather worsens, or slowing down in your speed. The other thing is to insist that all your passengers wear life preservers at all times when on the water.

   I have lucked out as in my 75 years on the water, I have never encountered any life threatening situations.   I am not afraid of the water, but am very respectful of it's capabilities.   I have learned how to read the clouds, weather and to interpret weather forecasts.   I have canceled a day on the water because of what I saw/sensed.   And have even misread a blue hole in the sky and wished I had never left the dock that day.

   I have been near enough to bad situations for someone else to understand accidents, making poor choices in relationship to weather, poor seamanship, and just being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

   From this I will relay one "boating accident" below.

Randy's 20’ aluminum fishing boat was involved in a on the water boating accident August 22, 2025 at about 2 PM on the Columbia River near Longview Washington.   He was trolling downstream in the middle of the river at the speed of about 2 MPH, below the mouth of the Cowlitz River nearing the Longview shipping docks.

   They were virtually alone (no other boats within 150 yards) as compared to upstream at the mouth of the Cowlitz River, which was nearing bumper boats.

Aboard with him were friends Rick and Dan. Rich had just reeled in to clean weeds off his gear, so was preoccupied.   Both passengers were standing on the Starboard side with Rich beside that stationary swivel seat, but facing away.   Dan was standing immediately behind him. And Randy was at the stern operating the trolling motor.

   Dan heard/saw/another boat fast approaching from the front Port side, (left) He started yelling, with Randy joining in. Randy observed the other boat (another 20’ aluminum boat) bearing down on them FAST from about a 10 O’clock position, Randy said the other boat’s bow was so high that he could not see any persons aboard it, meaning the boat was not trimmed (possibly too many passengers rearward) so it would have been plowing water.

   When Rick looked up he remembers only seeing the bottom of the boat going over him. This boat hit them so hard and fast that it flew over Randy’s boat sliding rearward and exiting at about a 4 O’clock position. The bottom of the other boat crushed Rick against the forward facing Starboard seat. As it went over them Dan was knocked into the water, being hit on the head in the process.

   The other boat after going completely over Randy’s boat then moved across the river on the Washington side for a considerable length of time. He later came back to the launch as Randy was preparing to leave, only asked about Randy’s passengers, and what year Randy’s boat was, as his was the same make/model, and left. Randy informed him that both passengers were airlifted to the hospital.

   Randy came out without a scratch (but many "What IF" memories), as the other boat went over his boat just ahead of were he was standing, but he dove onto the deck as the other boat flew over.

   Rich was on the floor and had collapsed being unconscious, bleeding profusely.   Dan was in the water on the Port side, with no life presser on as things happened too fast.   Randy was trying to maneuver the boat to retrieve Dan and yet not get him in the trolling motors propeller.   To compound the issue Randy was recovering from double shoulder surgery and had not enough strength to pull Dan onboard.

   Another fishing boat immediately came to the rescue, pulling Dan out of the water.   Aboard this other fishing boat was a trauma center doctor, who came aboard and administered immediate first aid (which probably saved Rick’s life) as Randy headed back to the boat launch.

   Phone calls were made and both passengers were airlifted to PeaceHealth St. John Medical Center in Longview. Rick had a fractured skull, a broken nose, his right clavicle was busted in five places, which required plates to be installed. Along with, he had seven broken ribs, but three of them were broken in multiple places, and a punctured lung, which required a drain tube be installed, along with a laceration to his kidney. Obviously he was heavily medicated after surgery.

   Dan suffered a concussion from the collision.

Randy is highly disturbed at the Cowlitz County Deputy Johnston who listed this collision as just a bad accident. The other boat operator was negligent for one, hit and run for another and has made no effort to contact Randy or his lawyer at any time. According to the local newspaper, no citation was issued by CCSD ? Randy did talk to a Sheriff Dept. supervisor expressing his displeasure and that the other skipper needs to be accountable for his actions.

Things are still way up in the air and nothing done 3 months later. And Randy has recently found out the investigating office did not issue a citation to the other skipper.

Randy’s insurance agent says the boat itself is totaled.

Here you see the side that the other boat initially hit, which then slid rearward

Here another view looking more to the rear at about the same angle the other boat would have taken and the far seat which Rick was crushed onto (the seat at that time would have been turned around & facing forward)

Below you can see the DEEP scratch marks on the Port gunnel where the other boat’s chine/keel drug (about the middle of the seat to rearward in the foreground), along with the caved in Port gunnel of the initial hit

From this I see two observations that would not have prevented this "accident", but that may have helped the man in the water. (1) wear a self-inflating life vest at all times. (2) have a throwable life preserver readily available.

Throwable yellow cushion	Throw bag