A few years ago Jin and I were invited to spend the day on a friend's sailboat. There was another young woman on the trip as well, as she was hanging off the back of the boat and fell off. While the young guy piloting the boat was turning it around in order to go back and pick her up she was treading water and looked ok, but when we passed by her she got scared and swam away from the (rather big) sailboat instead of toward it to get picked up. By then I could see that she was getting tied and scared and not treading water as well.
At this point the pilot had to turn the boat again and I got ready to jump in if she didn't get picked up this time around as I could tell she was starting to struggle. Thankfully Mike grabbed her and all was well.
When I was a kid my parents bought a small sailfish type sailboat and my brother and I were not allowed on it until we passed all our YMCA swimming tests. Although I am not a sporty person, I am in fact a very good swimmer, and know how to just float to conserve strength, which this girl didn't.
As it is Memorial Day weekend my thoughts are turning to the number of boating accidents that sadly occur every summer on our lakes and waterways. The State of Arizona has produced some videos and information to promote boating safety and particularly to combat the very dangerous practice of drinking while boating. It seems that too many people that would never drink while driving a car don't have the same compunction about drinking and driving a boat.
Even when alcohol is not involved people forget that kids and really anyone should wear a life jacket. If my friend had been wearing one when she slipped off the back of the sailboat we all would have been spared a very scary experience!
Here is a great video about boating safety:<
And another:
At this point the pilot had to turn the boat again and I got ready to jump in if she didn't get picked up this time around as I could tell she was starting to struggle. Thankfully Mike grabbed her and all was well.
When I was a kid my parents bought a small sailfish type sailboat and my brother and I were not allowed on it until we passed all our YMCA swimming tests. Although I am not a sporty person, I am in fact a very good swimmer, and know how to just float to conserve strength, which this girl didn't.
As it is Memorial Day weekend my thoughts are turning to the number of boating accidents that sadly occur every summer on our lakes and waterways. The State of Arizona has produced some videos and information to promote boating safety and particularly to combat the very dangerous practice of drinking while boating. It seems that too many people that would never drink while driving a car don't have the same compunction about drinking and driving a boat.
Even when alcohol is not involved people forget that kids and really anyone should wear a life jacket. If my friend had been wearing one when she slipped off the back of the sailboat we all would have been spared a very scary experience!
Here is a great video about boating safety:<
And another: