Missing boaters

[Sailfish]

I am sure by now most everyone has heard of the NFL'ers and former USF football players that were capsized and lost at sea (except the one that was rescued of course). I followed this very closely for multiple reasons.

Tampa is my hometown and those are my offshore waters. I spend most spring/summer/fall fishing the same waters and more than likely the same area's those guys were in/heading.
I have a 23' cc, and I am a USF grad and follow the football program religiously (season ticket holder since inception).
While I haven't been traumatized by what happened, it has re-ignited my overall boating and safety awareness.
What happened to them was just a series of mistakes. No Epirb, not leaving an fairly exact fishing location, not checking any of the numerous weather and sea sites for updates, even considering taking a single engine 21' cc in fairly sloppy conditions 10 miles out in the spring/winter is risky but 30-50 miles, etc etc.
Just so many things added up to one big tragedy, and perhaps changing just one could have saved their lives.
While I cannot say I do the correct thing 100% of the time when I go offshore, I do however do all of the above mentioned. I have encountered some nasty stuff, and headed offshore in some nasty stuff, but I have (IMHO) never risked myself or my friends all to catch a fish. We have in fact turned back and fished nearshore a few times.
With all this being said, I can assure you I will be even more vigilant. In fact I plan on purchasing personal Epirbs for my kids (can be used by my friends if the kids are not there), purchasing the suspender, self-inflating life vest, a life raft, and a sattelite phone. Next spring if all goes well I will also install radar.
It saddens me to lose them, but hopefully many many people out there will take something from this and do whatever to protect themselves from a similar scenario.

Here is a link to the latest update; how strong he must have been to hold his friend til the end...amazing

http://www2.tbo.com/content/2009/mar/04/agency-begins-effort-recover-missing-nfl-players-b/news-metro/

[paulie]

It is a tragic event, you (at least I) cant help but feel for the families of these three young men! Like you said though, maybe others can learn from their mistakes! Btw, what exactly is a Epirb? 

[Sailfish]

Essentially a personal locator beacon.
Once activated it sends a signal to the sattelites of your location via GPS numbers within minutes they know where you are within a 100 yards +/-!

http://www.acrelectronics.com/product2.aspx?sku=2846.0

This is the one I currently have. But at this years boat show I heard they have released a new, personal beacon that is approx 5" that you keep on your person and activate it when needed!! Pretty good stuff

[dtrain56]

well i have been fishing and boating nearly all my life...
 
a couple thoughts one..us weekenders only have so many days to go out so if they felt that it was a good day then so be it ..i know that i have been caught in a couple of nasty storms in my 21 footer two and certaintly felt lucky a couple of times to put my feet on the ground but i will say this...
 
 
in rough weather and high seas you never anchor your boat....
 
and you never leave the boat....unless it sinks which there's wouldn't a boat to hold onto...
 
 
they should have seen the weather coming...should have been able to see the rough seas building and realized they were in trouble put on their life jackets and called the coast guard asap....
 
but we will never know the exact story...though it is a tragedy that they died in nearly all these cases it is human error or stupidity that leads to death...
 
 

[passin through]

It is indeed a tragedy.  My thoughts and prayers are with their families.

[Sailfish]

Fro anyone else who would like to read more on nautical safety and education here are a couple Pdf's
 
http://www.uscg.mil/directives/cim/16000-16999/CIM_16114_5C.pdf (excellent excellent stuff)
 
And another
 
http://www.uscg.mil/directives/cim/10000-10999/CIM_10470_10F.pdf