If they’re on the water, they’re clearly asking for it. /s
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It’s almost like the government is run by entitled pinheads who are rich enough to buy yachts or something, as opposed to responsible individuals with common sense. Though jetski operators have demonstrated similar levels of marine incompetence, though without quite the mass involved.
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It’s also easier for people to drink alcohol and operate heavy machinery, with significantly less risk of arrest than on dry land.
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I imagine commercial mariners feel similar. Several summers ago I was camping in Algonac, Michigan on the St. Clair River.
I’ll note that that stretch is a busy channel from Lake Huron to Lake St. Clair with a lot of bulk carriers and other lakers going up and down. Powerboaters and jetskiers like to cruise along there, too.
You would think a 200-300m long ship would be hard to miss, but we saw some idiot in a powerboat run straight into the side of a laker. Didn’t do much to the ship but scuff the paint, but smashed the powerboat up pretty good, but not quite enough to sink it.
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No. There is no “both sides” here. They had mere seconds to react to an idiot piloting his stupid yacht way too fast. Why, every time someone does something stupid, is there always someone going, “yes, but” in the comments? FFS.
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I find it very strange that people other than Trump even use the term “fake news”. Are they really so tone-deaf that they think people hear “fake news” and go, “oh, more of that then,” and not, “well that’s a lie… that phrase is only ever used by guilty liars”?
It’s like the 2019 dictator’s version of blaming El Niño.
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No live action capitalist analogy would be complete without someone blaming the victims.
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The Columbia River during salmon season more closely resembles I-5 during rush hour than an empty lake. You have to keep your head on a swivel when you’re underway, and give the lines of anchored boats wide berth unless you’re joining them.
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Both the woman and the forward man were wearing auto-inflate PFDs (EDIT: a better video shows that the forward man was NOT wearing a PFD, just overalls with suspenders). They have CO2 catridges and automatically inflate when they hit the water. They are great for fishing, because you can wear them all the time and not even notice. The man at the stern does not appear to be wearing one, and if he is, it shouldn’t be under his sweatshirt.
I’ve tested mine, and it’s amazing how quickly they detect the water and inflate. Your head doesn’t even go under (assuming you go in feet-first; these folks dove in).
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That’s just … Victim Blaming!
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I am as cavalier as the next fellow about fishing, “I am a strong swimmer, no biggie!”. But it’s amazing the regularity with which dead or half dead fishermen get pulled out of Lake Michigan along the Chicago area lakefront. I may have to get a vest like this at some point.
Just this week:
Big waves knocked him into the water. That water never gets warm either! Saps your strength.
Also the local group chats, everyone knows everyone. Word on the street was he was back out on the same pier at 6 or 7am the next day after almost drowning.
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The auto-inflate vests can be pricey, but they often go on sale or clearance, especially late in the summer. Just keep an eye on your local sporting goods or marine supply shops for promos.
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I am reminded of the song “The Governor” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YaHucZ5HzFE
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I suppose he didn’t die of shame for this incident.
Maritime Law mandates that rich assholes always have the right of way.
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Also relevant
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A lot of people don’t give the Great Lakes the sort of respect they give to the ocean, and that can be a fatal mistake. Rip currents, rogue waves, and storms popping up out of nowhere are real and dangerous hazards, even without meaningful tides to deal with.
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The people who give the great lakes proper respect are a short list comprised of people who own boats docked on the great lakes, and maybe a smaller contingent of Gordon Lightfoot fans.
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The video was shared with The Oregonian/OregonLive by the publication Salmon Trout Steelheader and Angling Oregon, the latter of which is an online fishing website of McMahon’s. The video encourages boaters to wear life jackets. Maess and McMahon weren’t wearing life jackets. Durham was, but it didn’t inflate.
Fluke or a problem?
The video in your link is better. What looked like a self-inflating PFD was actually Grundens overalls on the forward angler. So no PFD on either of the LEOs. 
While the self-inflating PFDs are nice, they are fussy to set up. It’s unlikely a failure and more likely an installation problem. I went through the instructions carefully, and was still nervous about whether it was set up right. I had an extra cartridge and trigger, so I tested my setup by jumping in the water. It worked. Now I know I have it set up correctly.
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