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Missing Citrus County (AIR)boaters found safe

a1mudpuppy

a1mudpuppy

Well-known member
Well I got a call about 6:30 Saturday AM that a buddy of mine never made it back in from putting up a tree stand out in Chassahowitzka Friday night So I loaded up Windy(My Airboat) and headed out. Pick up a friend and ice, drinks, gas ...donunts and off we went. Ran in to the WFC about 11:00 with no luck. They then called out air suport ,well we kept looking up every little creek and run. Ran back into the same WFC Officers and shortly after 2 helicopters showed up, one from Citrus the other FWC. Then we found out when his wife call and said that there is 2 in the boat. He stop on the way and pick up a budddy.

Now that the helicopters are here I was running low on fuel so I headed back, loaded Windy Up got some gas and a bolt that broke off in the alt. bracket and headed back. Just as I pulled into the boat ramp around 4ish they said that they called from a hunters phone and have been walking out since 9AM. My first words after I found out that they where ok was. WHY DIDN'T THEY STAY WITH THE AIRBOAT. They where about a half mile to a mile where we turned around to go back for fuel. They had the airboat pushed up by the bank where there was trees so the helicopters didn't see them. They said We could hear the airboats and seen the helicopter but they didn't see us.
Anyway, the paper said this... but they ran out of gas.
http://www.baynews9.com/content/36/2006 ... 90776.html

After 8 WFC officers, 3 Citrus S.O., 2 boats, 3 airboats and 2 helicopter everything turned out OK well maybe not for him when is wife gets him home or at lease out of site of the S.O.

SO ok lets here what they did WRONG!!!!!
 
Well, not saying they did anything wrong. To some people a 10 to 15 mile walk back to the ramp is no big deal. To others it could be the end!!!

Nothing like having a GPS or a cell phone. Did they have cell phone service in the spot that they broke down??

Some may think that an "EPRIB" is over kill. iF everybody was Okay and in good shape, just waiting it out may not be a bad ideal. Many will tell you to stay with the boat and wait it out.

Did they tell some one where they where going? (float plan) and stick to it?

How much water and BEER did they have????? HEHE

For most people= "stay with the boat"

If your Buddy is a "Daniel Boone" he will make it out and be just fine.

Last year a young man did not make it out of the swamp in south florida.

Just Glad everybody made it out Okay.
 
I'm glad to hear everything worked out for the best...I agree with deepsea in that while it's probably best to wait it out, if you are prepared it may not be much of a big deal to walk it out. All the experts say wait it out though so maybe that's just the best thing to do.

BTW...they couldn't see the orange flag from the air??? :twisted:

Adam
 
Yes he's a woodsman of some sort

The phone got wet But that wouldn't of help due to no signal for Nextel.

I spoke with him in detail today and the airboat was in the wide open grass. They should of see it from the air. They started a fire in the AM and it was still smoking a little bit when they came back to get the boat.

In his defence he was going to stay with the boat but his buddy started to walk out of the woods and he thought it would be better to stay together.

I don't think they had enough water because they stated that they drank creek water...... MM GOOD

He did make it on the map he had But didn't tell us where it was.
 
If you have something other than Nextel you'll probably be a ble to call for help. Stay with the boat. They can fix your location from your phone and come right to you.

Unless you can see the ramp from where you are (being facetious), stay with the boat (cooler) and if your boat is upright, turn on the Nav lights if you hear a helicopter.

Keep your cell phone in a ziplock bag if you're in deep water. You can dial and use it without ever taking it out of the bag.

olf
 
The USCG station Clearwater has a very high tower(VHF) We use to pick them up all the time in Panama City. They would sometimes relpy to maydays in the pan handle.

Have you or any of your buddies ever gave it a shot? The tip of my antena on my off shore boat is only about 18 ft above the water. My radio reaches out 30 miles line of site.

It might be something to think about.

You gotta plan for the unexpected. Those new Epirbs will have someone heading your way within about two hrs. The older class take about 12 hrs.
A night on the river or marsh is no big deal to me. But if my wife or one of my kids was hurt, that $500.00 dollars would be the best spent money.
You can use them any where.

How remote is your area?
 
A1,

Glad to hear they are ok!

Gotta get my VHF antenna replaced, used to use it in Big Cypress as nextel and other cells were junk out there too.

Basketcase
 
Chassahowitzka is one nasty swamp in the daylight or dark. Plenty of Nasty White Boys in there, too. I want no part of cottonmouths.

One of the things we might should consider here at SA is a campaign to have member's boats outfilled with VHF marine radios. As DeepSeaDiver says, they work in all areas, operate independent of any repeater tower, have the benefit of a "Big Brother" on Ch. 16 - if one is needed - and most new units are waterproof - if a boat should swamp. Further, most new units have a panic system built in that will transmit a GPS coordinate in an emergency....Just a thought.

Glad your friends are safe and glad they have a friend like you who cares enough to go search. Have to wonder if they weren't flying that orange flag.....wouldn't it have been far easier for the helo to find them if they had been?
 
Always glad to hear when the people in these cases are o.k.

In this instance, maybe some hand held flares would have helped. If they heard and seen the choppers then maybe one of those would have helped...they put out a helluva lot of smoke and are also good to help light wet wood for a fire.
 
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I have the old type and it can take 12 hrs for rescue to figure
out where you are.

With the 406 system, help can be on it's way in less than 15 min.
This is better than any radio in the very remote areas.

They are on all USCG and USN Ships

http://www.landfallnavigation.com/spwff1.html
 
Each situation is different. Around 20 Years ago there was a record cold snap in Melbourne I was a teenager on the St.Johns in a kicker boat with three other guy's when it sunk they all choose to stay with the boat. I couldn't just sit and wait for help so I went and swam to find help. I was the only one who survived, when hypothermia is involved DO NOT WAIT FOR HELP!
 
I carry a handheld vhf and am upgrading to a mounted one, however I just broke my ant./flag pole off this last weekend for the second time. I also carry flares and have used them because no ever thinks I ma in need of help LOL silly them, it happens to us all. they have saved my butt before. I never leave home without flares and my last one will be to set the swamp on fire if no one has noticed the other ones I sent up. a gallon of gas and a flare will get some attention everytime.
 
Cntry save that last flare for the next airboater that drives right on by and dont even check to see if ya is ok !

Scotty
 
Some excellent suggestions. The big problem is that we all seem to think that it won't happen to us!! And like now as we are reading this we think we should put together a survival kit BUT WE GET DISTRACTED AND IT DOSE NOT GET DONE. Please everyone grab a piece of paper and make a list of the basics you would need to have with you so you can survive at your boat for 48 hours. --- pick them up this week -- place them in a water tight flotation container and get them on your boat. As well maintained as most of us keep our boats they can and eventually will brake down. And when they do is not the time to say I WISH I WOULD HAVE PUT THE SURVIAL KIT TOGETHER.. No this dose not mean two more beer coolers????
 
Very good advice, Ron. I've been in and around boats since I was a kid. Would you care to guess when I thought to buy a first aid kit just for the boat ?
Just the other day.

We all put off or forget a lot of the really important stuff until IT happens.

olf
 
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