Airboat sunk need help

[creynolds77]

Well bad rayon watergate hole in hull sitting on bottom , in withlacoochie River just south of bride on 44 newd help can cal 207 4000171 or 863 800 5407

We are rescued...please reach out if anyone is able to help get boat out of water in AM please call 863-800-5407

[slidingforhogs]

My boat is in 3ft of water, a damn stump or fence post had punched a huge hole in bottom and hung up the boat on it. Its about 40ft from shore. Fellas I need anyone help in morning to get it out.. Thanks for anyone help is much appreciated....mike

[fletchster76]

Anyone in Citrus or Sumter able to give this guy a hand? Sounds like he's just south of the bridge, not far from Chucks place (Airboat Pro's) on 44.

[scottyroll]

Mike, wish I was able to be down there to help you.

Keep us posted and please mark that hull spiker in the water or better yet, blow it up!

[frogninja1]

Still needing help with boat?

[frogninja1]

Still needing help with boat?

[scottyroll]

They got the boat up and are heading back to the ramp!

[Deano]

First, and most importantly nobody got hurt last night when this happened.

It was a very productive morning . . .
First we got the boat off the piling and over to where it as shallow.
Started out with a hole through the hull that looked like this from the inside:


and from the outside looked like this:


Stood it on end to install temporary patch:


Then lowered it, bailed it, floated it, and towed it.
Got him back to the ramp before noon.


There may be more of a story to be told, but I will leave that for Mike to do as he sees fit.
I'm sure he will sleep better tonight, with the boat back in the yard on the trailer,
rather than in the backwaters and on the bottom. I know I hate when that happens.

I will say Thank you to everybody else that showed up to help.
What was accomplished in that timeframe, could never have happened
without the help offered by each person who showed up to help.

Once again, this crowd shows that it is in no way lacking 'true grit'.

[fletchster76]

Glad no one got hurt, Not sure how fast you were going when you hit that post but that's one of those wrecks that usually creates an ejection seat!

[lilly-Pad]

great work gentlemen may karma shine on you.........................

[slidingforhogs]

Deano, you pretty much summed it up. I've named the piling crabtree stump .. Lol all I can add to this is it was a sleepless night for me as I layed in bed hoping that nothing would have gon stolen off it , but nothing did. Watching my Airboaters fade into the dark from our rescue boat I felt like I had just shot my best hunting dog and left him there....lol. I've never had any incident happen in all the years of running this boats and have seen on this site many others that have sunk their boat or flipped or mechanical failures and I've never had an opportunity close to me to go on a rescue mission come my way, but, I will say that everytime I've seen similar posts or situations , that everytime one calls out for help, many are selflessly quick to come to ones aide. Well , I for one can honestly say I called and got many responses for assistance. Made me a true believer that kindness and selflessness still exist. I cannot express my gratitude enuff to all who came to our aide, and just responded to our calls of help... You better believe if the opportunity comes my way I will play it forward.....

[kwanjangnihm]

glad no one was hurt and kudos to all involved with rescue & recovery!!

slidingforhogs did your engine go under water?? thanks for posting pictures Deano!!

[Deano]

No, luckily the motor did not go under. Evidently it has very low hours on it, so there was some extra concern and time taken to make sure the patch was more temporary and less half-assed. Did not get before the fact pictures but after we got it off the piling so it was sitting more level, the mufflers were probably about 6" under. Knowing that and looking at that last picture will give you an idea where the overnight waterline was. Way to close for comfort in the dark probably, but enough that we were able to keep it dry throughout the process.

I believe that aside from the battery and the fuel cell, he likely could have powered back to the ramp. Given the submerged tank and desire to keep the replacement battery up for the bilge pump(s) on the way in, that attempt was not in the cards.

[Whitebear]

Love seeing success stories like this, whether it is a rescue or a boat recovery, it shows airboaters still have heart.

Job well done everyone !

Now if you have not yet, you might consider asking for Airboateres Helping Airboaters access and adding your contact info and basic capabilities and areas where you can help. Just PM Rick and ask. Even if someone does not have a smart phone to look it up themselves, a member can ask any other member to get a local number for him to ask for help. the info isn't secret but it has limited access for keeping out the BOTS, Guests, curiosity seekers and the uninterested . That way you at east know anyone getting the info is at least an interested party. AHA has proved its value more than a few times indeed. Remember though that once you have access to keep your info current. Someones future could depend on accurate current info.

[SWAMPHUNTER45]

Awesome job to all involved!

[rjfjr]

Is the post still there ? Did anybody mark it ?

[Deano]

Oh yes, it is still there. And yes, we did mark it (if you use the term loosely), but only as well as we could with what was on hand. While we collectively had everything out there except a kitchen sink, our immediate plan didn't include installing new markers through the backwaters. I don't think we anticipated being so successful, so fast, or we may have done that differently.

There are more than the one. I had always thought they were remains of an old dock, but am told they are remnants of a very old bridge. Most of them had been marked in the past, but the water has been so high for so long that some of those markers didn't survive. Now that the water has gone down, it is something that should be redone anyway. You can rest assured we'll get that taken care of sooner, than later.

[rjfjr]

Thank you Demo

[Deano]

Here ya go, rjfjr . . .


The one on the far left marks the culprit that Mike subsequently named "Crabtree's Stump".

[junglecat]

Airboaters always rise to the occasion . Big shout out to all who helped. I had friends that wreck at that very location back in the 90's . When the River was at its lowest you could see where old roadbed and bridge was. I was told it was tore down in the 30's.

[rjfjr]

Thanks looks very visible good job

[slidingforhogs]

Way to go dedean.I was going to do that very thing this week... If you have the time is like to get with you and mark out a few other areas that isn't marked hazards before the coming weekend. Going to be a busy weekend out there on the river and surely help mark those other hazards on it for any and all who will be riding.....

[kwanjangnihm]

The one on the far left marks the culprit that Mike subsequently named "Crabtree's Stump".

Deano how far under the surface is the culprit??
Great job marking the problem and everyone be safe this coming weekend!

[slidingforhogs]

The piling I hit was only about 3_6in under the water. Water levels have been dropping so fast on the river lately the conditions constantly change.. Slide safe all

[Whitebear]

Maybe this is a candidate for the Airboat Safety, Navigation Hazards Report. Might include the picture and explain it is a low water hazard. The format is simple and only takes a bit to fill it out.

http://www.southernairboat.com/phpBB3/v ... .php?f=135