People amaze me.

[Edward Lea.]

I mounted a new graph on the bow Saturday and the wife and I went over to Lake Anita here in Iowa to try out the graph and just spend a nice day on the lake. We got on the water and I was going from place to place checking out structure I knew to be there with the new bow graph. Was working great. We had just started to check out a rock structure when we heard someone yelling help. We looked across the lake and could see someone had upset their sailboat. The person in the water was telling someone on the bank, obviously someone with them, to go over and get the guys on the dock to come help. From where we were the sail boat didn't look to be too far off the bank and about 40 feet from the dock and ramp. The person on shore ran over to the ramp where two guys were. I assumed that they were together or in any case would go over and help the fella in the water.



After a short time we heard the fella in the water yelling for someone to go get the ranger to help. Now remember there are 2 guys not 40 feet away on the boat ramp. I looked at the wife and wondered why they weren't moving. So we pulled the TM up and fired the evinrude up. Jumped on plane and got across the lake in about 30 seconds. The guys mast and sail was tangled in some trees and the wind was pushing the boat against him and another tree. We lifted his mast to free him and get his little sunfish sailboat upright. He then promptly flipped it over on top of himself. I am sure he was just learning. Guy was spent and cold by now so we helped him to the bank about 15 feet away. He said thanks and we went on out way. Now the whole time these two guys were on the ramp just getting a kayak ready and ignoring the guy in the water. They got the kayak ready got in and just paddled around the immediate area never getting more than 50 yards away. For the life of me i cannot understand why they wouldn't render aid. I wanted to question them on it but my wife knew I really pissed and the question would probally turn into something other than a question so she stopped me. I am still unable to beleive someone woould just ignore someones call for help!:angry:

 

[Scott Hammer TOXIC]

In some circumstances that is actually breaking the law to ignore a distress call.



TOXIC

 

[Greg J.]

The non-action of the two guys on the pier doesn't surprise me these days. How old did the guys on the pier look? Posssibly part of the "Me" generation?

 

[Mebassn]

In this case you should have let them have it. Maybe that would enlighten them into the correct thing to do next time they happen to be around the same situation.



Eric

 

[Rich Stern]

I think some people simply don't appreciate how fast stuff goes downhill in a water emergency, including a non-emergency spiraling into an emergency.



But, yes, they're still idiots for not helping.

 

[Marty Klein]

It took you 30 seconds to get over there, but how long did you sit there watching someone else's inaction? Lot's of blame to go around and it seems that the finger-pointing can go in many directions.

 

[TOMMY RICH]

Don't get me started on stupid people:angry:

 

[Edward Lea.]

Your right marty I should not have expected that the people right in the area would come to the aid of their fellow man. I made the mistake of assuming they would handle the situation. My bad.



Waterwings it looked like one was in his 60's and the other was around mid 40's. So the young people can't take any blame on this.

 

[Mike Levesque]

Wow, knock on wood I've been lucky, a few years back I went out with my 2 youngest, and where we went the water was VERY low, muddy, and when I went to load up and leave, sure enough the trailer wheels juuuust barely slipped off the back end of the concrete launch pad..........enough that I couldn't pull it up and over........ so here I am with 2 little ones,(who know somethings going wrong but don't know what)and really stuck. Luckily 2 big guys fishing from shore for catfish, without hesitation, jumped up, came over, walked in the water, (we'd moved the boat back and tied it up)and they lifted the back end of that trailer while I pulled forward about a foot. And here I was worrying about the kids and wondering what these guys were up to when they walked up.



They wouldn't accept anything but my thanks for helping me. I couldn't get them to take what money I had with me. So here's these two guys standing there in wet, muddy clothes, shaking my hand and all I could do was say thanks...... Anyway it's made me look at things a little different I guess.... Here's to the good samaritans out there.... and whenever I come across someone that looks like maybe they need help, I make it a point to stop and ask if all is ok.....



Jeez, didn't mean to be so long winded, sorry gang, egMike