Parker drowning

[Javajoe]

Guy I have known for many years jumped off his boat this weekend in Parker and somehow got tangled in a buoy line and the current dragged him under and he drowned. ( Edit: guess this was wrong info I received from another friend of his but tragic nonetheless. Really Sad)
Celebrating his one year anniversary. That’s all I know. I just found out. Just wanted to share that be careful of the currents and educate others while out boating. Tragic loss. I hear of a death every weekend now either at Parker or Havasu. Not trying to start another speculation thread as to what happened so please don’t speculate. Just food for thought. Be safe people. I’m actually pretty tense as I boat now knowing shit happens fast

 

[LargeOrangeFont]

Very sad. RIP to your friend.

 

[grumpy88]

Im sorry to hear . Rip

 

[RitcheyRch]

Sorry to read this. RIP sir.

 

[Bullet28]

Sorry to hear this, RIP and prayers to the family.

 

[FreeBird236]

Sorry to hear about your friend, may he Rest in Peace.

 

[King295]

Sorry to hear the loss of your friend, it can happen so fast and is something I'm always worried about. I encourage everyone to carry a good knife on their boat/ski, here is what I carry it makes short work of ropes:

CRKT Bear Claw Fixed Blade Knife with Sheath: Rafting, Rescue, Self-Defense, Serrated Blade with Blunt Tip, Positive Sheath Lock, Molded Handle, Belt Slots or Pocket Clip 2510 - - Amazon.com

 

[RichL]

Very sorry to read this. RIP.

 

[Jed-O]

Very sad. Sorry for your loss. The tough thing to know is that something like that could happen to any of us in a moments notice. Case in point, I just spent part of the weekend in San Diego hanging out on my cousins catamaran. The women asked us why we were pissing off the dock instead of getting into the water. I gave them a friendly reminder that with all the shore power on the docks. There is no way I'd get in... I ended up getting a lot wide eye looks, due to them not being aware of the possible danger.

 

[Gonefishin5555]

Sorry to hear the loss of your friend, it can happen so fast and is something I'm always worried about. I encourage everyone to carry a good knife on their boat/ski, here is what I carry it makes short work of ropes:

CRKT Bear Claw Fixed Blade Knife with Sheath: Rafting, Rescue, Self-Defense, Serrated Blade with Blunt Tip, Positive Sheath Lock, Molded Handle, Belt Slots or Pocket Clip 2510 - - Amazon.com

I need to get one of these on the boat

 

[Jetboatjosh]

RIP
Sorry for your loss

 

[billy610]

I was on the other side of the river when this happened. Sorry for your loss. Very tragic accident.

 

[Mototrig]

Sorry you lost your friend. RIP

 

[DILLIGAF]

Condolences and RIP to your friend

 

[Ziggy]

How horribleWe just never know.
May he rest in peace.

 

[Javajoe]

Sorry to hear the loss of your friend, it can happen so fast and is something I'm always worried about. I encourage everyone to carry a good knife on their boat/ski, here is what I carry it makes short work of ropes:

CRKT Bear Claw Fixed Blade Knife with Sheath: Rafting, Rescue, Self-Defense, Serrated Blade with Blunt Tip, Positive Sheath Lock, Molded Handle, Belt Slots or Pocket Clip 2510 - - Amazon.com

Buying one. Great idea
A buddy 2 weeks ago when we pulled up to his boat at the sand bar had me give him my box anchor and he swam it out 10’ then dropped it. I just realized that the rope could have wrapped his leg while he swam it out. That would have been terrible. Easily could have happened

 

[JB in so cal]

Buying one. Great idea
A buddy 2 weeks ago when we pulled up to his boat at the sand bar had me give him my box anchor and he swam it out 10’ then dropped it. I just realized that the rope could have wrapped his leg while he swam it out. That would have been terrible. Easily could have happened

Happened to that homo @outcoled. Dropping for a sea doo anchor i think.

 

[rickym20]

Very sad , eye opener for sure. Sorry for your loss man.

 

[gqchris]

Happened to that homo @outcoled. Dropping for a sea doo anchor i think.

I was gonna say this happened I think to one of the members here. Shit gave me nightmares reading it for weeks! Damn scary.

 

[rivermobster]

Shit does happen fast. So sorry to read about your friend.

 

[Backlash]

Sad news, but thank you for sharing. RIP.

 

[Desert Whaler]

Terrible to hear this, sorry for your loss.
I was just talking to a friend about the river . . . we grew up surfing together since we were little kids.
He has never been there, and I was telling him . . . "It's a lot more gnarly than people think . . . the current doesn't stop, where as in surfing around here, if you get pitched, or go over the falls, you hold your breath and in a few seconds everything subsides and you'll pop up . . . down there it doesn't stop, and you don't pop-up".

Thoughts and prayers to your friend and his loved ones. RIP

 

[WildWilly]

if you don't stop and learn from the lessons life provides, your odds of being a dumb statistic are high. Thanks for sharing and RIP to your friend. I'm sure the company selling that knife is wondering what happened today, I know I just bought 2.

 

[ONE-A-DAY]

I’ve swam with anchors to get them further out countless times, pretty stupid on my part.

 

[Desert Whaler]

I’ve swam with anchors to get them further out countless times, pretty stupid on my part.

Gawd . . . you just reminded of a time many years ago. I was probably in junior high. We were trying to duck out of some nasty weather in my Dads boat at the Coronado Islands off San Diego /Mexico . . It was in the dark when we pulled into a small cove and dropped the bow anchor. It was too rough and too shallow to back down tight to the island. So my Dad had me jump in the water with my boogie board, then he placed the stern anchor AND chain on top of it and had me swim it towards shore as he fed me the anchor line. I made it all the way in almost to the beach and pushed the anchor/chain over in about 10 feet of water . . . I remember being scared shitless at how fast and strong that gear fell to the bottom. Thinking about it now, that was a very dangerous and stupid thing to do.

***** Not trying to derail this thread w/ 'story-time', but more of sharing an experience that could of gone horribly wrong. There's been several tragic deaths at the river this year, and maybe some dialogue could help create a little awareness to something that may seem so harmless at the time.

 

[Taboma]

Gawd . . . you just reminded of a time many years ago. I was probably in junior high. We were trying to duck out of some nasty weather in my Dads boat at the Coronado Islands off San Diego /Mexico . . It was in the dark when we pulled into a small cove and dropped the bow anchor. It was too rough and too shallow to back down tight to the island. So my Dad had me jump in the water with my boogie board, then he placed the stern anchor AND chain on top of it and had me swim it towards shore as he fed me the anchor line. I made it all the way in almost to the beach and pushed the anchor/chain over in about 10 feet of water . . . I remember being scared shitless at how fast and strong that gear fell to the bottom. Thinking about it now, that was a very dangerous and stupid thing to do.

***** Not trying to derail this thread w/ 'story-time', but more of sharing an experience that could of gone horribly wrong. There's been several tragic deaths at the river this year, and maybe some dialogue could help create a little awareness to something that may seem so harmless at the time.

Done that setting 100lb blocks of concrete for a mooring, took every precaution to avoid getting in the loop, but cutting that loose and the speed it dropped was scary as fuck. I was using a bunch of large boat fenders all tied together to float the block out. I did have my dive knife strapped to my leg, glad I didn't need it.

 

[Hardly Satisfied]

Very sorry to hear. RIP

 

[Tamalewagon]

That's tragic to have that happen while doing something as simple as jumping in the water. RIP to your friend.

 

[havasuhusker]

I need to get one of these on the boat

I never thought about having a knife on-board. Just ordered it.

 

[oldschool]

Sorry to hear about your friend.

 

[RiverDave]

Very sad. Sorry for your loss. The tough thing to know is that something like that could happen to any of us in a moments notice. Case in point, I just spent part of the weekend in San Diego hanging out on my cousins catamaran. The women asked us why we were pissing off the dock instead of getting into the water. I gave them a friendly reminder that with all the shore power on the docks. There is no way I'd get in... I ended up getting a lot wide eye looks, due to them not being aware of the possible danger.

Keeping it classy.. LOL

On that note I've been around boats my entire life.. Grew up in the keys with houses on the water, and electricity in the water was something that NOBODY EVER TALKED ABOUT. Those guys that died at I think Pleasant was a real eye opener to me. All of my kids know not to swim in the water around a marina now, and I'm not a paranoid person.

RD

 

[RiverDave]

Very sorry to hear about your friend.. RIP.

RD

 

[hallett21]

RIP to your friend [emoji17]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[rrrr]

I'm very sorry to hear about this. It can all change in an instant.

I have a plain Stanley retractable blade utility knife in my boat toolbox. I made a lanyard for it, attached it through the hole in the handle. I can wear it around my neck while in the water.

It has worked great for cutting ski ropes out of jet pumps and things of that nature. If you're going to buy a knife for the boat, get one that has a hole in the handle to thread a lanyard through. Swimming in the river current while trying to hang on to a knife would be damn hard to do.

 

[traquer]

RIP. This is terrible... I also just bought a marine knife on Amazon just now to keep in the boat.. That current is strong and doesn't stop, kind of like white water rafting. If your head is under water or under an object and it's downstream it's very hard to bend your body back against the current.

 

[Javajoe]

My knife arrived today. It’s a little guy but that means I can put it in the glove box for easy accessibility

 

[Mike Honcho]

To the original poster not sure if it was mentioned but I’m curious to where exactly this happened on the strip.

 

[billy610]

To the original poster not sure if it was mentioned but I’m curious to where exactly this happened on the strip.

Castle Rock.

I stay at River Lodge and my wife and I started hearing a woman screaming. It was Sunday evening so not many people around or boats on the water so it got our attention. Walked to get a better view of Castle Rock to see what was going on. Unfortunately it took her a couple minutes to get someone over to help. Once they jumped in the water we realized what was going on.

We weren't sure if he made it or not till OP confirmed. Very sad.

 

[BlantonCo]

This is our best friend, we were there with them at the river lodge place,and left Sunday morning...lenny and his wife stayed to celebrate their 1 year anniversary Sunday..this is such an awful, freak, tragic accident..out hearts are so broken, just enjoying their day, he being his silly self..words can't even describe our pain, so fkn unacceptable

 

[kurtis500]

What a heartbreaking event

 

[rrrr]

This is our best friend, we were there with them at the river lodge place,and left Sunday morning...lenny and his wife stayed to celebrate their 1 year anniversary Sunday..this is such an awful, freak, tragic accident..out hearts are so broken, just enjoying their day, he being his silly self..words can't even describe our pain, so fkn unacceptable

I am so sorry you lost a good friend. I hope your pain and grief will subside in time, and you will be left with the good memories of Lenny.

 

[Javajoe]

This is our best friend, we were there with them at the river lodge place,and left Sunday morning...lenny and his wife stayed to celebrate their 1 year anniversary Sunday..this is such an awful, freak, tragic accident..out hearts are so broken, just enjoying their day, he being his silly self..words can't even describe our pain, so fkn unacceptable

Sorry for you loss. Such a great guy. He did a lot of work for me over the years with Shane. So tragic

 

[FCT]

This is our best friend, we were there with them at the river lodge place,and left Sunday morning...lenny and his wife stayed to celebrate their 1 year anniversary Sunday..this is such an awful, freak, tragic accident..out hearts are so broken, just enjoying their day, he being his silly self..words can't even describe our pain, so fkn unacceptable

What a tragic loss so sorry to hear. It’s scary how quick life can change at the blink of an eye.

Is this Alex?

 

[Mike Honcho]

So sorry for your loss this is terrible and yes the current is strong in that area.

 

[BlantonCo]

Sorry for you loss. Such a great guy. He did a lot of work for me over the years with Shane. So tragic

 

[outboard_256]

Sorry for your loss

 

[stoker]

Sorry for your loss, I hate hearing these stories.
A few years back the wife and me where entering Panama Bay heading towards the canal. It was around one a.m. and the seas were super rough like a washing machine. I look back and notice the tender I was towing was fishtailing an indicator that the boat is full of water. I put the boat in neutral and tell the wife to sit on the bridge and keep an eye on me. I go onto the swim step and pull the tender towards me so I could climb aboard and turn on the bilge pump. I then got back on the swim step and proceeded to fight the tender in order to keep it from hitting the swim step. while all this is going on the waves are slamming the side of the boat. For whatever reason my wife thinks it would be a good idea to put the boat in gear and throttle up to head the boat into the waves. I yelled fo her to stop but she couldn’t hear me. I let the tow line go because of the speed I couldn’t hold it any longer. I look down and noticed it was wrapped around my leg. Lucky for me I got it untangled right before the line went tight. If I were to be dragged in I would have been dead for sure.

 

[cofooter]

Sorry for your loss, I hate hearing these stories.
A few years back the wife and me where entering Panama Bay heading towards the canal. It was around one a.m. and the seas were super rough like a washing machine. I look back and notice the tender I was towing was fishtailing an indicator that the boat is full of water. I put the boat in neutral and tell the wife to sit on the bridge and keep an eye on me. I go onto the swim step and pull the tender towards me so I could climb aboard and turn on the bilge pump. I then got back on the swim step and proceeded to fight the tender in order to keep it from hitting the swim step. while all this is going on the waves are slamming the side of the boat. For whatever reason my wife thinks it would be a good idea to put the boat in gear and throttle up to head the boat into the waves. I yelled fo her to stop but she couldn’t hear me. I let the tow line go because of the speed I couldn’t hold it any longer. I look down and noticed it was wrapped around my leg. Lucky for me I got it untangled right before the line went tight. If I were to be dragged in I would have been dead for sure.

Wow, sorry to read these stories, especially from the OP for their loss and others. Few years ago a friend was setting the buoy anchors for a ski slalom course by himself and got wrapped around the cord and the weight was just enough to keep him under. Young guy, great athlete, passed leaving a wife and kids. All these stories about tragedy on the water are true. Gotta be careful, wear a life jacket, and have a spotter no matter how strong you think you are......

 

[nowski]

Thoughts and Prayers to Friends & Family. Sorry for your loss...

 

[Taboma]

Sorry for your loss, I hate hearing these stories.
A few years back the wife and me where entering Panama Bay heading towards the canal. It was around one a.m. and the seas were super rough like a washing machine. I look back and notice the tender I was towing was fishtailing an indicator that the boat is full of water. I put the boat in neutral and tell the wife to sit on the bridge and keep an eye on me. I go onto the swim step and pull the tender towards me so I could climb aboard and turn on the bilge pump. I then got back on the swim step and proceeded to fight the tender in order to keep it from hitting the swim step. while all this is going on the waves are slamming the side of the boat. For whatever reason my wife thinks it would be a good idea to put the boat in gear and throttle up to head the boat into the waves. I yelled fo her to stop but she couldn’t hear me. I let the tow line go because of the speed I couldn’t hold it any longer. I look down and noticed it was wrapped around my leg. Lucky for me I got it untangled right before the line went tight. If I were to be dragged in I would have been dead for sure.

In my mid-teens up at Lake Arrowhead, a similar aged girl I knew and I went for a "Doubles" ski ride behind my dad's Chris Craft.
When we'd beach started, we factored that one ski rope was longer and we were positioned so the shorter rope would be on the outside, so later when we swung in to coast for a beach landing the inside skier wouldn't cross over the other's rope. GREAT THINKING -- BUT

BUT, kids being hairbrained and in it for the fun, during our ski ride we'd performed several over and unders and switched sides several times.
Didn't give it a moments thought as dad swung us in hard to make the rather long coast for the perfect beach landing. (For those of you who know the lake, this was a beautiful small beach just inside of the bay formed by Totem Pole Point -- of course today, it's all nut-to-butt homes).
The objective of course, to show off in front of our sunbathing friends, was to coast in, step off the ski in a foot of water, pick up the ski and stand proud for the peer adoration. RIGHT, EXCEPT

Imagine my surprise when being on the inside of the hard turn and shortly AFTER letting loose of the handles, I notice the girl's line was now passing over the top of my ski heading towards my leg. As quickly as it dawned on me, I front dove out of my ski, hoping to dive over and clear of the rope.
Great plan, but somehow the handles bounced and against all odds, the rope ended up in a half hitch around my lower right leg. Of course I didn't realize this until my body heading in one direction at high speed and the boat towing the line heading in the opposite direction brought the line taut. When that occurred shit happened really fast and the Chris Craft was winning handily as it was now dragging me backwards underwater.

Two things saved my young ass --- well three, being young and an avid sports addict was the 3rd.
The other two, first off my amazingly savy dad realized what was going to happen right about the same time I had initially when he saw me dive out of my ski.
He reacted very quickly yanking that large chrome gear shift handle into neutral, even before he reach for the throttle.
The 2nd thing as well as the really scary thing was, the force actually broke the ski line, but hearing the loud pop as it parted, I thought it was my leg getting yanked apart. So when I popped up, reached into the deep rope groove and cut, I thought my lower leg was gone.

My leg was still intact, although highly deformed from the line cutting and squeezing. Boat ride to the marina, horns honking, yelling for an ambulance, roped still knotted around my leg, it was all a blur. Thankfully, I was in great shape and I recovered quite quickly, almost 60 years later still a nice visible groove to remind me and I've never even once skied double since.

I mention this as a cautionary tale as an example of how we always need to be alert when handling lines while anchoring, towing other boats and as in my case water sports.
On numerous occasions on Havasu I've witnessed kids and adults being tandem towed on water toys while using unequal length ropes.
Please be aware of the danger of doing that.