No Whales in Lake Erie
steerfeeder
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No Whales in Lake Erie
Before all the ribbing starts. A local newspaper ran a article that quoted a couple that rescued three from lake erie Sunday as saying they thought it was a whale. How Rediculous. My wife and I rescued those fellows from the lake three miles NW from Conneaut harbor. Sunday around noon we left harbor heading NW to do some fishing. about 2 1/2 miles out I notices something low to the water, I lost sight of it and told my wife I saw something but I can't find it now. We slowed and looked, my starboard side to the North we found it and it looked like someone on the water throwing their arms up and diving in (we later realized it was the young boy 19, trying to stand on the slippery keel of the bottom of the boat trying to get our attention and falling in). I sensed something wrong so I turned toward it. As I got closer I realized it was someone in distress. I waved my arms to let them know I had visual. I got to the boat and found two older fellows in the water with life jackets clinging to the back side of the boat. the younger straddled across the bottom which was bottom side up. I immediately called Conneaut fuel dock, I asked the men just three of you? Yes, we've been here since yesterday. Saturday. I told Jim at fuel dock to call rescue and ambulance that I had three men in water for 24 hrs. As I backed the boat to them where I had a swim platform and three step extendable ladder. I had Vics Sports Center install it on my fishmaster when I bought it. thank goodness, My wife was answering questions to the coast guard giving coordinates and situation. the first man I attempted to get in hardly could move, he was barely moving his arms in an attempt to get to the boat so I had to lean over my engine to grab his hand and pull him. I grabbed him by the pants and pulled him up over and in. the younger boy came next, he got in fine. The third I had to do the same as first, he got onto the platform and appeared to have no strength to get in, I said you got to try so I can get you guys in to port. I grabbed him by the back side of his shorts and rolled him in. I called Conneaut and told them I was on my way in to clear area. One of the men ask my wife for some water is all I recalled on way in. when I got to the harbor, all fisherman and boats were off to the sides and I had clear path in. I called and ask where to go. someone told me to go to public dock. I went there and the paramedic were waiting. A man in uniform ask me our name, address, and phone number, that is it. I told him if he needed any farther info to call me. there were boats lined up from the docks to the light house. I told him we need to get out of way to let guys start to load their boats. Kuddos to all those boaters who were patient to let us in. I went to fuel dock and got fuel and ask Jim if he had something orange that I could mark the boat as I had punched the coordinates into the gps. he gave me a life jacket. As I fueled I called coast guard and told them all three were on shore and being treated by paramedics. I returned to the capsized boat where I tied the life jacket to for visualization. I called coast guard, gave them coordinates of boat, but I decided to stay with it. If another boat had hit it we would have another incident. 13 minutes later coast guard came, ask me a couple questions, thanked me and Deb and we came in. Reality set in at this point. Just three years earlier we rescued another fisherman that had fallen overboard, his buddy couldn't get him in. they had a much larger boat. he's doing ok. I hope that anyone that hears or reads the bogus reports about us thinking a whale was in lake erie takes it as such. REALLY GET YOUR STORIES STRAIGHT. My wife and I are waiting for apologies and correct follow ups.
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MAT
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Re:No Whales in Lake Erie
Tuesday, August 27, 2013 9:20 AM
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I had just docked in the Conneaut marina when all this came over the radio. I and my dock neighbors would like to commend you and your wife on a great job getting those people in. I could tell by your wife's voice that she was shaken up in this stressful situation, but the east side of the marina was rooting for you guys. Don't fret over the whale thing. Matt
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FishinGuy
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Re:No Whales in Lake Erie
Tuesday, August 27, 2013 1:35 PM
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bridgeman
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Re:No Whales in Lake Erie
Tuesday, August 27, 2013 9:09 PM
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Pulled two guys out of the water about 18 years ago 12 miles off Bula, seas were about 4' and theey got their wire line rig fouled in their outboard. The guys son in law tried to free it with the motor tilted up and didn't see a big set coming. Ended up floating in the lake for a few hours on a day when there was very little boat traffic. We were out about 18 miles or so when we decided to head in one fish short of a limit. Often wondered if those guys would have made it if we trolled a little longer and didn't decide to go in at that time.
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steerfeeder
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Re:No Whales in Lake Erie
Tuesday, August 27, 2013 10:19 PM
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Yes, it makes you wonder how just a little decision can make a difference. I text two of my friends that I knew were out 6 miles that morning. they both told me it was pretty choppy with a south wind around 8mph. so I didn't go. we slept in, ate a good brunch then decided to go when the lake laid down. why I headed NW, is the puzzler, i'd been fishing straight out recently for perch and walleye.
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fishingood
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Re:No Whales in Lake Erie
Wednesday, August 28, 2013 1:47 PM
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I believe that as fishermen and boaters we have a moral duty to help each other, which you don't see a lot of in this day and age. It's great to see that there are still good hearted folks like you out there. Kudos to you! Also, not to take anything away from you, or hijack the thread, but this seems to be yet another example of how pathetic the media has become, and how they've gone away from their occupational duty of providing the public with the necessary facts about happenings, in order to make a quick buck.
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slabdaddy
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Re:No Whales in Lake Erie
Wednesday, August 28, 2013 3:56 PM
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They tried to make a hero look stupid. They need to be kicked in the azz.
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