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OBN

OldCherryPicker
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Joined
Jul 9, 2009
Messages
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Location
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I just want to let everyone know that I am at home now, recovering and doing very well. Also, many thanks for your prayers and well wishes....they are greatly appreciated.

Kind of embarrassing all these years I've preached how important it was to wear a life jacket on unknown beach's, or where some major activity has gone down. This beach I had been watching for about month, they were doing reconstruction of the rock jetties.... so this outing was a full reconn mission where I should have had a life jacket on.

Very simple I was coming down the beach after 3 hours of reconn, out chest deep and took a step into a drop off. Which I think was from the tug boat that was used to push the barges around. I Went under fast and without warning, took in a lot of water thru my mouth before I realized what happened. I looked up and started to paddle and kick to get back to the surface. My drysuit still had air in it so that helped pull me up quick but I was face down and toes down level on the water surface.. Some how I got turned around to where I was looking skyward and my toes were pointed the same. After a few minutes I realized the don-er tube was slowly allowing water into my drysuit. All I could do was float, no way to pull my feet down for there was as much air in the boots as there was the top part of the drysuit. After several minutes of trying to paddle myself in shore, then use the scoop to push myself, and being dis-oriented. I pulled my sifter in and placed my head on it....then yelled for help. 22 minutes later help came, saved me...I really don't think I could have made it 15 to 30 minutes more.

I've encountered similar conditions with my wetsuit where there was no air trapped in the suit which gave me full control of my feet/body. This time I was helpless seemed and being the bitter cold conditions just made all things worse.

A True Miracle for me to be here today. Thank You Lord.

And Many Thanks for those who called EMS, and was involved in my rescue. I will personally contact each person and crew and thank them in person. I've located the person who called, a lady whom I've seen many times before walking her dog.
 

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Good to hear from you ! We all love your inputs and are glad you are safe and back.
 
OBN, we ALL have had instances where we look back and know we could have done things differently. I am NO exception.

At 45 foot deep in the St Clair river it was getting harder for me to breath. I looked at my pressure gauge and it said I had half a tank of air left. I IGNORED the fact it was getting harder to breath. Finally I hit the gauge on the bottom and it dropped to nothing. It was stuck. Never happened before. I fought my way to the surface and made it totally out of air.

The fact that you are still with us means a lot. Your time to leave this earth isn't just yet. As you probably remember I had a very close friend drown in lake Huron while wading and detecting. Tom Weaver. To this day nobody knows what happened.

Very glad you had a dry suit even if got water in it somehow. You probably would have never made it with waders. Propeller holes are very dangerous and so are drop offs. I am sure you have been close to them before and realized how hard it is to get back on shallower ground.

What counts is you are still with us and able to get back and enjoy the hobby one day. That will be on your time frame when you are ready. I know you usually have all the safety equipment you feel you need. I usually do also. BUT, there are times when I don't either. Your lesson has helped me remember to always carry a Shock Alert when diving marina's. It just takes one instance when you feel you are safe and end up a statistic.

Glad you are back and enjoy your time getting ready to get back out there and enjoy the hobby.
 
Wow you are a very blessed to be here! I read the summary and it is a miracle on several levels; continue to recuperate!


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Just gonna say I'm thankful that there were people close by that helped get you the care you needed. This place wouldn't be the same without you OBN.
Out of curiosity, are all your pieces & parts ok?
When you planning to get back out there?
 
Your experience will help others, so glad you’re ok and can tell the story.
 
Man I am glad to hear that you are doing okay. And I will start wearing my life jacket.......I mean I dont get in the water...but ya never know.....wind shears....tidal waves....angry beach goers....godzilla...could all put me deep in the water pretty quickly!! :0) ...just a little levity.....I hope you dont mind. I am very thankful that you are alright.
 
Welcome back boss! Terrible time you went through, just SO glad to hear you are home and doing well. Take the recovery seriously and stay safe, we need you and your knowledge around for man years to come!
 
Glad to hear you are on the mend. As a kayaker i always wear a life jacket.
I have a plan next summer to paddle out to some sandbars that host giant weekend raft-ups of pontoon boats and detect them on a Monday morning.

There are some great life jackets out there with lots of pockets that would be handy for detectorists.
 
Very glad to see your post OBN, and super glad you are okay. Your posts have been informative and a pleasure to read - and that gold ring pile like no other. Elated you are okay. Wow. Thank you Earl/Surfmaster for the updates too. Was good to read you were going to be okay.
 
Very glad to see your post OBN, and super glad you are okay. Your posts have been informative and a pleasure to read - and that gold ring pile like no other. Elated you are okay. Wow. Thank you Earl/Surfmaster for the updates too. Was good to read you were going to be okay.
 
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