Trouble in the tailrace?

[JayKay]

I hear some guys found themselves out of their boat last night in the tailrace. Dangerous. Anybody have any concrete info as to what happened? I have heard some things second-hand, but don't wish to cast doubt on anybody's decision making.

Jaykay






ADDED by Vollmer:

3 men rescued after fishing boat capsizes on Missouri River near tailrace

By Bo Evans

PICK CITY, N.D. - Most times if you go overboard in the Missouri River, you don’t come back. Three men were fishing Monday night when their boat capsized and they went into the water.



But, an unlikely combination of events led to the men’s rescue and all three are alive today.
Their boat, which has been sitting on shore since last night, is broken in some places and covered in mud, but all things considered it could have been much worse.
“Oh, most times, it turns into a recovery, than a search and rescue,” said Mercer County Sheriff Dean Danzeisen.
Keith Orth was fishing Monday night when he heard an odd splash.
Police reports say three men were fishing on the Missouri RIver when they threw an anchor off the stern of the boat in fast moving waters.
“I finally heard somebody hollering, and at that time I realized that they had tipped over their boat,” said fisherman Keith Orth.
The men were tossed from the boat. Once Orth figured out what was going on he called 911 and ran to the ramp where he and another man got on the water and fished them out.
By all accounts, the men couldn’t have been any luckier.
“They were very fortunate that there actually was a fisherman onshore to see it, and one that was actually coming back from fishing to rescue them,” said Danzeisen.
“All of the stars were lined up on the 13th, because it actually was the 13th November,” said Orth.
Orth says they were able to pull two men onto the boat but had to throw a line to the third and pull him to shore.
“They were all quiet, of course hypothermia out of the water and gasping for air and basically relieved that somebody put their hands on them to get them,” Orth.
One other thing that helped save the men’s lives, all three were wearing life vests, without them Orth and the sheriff say their chances of survival would have been next to none.

 

[guywhofishes]

eff that noise! yeesh - can't imagine

 

[JayKay]

I can just about imagine how hard it would be to clamber out of the water, in that current, onto icy rocks, while weighed down with a bunch of cold-weather clothing. Not good.

 

[BrokenBackJack]

Saw a bunch of police cars on the south bridge (east bound lanes) on Expressway between Bismarck and Mandan Sunday afternoon. Was wondering if someone jumped or what? Didn't see any civilians car stopped so just guessing someone jumped? Saw an ambulance headed there too.

 

[sierra1995]

Heard on the scanner that 3 big guys overturned a 16' boat in the chutes. All made it out of the water. that was the last i heard.

 

[tikkalover]

3 men rescued after fishing boat capsizes on Missouri River near tailrace


PICK CITY, N.D. - Most times if you go overboard in the Missouri River, you don’t come back. Three men were fishing Monday night when their boat capsized and they went into the water.
But, an unlikely combination of events led to the men’s rescue and all three are alive today.
Their boat, which has been sitting on shore since last night, is broken in some places and covered in mud, but all things considered it could have been much worse.
“Oh, most times, it turns into a recovery, than a search and rescue,” said Mercer County Sheriff Dean Danzeisen.
Keith Orth was fishing Monday night when he heard an odd splash.
Police reports say three men were fishing on the Missouri RIver when they threw an anchor off the stern of the boat in fast moving waters.
“I finally heard somebody hollering, and at that time I realized that they had tipped over their boat,” said fisherman Keith Orth.
The men were tossed from the boat. Once Orth figured out what was going on he called 911 and ran to the ramp where he and another man got on the water and fished them out.
By all accounts, the men couldn’t have been any luckier.

“They were very fortunate that there actually was a fisherman onshore to see it, and one that was actually coming back from fishing to rescue them,” said Danzeisen.
“All of the stars were lined up on the 13th, because it actually was the 13th November,” said Orth.
Orth says they were able to pull two men onto the boat but had to throw a line to the third and pull him to shore.
“They were all quiet, of course hypothermia out of the water and gasping for air and basically relieved that somebody put their hands on them to get them,” Orth.
One other thing that helped save the men’s lives, all three were wearing life vests, without them Orth and the sheriff say their chances of survival would have been next to none.

 

[guywhofishes]

holy cow

 

[dean nelson]

Ok am I reading that correctly they tried to stern anchor in the chutes? Stern anchoring in the high current I'm going to go out on a limb and say that doesn't seem like a overly good idea! Lucky to get out of there I'm sure they were wearing heavy layered clothes as well.

 

[JayKay]

Yes, this is what I'd heard as well. That they had an anchor tied to the transom, and once the anchor caught, the boat went under in a hurry. Glad they're alive.

BTW, this was the "decision making" I was talking about. I don't know that I'd ever anchor in current, much less in heavy current, and certainly not by the transom.

 

[Blitzkrieg]

dumb.... just dumb

 

[Sluggo]

Will Rogers' saying comes to mind: "There are three kinds of men. The one that learns by reading. The few who learn by observation. The rest of them have to pee on the electric fence for themselves."

 

[Riggen&Jiggen]

Back in the 80s I seen the same thing happen. It was in July. Fishing was real good in the chutes and there had to be at least 20 boats running up and drifting down like everyone does. Well a boat runs up throws the anchor out and the rope was tied off on the transom. We yelled at them that they are going to swamp themselves. Before they could untie the rope they went down. I bet it took no more than 10 seconds and the boat was full of water.

 

[LiebelsGuide]

The big key here is all 3 were wearing life jackets! Without that this would be very sad story...

Get those auto-PFD's and wear them!!!!

 

[JayKay]

Will Rogers' saying comes to mind: "There are three kinds of men. The one that learns by reading. The few who learn by observation. The rest of them have to pee on the electric fence for themselves."

Why? Couldn't hurt nothin' right? (unzip)

 

[eyexer]

there was a guy a dozen years or so ago that took out his warrior fishing salmon. I think it was up north of indian hills or something. anyway a downrigger ball hooked on a big tree and dude panicked. Didn't have a cutter for the downrigger wire line and it pulled the back end of the boat down enough to fill it up with water. I don't recall that it sunk but there was a brown film on the water.

 

[dean nelson]

Yes, this is what I'd heard as well. That they had an anchor tied to the transom, and once the anchor caught, the boat went under in a hurry. Glad they're alive.

BTW, this was the "decision making" I was talking about. I don't know that I'd ever anchor in current, much less in heavy current, and certainly not by the transom.

That's the part I don't get. Night fishing the race in November isn't exactly the time you would expect a bunch of noobs to be out there.

 

[JayKay]

That's the part I don't get. Night fishing the race in November isn't exactly the time you would expect a bunch of noobs to be out there.

Yeah, but no grown men are noobs. Just ask 'em.

Been around the tailrace a long time. Even jetskiied in there back in my dumber years. The currents are pretty powerful, and they are sometimes unpredictable. Shorefishing on the east side, and without relocating, the current can be whistling south, then north, then south again, all within a few minutes (if you're in the right spot). I swim like a fish, but now that I'm older and wiser, I'd never get out of the boat in that fast water. I know people SCUBA there, but dang, get knocked into a rock, and you might not be awake to try to come up.

 

[Bfishn]

Achoring by the stearn was obviously a dumb move, but at least they were smart enough to be wearing life jackets. No way any of them would have survived otherwise.

 

[guywhofishes]

I swim terrible. I’d have likely sank with a vest. Ha ha (nervously)

 

[AaronJ]

Yeah, but no grown men are noobs. Just ask 'em.

Been around the tailrace a long time. Even jetskiied in there back in my dumber years. The currents are pretty powerful, and they are sometimes unpredictable. Shorefishing on the east side, and without relocating, the current can be whistling south, then north, then south again, all within a few minutes (if you're in the right spot). I swim like a fish, but now that I'm older and wiser, I'd never get out of the boat in that fast water. I know people SCUBA there, but dang, get knocked into a rock, and you might not be awake to try to come up.

I jetski'd in the tailrace in April when I was 16. Old school stand up/kneel down type ski.... IDIOT. My brother has also scuba-dove there as well. He told me there are some scary huge sturgen and cats around the boulders. Not an area to be taken lightly doing anything, even shore fishing.