# Lesson learned the hard way, wear a life vest
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lesson-learned-the-hard-way-wear-a-life-vest/549973
**Category:** The BBQ Pit
**Created:** [August 11, 2010, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lesson-learned-the-hard-way-wear-a-life-vest/549973 "2010-08-11T20:32:39Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Tinkertoy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tinkertoy)
#### Post date: [August 11, 2010, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lesson-learned-the-hard-way-wear-a-life-vest/549973/1 "2010-08-11T20:32:39Z")
Well my town finally makes it to CNN and it’s because of these fools. I am sorry for their families, but this is just so stupid.
[http://http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/08/10/idaho.boat.search/index.html?hpt=T2](http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/08/10/idaho.boat.search/index.html?hpt=T2)
> **[Bodies of four drowning victims found in A.F. Reservoir](https://www.idahostatejournal.com/news/local/article_666db522-a456-11df-8ac7-001cc4c002e0.html)**
>
> AMERICAN FALLS — One of the worst tragedies in Southeast Idaho history came to a close Monday night with the discovery of four bodies in the American Falls Reservoir.
If you are going on a boat wear your fucking life vest.
If you can’t swim and your going on a boat wear your fucking life vest.
If you push someone who can’t swim out of the boat and have to jump in to save them wear your fucking life vest.
If you jump out of a boat to save 3 drowning people who don’t have life vests on put your fucking life vest on don’t hold it in your hand.
At least the 9 year old had enough sense tocall 911 and direct rescuers to the boat so the kids are okay. Just scarred for life watching their loved ones die of stupidity. Every year we have people die on the reservoir or river below it and most of the time it could have been prevented if they just took a few seconds to do things safely.
Respect the water!
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### Author:  [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)
#### Post date: [August 11, 2010, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lesson-learned-the-hard-way-wear-a-life-vest/549973/2 "2010-08-11T20:34:43Z")
I couldn’t believe what I was reading earlier; 5 kids go out with 4 adults so the kids ought to be in good hands, right? So how come it’s only the 5 kids that make it back?
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### Author:  [@fuzzypickles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fuzzypickles)
#### Post date: [August 11, 2010, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lesson-learned-the-hard-way-wear-a-life-vest/549973/3 "2010-08-11T20:44:41Z")
Darwin strikes again!
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### Author:  [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)
#### Post date: [August 11, 2010, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lesson-learned-the-hard-way-wear-a-life-vest/549973/4 "2010-08-11T20:50:39Z")
Depending on what kind of water I’m in on a boat, I might not wear a life jacket, but I’m a good swimmer. But how in God’s name do you not wear a life vest if you know _you cannot swim_?
How awful for the kids to see that.
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### Author:  [@Tinkertoy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tinkertoy)
#### Post date: [August 11, 2010, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lesson-learned-the-hard-way-wear-a-life-vest/549973/5 "2010-08-11T20:58:17Z")
> [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#):
>
> Depending on what kind of water I’m in on a boat, I might not wear a life jacket, but I’m a good swimmer. But how in God’s name do you not wear a life vest if you know _you cannot swim_?
>
> How awful for the kids to see that.
This was a windy day so the water was choppy. Also they were near the dam where there are undercurrents, and signs warning of that fact.
I’ve reached the point now that I think they shouldn’t even spend the money to look for the bodies. Just wait for them to ripen and pop to the top.
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### Author:  [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)
#### Post date: [August 11, 2010, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lesson-learned-the-hard-way-wear-a-life-vest/549973/6 "2010-08-11T21:16:16Z")
> [@fuzzypickles](#):
>
> Darwin strikes again!
Not in the classical formulation, as they’ve already reproduced, apparently..
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### Author:  [@Anne\_Neville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anne_Neville)
#### Post date: [August 11, 2010, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lesson-learned-the-hard-way-wear-a-life-vest/549973/7 "2010-08-11T21:19:31Z")
Were these guys drunk or something?
Before you start “horsing around” and pushing people out of boats, you should make sure they can swim. It’s not funny to push someone who can’t swim out of a boat.
It’s not a good idea to horse around on a boat if you can’t swim and aren’t wearing a life jacket.
Jumping in the water is the _last_ choice method for saving a drowning person. A drowning person can panic and pull you both under. Throwing them a rope or other object attached to the boat is a much better idea.
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### Author:  [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)
#### Post date: [August 11, 2010, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lesson-learned-the-hard-way-wear-a-life-vest/549973/8 "2010-08-11T21:55:22Z")
> [@Ludovic](#):
>
> > [@fuzzypickles](#):
> >
> > Darwin strikes again!
>
> Not in the classical formulation, as they’ve already reproduced, apparently..
I was just thinking THAT is the real tragedy – their genes are still in the pool.
I do have sympathy for the kids, and a little bit for the first guy who was pushed off. But if he had had a vest on, none of the rest would have happened.
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### Author:  [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)
#### Post date: [August 11, 2010, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lesson-learned-the-hard-way-wear-a-life-vest/549973/9 "2010-08-11T22:20:02Z")
If you can’t swim, what the fuck are you doing on a boat in the first place? Without a vest riveted to your chest?
Morons.
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### Author:  [@Gukumatz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gukumatz)
#### Post date: [August 11, 2010, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lesson-learned-the-hard-way-wear-a-life-vest/549973/10 "2010-08-11T22:29:00Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#):
>
> > [@Ludovic](#):
> >
> > Not in the classical formulation, as they’ve already reproduced, apparently..
>
> I was just thinking THAT is the real tragedy – their genes are still in the pool.
But, apparently, shitty swimmers.
---
### Author:  [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)
#### Post date: [August 11, 2010, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lesson-learned-the-hard-way-wear-a-life-vest/549973/11 "2010-08-11T22:33:28Z")
> [@Gukumatz](#):
>
> > [@Boyo\_Jim](#):
> >
> > I was just thinking THAT is the real tragedy – their genes are still in the pool.
>
> But, apparently, shitty swimmers.
It’s kind of ironic that their sperm swim better than they did.
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### Author:  [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)
#### Post date: [August 11, 2010, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lesson-learned-the-hard-way-wear-a-life-vest/549973/12 "2010-08-11T22:36:06Z")
> [@Anne\_Neville](#):
>
> Jumping in the water is the _last_ choice method for saving a drowning person. A drowning person can panic and pull you both under. Throwing them a rope or other object attached to the boat is a much better idea.
Been there, done that. Never again. Though I was like 5 or 6 at the time. Fortunately nobody died. Very fortunately it wasnt two kids, me being one of them.
They don’t pull you under so much as try to stand on top of you.
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### Author:  [@Bill\_Door](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bill_Door)
#### Post date: [August 11, 2010, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lesson-learned-the-hard-way-wear-a-life-vest/549973/13 "2010-08-11T23:12:41Z")
> [@Anne\_Neville](#):
>
> (snip)Jumping in the water is the _last_ choice method for saving a drowning person. A drowning person can panic and pull you both under. Throwing them a rope or other object attached to the boat is a much better idea.
+1. The order is; Reach, Throw, Row, Go. Reach for them from safety, throw them a rope, row a watercraft to them, and finally, go yourself. Never jump in the water until the other three options have been exhausted.
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### Author:  [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)
#### Post date: [August 11, 2010, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lesson-learned-the-hard-way-wear-a-life-vest/549973/14 "2010-08-11T23:39:35Z")
> [@Tinkertoy](#):
>
> > [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#):
> >
> > Depending on what kind of water I’m in on a boat, I might not wear a life jacket, but I’m a good swimmer. But how in God’s name do you not wear a life vest if you know _you cannot swim_?
> >
> > How awful for the kids to see that.
>
> This was a windy day so the water was choppy. Also they were near the dam where there are undercurrents, and signs warning of that fact.
> I’ve reached the point now that I think they shouldn’t even spend the money to look for the bodies. Just wait for them to ripen and pop to the top.
Under those conditions, I most certainly would have been wearing a life vest. Why on Earth would anyone push someone else from a boat? Even if they _can_ swim, its not funny, and its dangerous. Many things could have happened other than outright drowning. Hitting their head on the side of the boat, engaging the propeller, etc.
---
### Author:  [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)
#### Post date: [August 11, 2010, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lesson-learned-the-hard-way-wear-a-life-vest/549973/15 "2010-08-11T23:59:26Z")
And only one type of life vest will keep the head of an unconscious person out of the water, and it’s the one people tend to hate because of the design. Personally, I don’t go on anything smaller than, say, a ferry of 500 tons without wearing at least a Type III life vest.
---
### Author:  [@supergoose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/supergoose)
#### Post date: [August 12, 2010, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lesson-learned-the-hard-way-wear-a-life-vest/549973/16 "2010-08-12T00:31:03Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#):
>
> > [@Ludovic](#):
> >
> > Not in the classical formulation, as they’ve already reproduced, apparently..
>
> I was just thinking THAT is the real tragedy – their genes are still in the pool.
>
> I do have sympathy for the kids, and a little bit for the first guy who was pushed off. But if he had had a vest on, none of the rest would have happened.
Aw, come on, guys. That kid was the only one who kept her head! This almost reads like “too bad the kids didn’t get taken out too, then the gene pool would really be in the clear!”
Besides, if being an idiot around water is genetic, I’d say these kids are good for life - they’ll probably never go in it again.
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### Author:  [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)
#### Post date: [August 12, 2010, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lesson-learned-the-hard-way-wear-a-life-vest/549973/17 "2010-08-12T00:42:29Z")
Hell, they’ll probably never bathe again!
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### Author:  [@Rand\_Rover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rand_Rover)
#### Post date: [August 12, 2010, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lesson-learned-the-hard-way-wear-a-life-vest/549973/18 "2010-08-12T00:52:25Z")
Yeah, we had an incident in Chicago over the weekend–something like 4 kids go boating at 1 in the morning, two kids return after they all apparently decided to go for a swim without life jackets and without leaving someone on the boat.
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### Author:  [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)
#### Post date: [August 12, 2010, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lesson-learned-the-hard-way-wear-a-life-vest/549973/19 "2010-08-12T00:57:48Z")
**Lesson learned the hard way…**
[Different story](http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/local&id=7598633), but another tip, don’t everyone jump in the water at the same time to go swimming. Boats float. Away.
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### Author:  [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)
#### Post date: [August 12, 2010, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lesson-learned-the-hard-way-wear-a-life-vest/549973/20 "2010-08-12T01:06:01Z")
> [@fuzzypickles](#):
>
> Darwin strikes again!
Fuck you. Here’s hoping he strikes again.
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