Met a guy at launch site, just north of Port Deposit, Maryland - Susquehanna river this morning. The portion of the Susquehanna up river of Port Deposit to the Conowingo dam is considered "at your own risk" for motor powered boats. Mostly just yaks and canoes because of the rocks lurking just below the surface. Guy says he's waiting on a buddy, looking for Walleye and Striper.
5 hrs later I see two yaks tied off on river bank with no one around. I wait around for 1/2 hr and here comes the same guy I met earlier walking up the bank. His buddy took a swim. Said the bow went under in the current. I figure he must have gotten tangled up with some rocks. He hung on to his yak, lost one of three rods, yelled for his buddy, who came to his assistance, got him to shore, tied off the yaks and went to the hospital. He was spitting blood, they are keeping him overnight. He must have gone under, and he had no cold water gear (no wet suit ,no dry suit). My fishfinder never got above 49 degrees all day even though air temp was a balmy 59 degrees.
The guy I met had a white water, sit in yak, while the guy who took the swim had a Wilderness Tarpon 120. I used the "Deluxe game clip" I got at the Chris' store, about 5 ' of rode with a carabiner on the other end and towed the Tarpon from his bow carry handle back to the launch site. When we got back to launch, I noted that he had all his scuppers plugged.
On the up side, he was fishing with a buddy who just saved his life. On the downside, 49 degrees definitely requires "cold water gear". The scupper plugs? I don't know what the protocol is for using plugs. I figure they had to have an impact on the incident.
Learn from others misfortunes. Stay safe.
Joe
Home 
for the good message here. Dress for the water people!!!