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Didn't drown


Mac of Cygnet

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I was probably saved from drowning today. Stepped onto the boat at the tail of one of the Hassal Green paired locks on the T&M to take the boat in, but the boat wasn't having any of it, and in I went. Total immersion. Deeper than me. Non-swimmer. Coming up for the second time, I managed to grab the back button. By this time the crew of the boat going down the other lock had seen what had happened and were on my back deck to haul me aboard. Would I have been able to get myself aboard? I don't know, but it is very possible they saved my life. I thanked them at the time (repeatedly), but would like to do so again, just in case any of them read this forum. THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!.



Anyway, they got me up the lock, helped me moor up and went on their way. Took about an hour to get things sorted out – shower, cuppa tea, wash clothes, spread money etc out to dry. Camera is kaput, but I have a spare. Phone was on board. Specs stayed on. So up the remaining 14 locks to here.



You gotta get back on your horse.



Off to the pub now.

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What a fright you must have had. Good to know there were people quick to help rescue and very good to know you're o.k. Getting on with it is a bit part of getting over it .... hope you're having a welcome pint or three.

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A great outcome, but I sincerely hope that you are going to learn from this experience. As said above, it time you learnt to swim. And ignore all others telling you about how clothes weigh you down, it'll give you the confidence to strip off and save someone else's life.

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You're a boater now that you have had a look under!

 

Keep well.

 

So they say. I've been a boater for 30 years, and this was my first boating submersion. Let's hope it's not the start of a trend. Actually my previous submersion was 42 years ago, and was rather more scary, involving sea-ice and no-one around.. Swimming would not have helped me then.

 

Edited to say thanks for the expressions of concern. I admit that I had perhaps become a mite careless, and hope that my experience will prompt others to move around a bit more circumspectly, as it has me.

Edited by Mac of Cygnet
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Good to hear that you are all OK.

 

A few years ago I was in Salcombe and about 11.00pm we saw a person fall off the floating pontoon.

We got into a launch and could not find him. I noticed a circle of ripples and got the driver to steer into the centre of the ripples.

I lent over the side and just pushed my hand down as far as it would go. I felt something furry, grabbed hold of it and pulled it up.

Up popped a man and he grabbed hold of the side of the boat.

It took two of us to pull him into the boat and at the time we were quite fit being 25 year olds.

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Moral of this post WEAR A LIFE JACKET WHEN ONBOARD

 

A non-swimmer shouldn't be on a boat or working a lock without a lifejacket.

 

Although a strong swimmer can drown if they happen to crack their head on something as they fall in, adding the additional risk of not being able to stay afloat even if you're fully conscious just seems like stupidity to me.

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