John K. Flores: Be wise on the water this weekend

Last September, my wife and I were taking advantage of an amazing redfish bite that was going on in East Cote Blanche Bay. Our destination just before sunrise was the Humble Canal on the west side of the bay.
Pointing my boat west-northwest out of Burns Point Park landing you couldn’t have asked for better conditions. The morning was slightly cool, the bay had maybe a half foot sea, and there was going to be a good falling tide.
When we got to the west side of the bay, I needed to make a slight course correction to the northwest when suddenly, our boat struck something. The impact caused my feet to leave the floor of the boat and my face struck the cross bar of the center console.
The boat was nearly at a 45-degree angle and Christine was nearly tossed out of the boat. How she held on I’ll never know.
The boat did a belly smack on the water, and we came to a stop. We were both shaken up, confused, and unhurt, other than a busted lip when I hit the console.
We sat there for a few seconds without say anything, when I spoke and said, “What the heck did we hit?”
That’s when I saw several submerged pylons barely visible above the water. With the boat stopped, it was the wave action that allowed me to see them. It was obvious hurricanes with their powerful tidal surges had essentially knocked the pylons over and no state or federal authorities marked the area as hazardous.
I was holding pressure with a wet face towel on my lip, when Christine said, “Is the boat OK? Are we still fishing?”
All I could say was, “I don’t know. Let me check things out.”
While looking things over, I turned the bilge pump on, and immediately water started pumping out of the boat.
“We gotta go and fast,” I said with trepidation.
The bilge pump never stopped pumping on the boat ride back to Burns Point, nor when I initially got the vessel safely on the trailer.
Getting my first look underneath the boat, there was a 44-inch-long gash in the fiberglass hull.
The accident could have been worse. Christine might have drowned. The vessel could have sunk, leaving both of us in the water or one or both of us could have been injured, without medical help.
Christine and I have always taken every precaution when it comes to boating safety. We wear and don’t sit on our life vests, also known as personal floatation device. We have a charged fire extinguisher on board. We have a Type IV USCG approved throwable floatation device. We utilize an engine cut-off switch and make sure the horn is working as well as navigational lights.
The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Enforcement Division issued a press release recently concerning a fatal boating incident in Concordia Parish that occurred June 23.
According to the report, agents recovered the body of Michael L. Rinehart, 68, of Natchez, Mississippi, from Lake St. John. Rinehart and his wife were returning from a boat trip in their 24-foot pontoon boat. While putting the vessel in a boat slip at the dock near their residence, both Rinehart and his wife entered the water the report says.
Rinehart’s wife was able to get out of the water and make it to her phone to call 911 for her missing husband. Rinehart’s body was recovered around 1:30 a.m. June 23. He was not wearing a personal flotation device.
On June 14, the LDWF Enforcement Division reported a fatal incident in Sabine Parish, where the body of John T. Martin Jr., 64, of Joaquin, Texas, was recovered on June 10, from Toledo Bend Reservoir.
Martin’s 14-foot aluminum vessel was found capsized and his body was found close by the vessel. Martin was not wearing a personal floatation device.
The thing about most people, young and old, is they think it will never happen to them. Christine and I have been riding in boats together all of our marriage. We celebrated our 40th anniversary this past January. This was the first time we ever had an incident on the water.
As we enter the long Fourth of July weekend, before going on the water, take time to check your boat’s safety equipment. And, when on the water be sure to wear your PFDs. You never know when the unexpected will occur.
John Flores is the Morgan City Review’s outdoor writer. He can be contacted at gowiththeflo@cox.net.