I really just don't get it

[phorsenuf]

Somebody drowned here yesterday while kayaking. Didn't know how to swim and wasn't wearing a life vest.

I'm very sorry he lost his life, but why would you not wear a vest if you can't swim. They had them with them, just not on.

I just don't get it. Tragic

 

[dnoyes]

About two years ago I pulled two kids out of the Payette river that couldn't swim. One did have on a vest but the other didn't. That section of the Payette is rated at class III to V rapids and is not a place for kids in a blow-up Wal-Mart raft. I've guided raft trips for over ten years and I just couldn't believe what I was seeing so we stayed behind them until they flipped and picked them out of the river.

The part that really sticks with me is this section of the Payette river is aprox 40 miles out of Boise (I'm in Idaho by the way) so these two kids had been driven there by an adult and left to do this.

 

[MM27]

I can swim and I always wear a lifejacket when I go kayaking. You just never know. I had a student this year whose father drowned in the Delaware River at the end of their day there. They had been swimming all day and he got caught up in a current that he couldn't handle.

 

[freckles and boo]

You can't stop some people from making poor choices. My neighbor just roared by on his Harley with his nine-year-old daughter (my daughter's best friend) on the back. Neither of them was wearing a helmet. I find it to be completely irresponsible, but there is nothing I can do about it.

 

[Darcy03231]

I can swim and I always wear a lifejacket when I go kayaking. You just never know. I had a student this year whose father drowned in the Delaware River at the end of their day there. They had been swimming all day and he got caught up in a current that he couldn't handle.

Me too We just kayaked the upper Delaware river a few weeks ago. It was running high and fast. I was amazed at all the people I saw without life jackets on.

 

[Philagoofy]

An 11 year old boy fell in the river here about 2 weeks ago. His uncle jumped in after him. Both died. So sad. With all that you hear every year, boating accidents, etc, you'd think people would wear life vests & abstain from drinking while on boats (not saying that they were drinking in this instance).

 

[Teresa Pitman]

I have a friend whose husband had been an avid boater all his life - but never learned to swim. He felt so confident on his boat that he never wore a life jacket - and you guessed it, eventually one day he did fall overboard and he drowned. Very sad.

I'm a fairly strong swimmer, but I always wear a life jacket in a boat. I've had people tease me about it, but I don't care. However, I can't imagine someone who can't swim not wearing one all the time!

Teresa

 

[happygirl]

I personally wouldn't go Kayak if I couldn't swim

 

[turkeymama]

My husband is an excellent swimmer (former Marine, lots of swim quals) and he still wore a life jacket when we went to the lake last weekend. He said it just isn't worth taking a chance. It is very tragic that people don't respect nature for all it's capabilities.

 

[debster812]

Oh, how sad.

DS is 12 and got a kayak for Christmas. He ABSOLUTLEY loves it. We went out and bought a pretty expensive life jacket for him, but because it's very comfortable on him, and we let him pick it, he'll be more likely to wear it (I hope!) He and DH never sit in the boats until the jackets are on.

 

[FireDancer]

Sounds like more people trying to prove Darwin right.

 

[logan115]

Sounds like more people trying to prove Darwin right.

Someone has died and you take the opportunity to make a joke.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends that are left behind to deal with this tragic situation.


Chris

 

[phorsenuf]

Sounds like more people trying to prove Darwin right.

That was totally uncalled for!

 

[logan115]

That was totally uncalled for!

ITA. I'm new over here on the CB (spend almost all my time in the DVC forums), and can't believe that someone would post something like this on ANY website, let alone a Disney-based site.

To the poster who made that comment, a good friend of mine was killed a few years ago in a car accident, would you like to make a joke about that too ? I hope and pray that you never have to experience any tragedy like this, but do ask that you show a bit more compassion towards those that do.

Chris

 

[FireDancer]

To the poster who made that comment, a good friend of mine was killed a few years ago in a car accident, would you like to make a joke about that too ? I hope and pray that you never have to experience any tragedy like this, but do ask that you show a bit more compassion towards those that do.

Chris

If they couldn't drive and were blind but still got in the car and went onto the freeway, sure. Everyday the newspapers are full of people who do stupid things, like going into a body of water knowing you can't swim without a life jacket, and get killed. I know, I used to ship bodies around the country for burial and saw the causes of death. I find it hard to muster up sympathy for people who negligently cause their own deaths.

 

[logan115]

If they couldn't drive and were blind and still got in a car on the freeway, sure. Everyday the newspapers are full of people who do stupid things, like going into a body of water knowing you can't swim without a life jacket, and get killed. I know, I used to ship bodies around the country for burial and saw the causes of death.

I agree that people do stupid things all the time, however that doesn't mean that you can't show at least a little respect or compassion. Someone has lost a life, and a family is now left behind to pick up the pieces - yet you find it appropriate to make a joke. Unbelievable.

Chris

 

[FireDancer]

yet you find it appropriate to make a joke. Unbelievable.

Chris

I would have classified it as an observation, not a joke, but whatever. Jokes are meant to illicit a laugh, an observation is meant to point something out.

Applying Darwinism to any cause of death is more a cometary on the stupidity that brought about the death. There is a difference.

 

[sbell111]

I think that you guys are jumping on firedancer a little too hard.

While it's true that firedancer made a common misinterpretation of Darwin's theories, his underlying point is absolutely correct.

The simple fact is that an individual put himself into extreme risk and died because of it. His stupid actions caused his death.

 

[FireDancer]

I think that you guys are jumping on firedancer a little too hard.

While it's true that firedancer made a common misinterpretation of Darwin's theories, his underlying point is absolutely correct.

The simple fact is that an individual put himself into extreme risk and died because of it. His stupid actions caused his death.

Thanks. I do realize that strict Darwinism is evolutionary based. I was more referring to the Darwin awards assertions of natural selection. I guess one of those pesky connotation v denotation kind of things.

 

[logan115]

I think that you guys are jumping on firedancer a little too hard.

While it's true that firedancer made a common misinterpretation of Darwin's theories, his underlying point is absolutely correct.

The simple fact is that an individual put himself into extreme risk and died because of it. His stupid actions caused his death.

Ok, sorry if you feel I jumped a little too hard, not looking to start a fight over here, but I found that initial post offensive and uncalled for.

Like I said before , I know people do stupid things all the time, and sometimes they pay the ultimate price for their stupidity, all I was trying to say is think about those left behind. Imagine if it was your friend or a family member that died, and think about how you would feel if after that you saw FDs post.

Chris