Angler dies at Rollover

[mschilling]

Did anyone see the article in this morning's paper about the wade angler that was swept out to sea at Rollover pass? According to the article, he was wading near the pass and was caught in the outgoing current. His friend called 911 but by then he was 300 yards off the beach. His body was recovered approximately 400 yards away. Scary situation.

[Toolman]

Prayers for his family. Very dangerous area at tide change.

[Old Skool Hookers]

Very sad situation. Definitely not a place to be wade fishing. Thoughts and prayers to him and his family.

Here is the article:http://coastguardnews.com/coast-guard-l ... 012/07/31/

HOUSTON — Coast Guard and Galveston County Sheriff’s Office personnel recovered the body of a missing wade fisherman off Bolivar Peninsula near Roll Over Pass, Tuesday morning.

A fisherman contacted Coast Guard Sector Houston-Galveston at 8:50 a.m., stating that his 33-year-old friend had been wade fishing near Roll Over Pass and was carried approximately 300 yards off shore by strong currents.

Sector Houston-Galveston watchstanders launched a rescue crew aboard a Coast Guard Air Station Houston MH-65 Dolphin helicopter at 9:25 a.m.

The helicopter crew located the man’s body at 9:40 a.m., approximately 1 mile east of where he was reported missing. The helicopter crew guided a Galveston County Sheriff’s jet ski patrol to the location of the body and lowered a rescue swimmer to assist with the recovery.

The man was transported to a nearby beach where emergency medical services pronounced him deceased.

“Our heartfelt condolences go out to the family and friends of the fisherman,” stated Zack Edwards, a watchstander at Sector Houston-Galveston “The Coast Guard would like to remind all fishermen to be aware of strong currents and if at all possible to wear a life jacket when out on the water.”

[Chief Brody]

... Definitely not a place to be wade fishing...

disagree. Like some other areas (San Luis Pass for example), a knowledge of the area and the potential volatile tides are required, and proper safety precautions need to be taken, but the same could be said for wading in the surf off of East Beach.

It's sad for the guys family, but the area is fine for wading if you are prepared.

[Bluffer]

...was that the tidal movement at the time of accident?

[billy bobba]

Sad -- I used to surf the mouth of Rollover when I was a teenager.
People always yelled at me to get out of there because it was dangerous (current and Bull Sharks) -- I never listened .
But -- I should have.

[Old Skool Hookers]

... Definitely not a place to be wade fishing...

disagree. Like some other areas (San Luis Pass for example), a knowledge of the area and the potential volatile tides are required, and proper safety precautions need to be taken, but the same could be said for wading in the surf off of East Beach.

It's sad for the guys family, but the area is fine for wading if you are prepared.

Agree with you Chief. I'm at work and meant to put not good spot to wade if the currents are ripping through the area. I myself wade the flats as long as I don't find soft mud. I usually fish the area in the cooler months and do fairly good.

[This_Side_Up]

If he had been wearing a life jacket, he might have been embarassed and lost some gear, but he could have paddled back to the beach after he got out of the rip. Sad for the family.

I always wear mine (yeah, it's hot), and I taught Red Cross swimming/WSI classes forfor 8 years, and NAUI Scuba for 6 more, so I am at total ease in the water, but you constantly get reminded that you don't control Momma Nature. Suit up and play safe.

[DPT]

Does a strong current pull you under? It seems like you could tread water for an hour.

[Mikeagg04]

Does a strong current pull you under? It seems like you could tread water for an hour.

The current doesn't usually pull you under it pulls out to deeper water. Depending on clothing etc the extra weight will wear you out quickly. I don't know if you've ever tried to tread water for an hour but I know that after about 10-15 minutes it is tiring. In addition it would be demoralizing to see the shore line getting further away not knowing how soon help can arrive. Life jacket makes the situation much more likely to survive. Any area like SLP or Rollover can be dangerous if you don't respect what the force of all that water leaving the baysystem at one time can do. If not wearing a life jacket you could easily step into a hole, lose your footing and end up where the water takes you.

[lildave40]

Does a strong current pull you under? It seems like you could tread water for an hour.

A strong current cannot only pull you under it can also pull you out. Mainly called a rip tide. The only thing you can do is swim sideways from it hoping to get out If your close to a jettie it can swirl like a washing machine and hold you down for a long time.


My prayers go out to his family.

[Matyyaker]

Heart felt prayers go out . You have to watch the tides on these full moon's and new moon's . They are really strong .

[jopa]

Last summer I was wade fishing Seabrook flats area...waded over close to the bridge on Todville Rd. that is the entrance into the lagoon. I was in waist to chest deep water. All of a sudden I stepped on a rock or something and lost my footing. I had a belt on, with my net, tackle box, plyers, ect. The tide was incoming so I was being swept towards the bridge. I was trying to swim back to shallow water and save the rod, but could not get going forward. For a couple of seconds, I freaked out and thought I was done. Then I reached out and grabbed my floating fish net,calmed down and the current pushed me back to where I could touch bottom.
I had never waded in that particular spot before, so anytime I am going somewhere new, I always wear the vest. I saw a similar thing happen to a friend of mine at SLP. He stepped it a deep part, started getting pulled away, grab his do-net, and ended up back on shallow part. I know it is easier said than done, but trying not to panic is going to help with survival...but more than that..put on the vest.

[Andreujc]

Sad, sad thing. Im not a rescue swimmer of any kind nor I have been trained to be a lifeguard but I have spent many many years using the ocean as my backyard. The best thing to do IF caught by a rip current and (with or without lifejacket) is to:

Not panic. Swim WITH the current even if its taking you out. Sooner or later the current will slow down and then you can actually swim towards the shore. Rip currents typically go in circles around the shore. If you fight the current you will just waste you energy and go down. Go with it until it looses its power and slows down. You might be hundreds of feet from shore and from the point where you entered the water but the current should decrease in energy.

I've been caught in rip tides twice in my life. One surfing and the other second time just swiming. Both in the Pacific Ocean. Not fun.....

Hope this helps.

[DrewTK]

Terrible news - and the guy was young, so I bet he felt like he could handle any situation.

I always wear my life jacket now when wade fishing, even in waist deep, calm water. You just never know.

[lsu1975]

It's a shame that we lost a fellow fisherman. But if the person had taken the correct course of action, he might still be with us today.

I'm a scuba diver and was taught as part of my training what to do if caught up in a riptide. Here's the course of action one should take:

1. Do not panic, you will only waste much needed energy by panicing.
2. Don't fight the current (i.e. trying to swim back directly into the current), doing so will only tire you out...the current is stronger than you are and it will win every time!
3. Swim at a perpendicular angle (90 degree) to the direction of the current (usually parallel to the shore line). You will eventually swim out of the current, probably only a short distance. The sooner you begin doing this the better. The instant you recognize you are being swept away.
4. Once you are free of the current, swim the shortest path directly back to the shoreline.

I hope this will never have to be used by any of you. But if you are caught in a strong current, it might very well save your life!

[HeathInClearLake]

I've had people laugh at me for wearing a PFD while wade fishing.

[Prof. Salt]

I've had people laugh at me for wearing a PFD while wade fishing.

Fishermen wearing PFDs rarely drown. You don't always need one but you know when there is a considerable danger so trust your gut... and ignore the blow-hards.

[Chief Brody]

Does a strong current pull you under? It seems like you could tread water for an hour.

The outgoing current at rollover can be extraordinarily strong, much stronger then a rip tide that you might run into near a jetty or rock groin, because the tide is being funneled through the pass. It's a rushing river through there when the tide is strong.

I had to tread water years (ok, decades) ago in boot - in a nice calm pool - and as a young man, 15 minutes of doing that fully clothed whooped me pretty good. I cant see doing it in the gulf, after being swept out by a current for very long at all.

I think it's prudent to wear some sort of flotation device if you are going to wade Roll Over or SLP.

[ber800]

Just ordered me one of these. Great solution

http://www.amazon.com/Stearns-Sospender ... shing+vest" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[vanjr]

Last summer I was wade fishing Seabrook flats area...waded over close to the bridge on Todville Rd. that is the entrance into the lagoon. I was in waist to chest deep water. All of a sudden I stepped on a rock or something and lost my footing. I had a belt on, with my net, tackle box, plyers, ect. The tide was incoming so I was being swept towards the bridge. I was trying to swim back to shallow water and save the rod, but could not get going forward. For a couple of seconds, I freaked out and thought I was done. Then I reached out and grabbed my floating fish net,calmed down and the current pushed me back to where I could touch bottom.
I had never waded in that particular spot before, so anytime I am going somewhere new, I always wear the vest. I saw a similar thing happen to a friend of mine at SLP. He stepped it a deep part, started getting pulled away, grab his do-net, and ended up back on shallow part. I know it is easier said than done, but trying not to panic is going to help with survival...but more than that..put on the vest.

I think you hit on a key point. We have a natural and potentially fatal tendency to try to save our equipment that can lead to us losing our lives. I wonder if you/I predetermine to drop all equipment if you are wading too deep would lessen the risk. Better yet always wear a PFD if you are wading in water above your knee caps. It can't hurt.

[engineer]

Wading channels like these are a common occurrence. I once saw some people wading near the flood gate of Moses Lake. If only they knew how incredibly strong that current tears through that gate on a good tide movement, maybe they'd think twice before stepping out there.

[Chaz]

I put up a post in TKF about 2003 when I did a panic deployment of my inflatable PFD during a wadefishing midhap at Surfside. I will never wadefish the surf again without a PFD.