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Go Back   WakeWorld > >> Boats, Accessories & Tow Vehicles Archive > Archive through September 04, 2009

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Old     (johndk)      Join Date: Aug 2008       08-08-2009, 9:03 PM Reply   
It's all kind of a blur... but I finished my run on Friday and the boat came back to get me. I didn't know it, but after the boat passed me it headed back to me in reverse. Next thing I knew I was behind the boat, but thought it was in neutral (as did a passenger who was talking to me). Not that I had much choice other than to have maybe screamed a second earlier.

I was extremely lucky, or the beneficiary of a miracle. My right leg was about straight up and down, so the prop blades hit at the same angle as my leg (otherwise my femur would be smashed, along with massive blood loss (death?) I'm sure). Or my toes/foot could be history - I keep thinking about that.

It felt like my leg was being beaten by a baseball bat.

I screamed out and immediately pushed off the swim platform - somehow without my leg angling to chop off my toes.

After a few seconds, I got brave enough to feel what was left of my leg, and to my amazement it was all there. I didn't even get any cuts all the way through the skin - just 3 long red abrasions. I thank my wetsuit (springsuit) for that.

The abrasions are trivial to me, but my quad muscle is seriously bruised. At the emergency room I got a Tetanus shot and an x-ray, which showed no broken bones.

The nurse said my muscle could be good in 3-4 days, but I'm thinking it will be a good while longer (right now it hurts to do just about anything with my leg, and they didn't do any actual tests of the muscle).

At least now I can add "attacked by boat prop" to my list of injuries. (Or "bear attack"?)

The good that came out of it is that the boat driver will now always turn off the boat whenever anyone is near the rear - previously it was almost always left in neutral, which worried me.

Any thoughts on prop guards for extra safety? From the brief looking I've done, I've seen a bunch of negative comments about performance issues.

Upload
(No laughing at the white legs, please.)
Old     (dadthedriver)      Join Date: Jul 2004       08-08-2009, 9:13 PM Reply   
OMG you are so lucky. This was an I/O with a swim platform?
Old     (johndk)      Join Date: Aug 2008       08-08-2009, 9:18 PM Reply   
Tiny swim platform - does not extend over the prop.
Old     (2006maliblue)      Join Date: Mar 2009       08-08-2009, 9:18 PM Reply   
^^ Second the fact you are lucky! Might be a good night to buy a lotto ticket!
Old     (ixfe)      Join Date: Aug 2008       08-08-2009, 9:22 PM Reply   
This is EXACTLY why people shouldn't waste their time with I/O's. Seriously, why not get inboard? The prop position is a MAJOR reason that my FIRST boat is an inboard.

Very sorry about your leg. Does your friend feel like crap? He should...
Old     (johndk)      Join Date: Aug 2008       08-08-2009, 9:25 PM Reply   
Yes, the driver feels extremely bad - much worse than me.

I agree that it seems wrong to market I/O's to people as a first watersports boat.
Old     (downfortheride)      Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: SLC, UT 5600'       08-08-2009, 10:13 PM Reply   
It sucks for the driver to learn from this but it could have been much worse! Thank yourself you still have a leg and able to ride another day!
Old     (05mobiuslsv)      Join Date: Apr 2006       08-08-2009, 10:33 PM Reply   
Just one more reason on a list of thousands not to perform watersports behind an I/O.
Old     (wakeboardlasvegas)      Join Date: Mar 2007       08-08-2009, 11:00 PM Reply   
Was this not operator error? What a freaking dip**** the driver was to even let this happen. .02 cents
Old     (supra)      Join Date: Aug 2002       08-08-2009, 11:22 PM Reply   
Glad your ok!
Old    murrayair            08-08-2009, 11:38 PM Reply   
Geez, that's scary. Glad you (or your leg) lived to ride another day.
Old     (epic1)      Join Date: Oct 2006       08-08-2009, 11:59 PM Reply   
Good to see you are ok. Man thats my worse night mare. This sucks but lets notblame an i/o, or a driver, just a bad day.
Old     (bac)      Join Date: Feb 2008       08-09-2009, 12:25 AM Reply   
Definitely your lucky day!

Sure, this is a great example to the I/O safety argument, but it was all operator error.

When someone gets right behind the boat, the engine should get turned off. End of story. Thankfully the lesson wasn't any worse
Old     (rallyart)      Join Date: Nov 2006       08-09-2009, 2:57 AM Reply   
Thanks for sharing. Most hide misfortune so the rest of us don't learn as well as we could. And I'm very glad it wasn't worse.

Prop guards always hurt performance. The best design would be a foil shape completely surrounding the exterior of the prop edge but with no screen on inlet or outlet. Kind of like a jet engine cowling.
Old     (reachjims)      Join Date: Aug 2007       08-09-2009, 5:34 AM Reply   
wow glad to see your ok. might make a cool scar, you should tell the ladies it was a bear attack.
Old     (882001)      Join Date: Nov 2003       08-09-2009, 7:05 AM Reply   
wow! i was expecting the worst when i opened this. your so lucky!!! that could easily have been a life changing event. get rid of that io pronto
Old     (humboldt9)      Join Date: Jun 2004       08-09-2009, 9:24 AM Reply   
This is the kind of post you have to click on out of curiosity sake, but hesitant to scroll down to see the carnage. John, all I have to say is you're one lucky dude! Another reason to kill the engine when your picking up or dropping in a rider. Thankfully, you're still around to tell the story.
Old     (ottog1979)      Join Date: Apr 2007       08-09-2009, 2:31 PM Reply   
Oh SH*T - I can feel the hot flashes on the back of my neck just reading this.

REVERSE is a very dangerous gear (whether outboard, i.o. or inboard) and should be used with extreme caution with people in the water. I tell this to my kids ALL the time.
Old     (drilldaddy78)      Join Date: Jul 2007       08-09-2009, 3:33 PM Reply   
My first boat was an I/O and I made it a habit to kill the motor and inform people in the water when it was safe to approach. I have kept this habit with my v-drive as well. There may be little or no chance to get in the props way in my sanger but who wants to chance anyway. I am glad to hear youre ok and hope there was a major lesson learned here.
Old     (saceone)      Join Date: Jan 2009       08-09-2009, 3:43 PM Reply   
wtf...glad to know you're ok!!!
Old     (joe_crawley)      Join Date: Jan 2007       08-09-2009, 5:32 PM Reply   
luckiest thread ever
Old     (kko13)      Join Date: Jul 2006       08-09-2009, 6:17 PM Reply   
WOW I MEAN F***ING WOW!!!! I am so glad you are ok. Your driver and you were very lucky. Thanx for showing this accident. People need to be informed. Please be safe and make sure whomever is driving knows what they are doing. you may not be so LUCKY next time.
Old     (jtnz)      Join Date: Sep 2007       08-09-2009, 6:31 PM Reply   
Sure blame it on the I/O, any boat can run you over in reverse. Out of gear/motor off when there are people in the water, no problem. Our boat doesn't even have reserve hooked up.

Glad you're still in one piece.
Old     (pwningjr)      Join Date: Apr 2007       08-09-2009, 7:12 PM Reply   

quote:

Our boat doesn't even have reserve hooked up.




Offtopic, but how the heck do you dock a boat without reverse? Or get it off the trailer?
Old     (jtnz)      Join Date: Sep 2007       08-09-2009, 7:22 PM Reply   
We don't dock it, tidal area where we ride usually.

Luckily most ramps around here are steep enough that it will float off without too much trouble. We also have a roller trailer under it, so not too much of an issue to push it off if the ramp is shallow.

The only problem with not having reverse is no brakes but she slows down pretty quick when pulled out of gear anyway.

/Offtopic

(Message edited by jtnz on August 09, 2009)
Old     (bruizza)      Join Date: May 2009       08-09-2009, 7:41 PM Reply   
Wow man glad you came out of that fairly well intact.
Old     (brett564)      Join Date: Jul 2006       08-09-2009, 8:49 PM Reply   
That is as close as it gets. Unreal.
Old     (l_b)      Join Date: Aug 2009       08-10-2009, 2:28 PM Reply   
I second Andy G. I'm getting sick at my stomach just thinking about this. Glad your ok.

BTW, you should go get a lottery ticket.
Old    mendo247            08-10-2009, 4:50 PM Reply   
DUDE!!! I'm soo glad this wasnt worse! You are a lucky man!
Old     (talltigeguy)      Join Date: Sep 2003       08-10-2009, 5:03 PM Reply   
You are a very lucky man. Sounds like the blades were dull enough that you got a pretty significant bruising without getting cut. More of a beating than a slicing and dicing. That is why it hurts so much. Thank heavens for dull props!

Like someone else said, go buy a lottery ticket, right now!
Old     (cowwboy)      Join Date: Jul 2008       08-10-2009, 8:56 PM Reply   
You are one very very lucky man.
Personally I think the drives face would look like it got hit with the prop if it were me.

Grew up with i/o's and outboards and even from a grade school age my dad put the fear of God in us about this issue.
Old     (kimper)      Join Date: May 2008       08-11-2009, 6:16 PM Reply   
Wow, got rid of my I/O, but when I was in the water and ready to get out I would yell up and tell the driver to kill the engine, and I would stay away from the boat until they did.
Old     (radikal)      Join Date: Feb 2004       08-11-2009, 6:25 PM Reply   
really lucky, but accident can happen on any boat, I/o or inboard. 1 month ago a couple with friends in the montreal area, was surfing at the end of the set his girlfriend ( driver ) came to pick it up she did a wrong approach and pass over his body, he scream ... STOP STOP STOP, but she panic and put the boat in reverse and pass all the was over his boyfriend, mid face destroy, end plenty of body part also, Doctors dont even know if he will walk again but he's alive at 25 years old. JUST BE SAFE ON BOARD.

Man glad you are ok we hear to many times scary stories like those, 1-2 seconds and it can turn into a real drama.
Old     (johndk)      Join Date: Aug 2008       08-11-2009, 7:13 PM Reply   
Looks like this is the story for that Montreal accident:

http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/news/story.html?id=7e2e59c2-e762-4436-a5e4-0cf2ec2ed461
Old     (cadunkle)      Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: NJ       08-11-2009, 7:14 PM Reply   
Glad you're alright. You got lucky on that one. Most times this happens folks get cut, like muscle hangin' out and such.

I have an I/O and never had any close calls but I do worry a little when I'm in the water as I'll sometimes be getting pulls from inexperienced drivers who just can't learn to stop the boat next to me when I'm done. Biggest thing is my one buddy who kinda sucks at driving knows to cut the engine when he gets up to me. Sometimes he's right on top of me (like, don't run over me bro) other times he's a bit away, but I never gotta worry about a spinning prop. So far never had any close calls or anything, but I do remind to turn engine off every time we ride.
Old     (jimmy_z)      Join Date: Jun 2009       08-11-2009, 10:17 PM Reply   
Glad your OK!!!!

Save money on the prop gaurd. GET A NEW DRIVER!!!

It doesnt matter what type of boat you have. If there is not a capable and experienced driver behind the helm your chances of an accident greatly increase.

Glad you learned a valuable lesson without losing your leg and hopefully your crew will practice safer boating.
Old     (stewart)      Join Date: Feb 2006       08-12-2009, 9:31 AM Reply   
Holy you made it out ok.

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