  High Res Photo I snapped this digital photo on Monday, July 26, 2004 off Manistee, Lake Michigan. The boat operator is alone, leaning over the boat without a life jacket on while wearing only a tee-shirt- the water temperature was 58 degrees. “High Res Photo” A Coast Guard boarding team inspects a recreational boat in the Manistee channel for life jackets. Coast Guard crews along Lake Michigan’s eastern shore report many boaters are not carrying enough life jackets for their passengers. Failure to carry enough life jackets can draw a hefty fine, and for good reason. See story. Make the call count-wear a life jacket Posted July 26, 2004 It’s not uncommon for people to call the Coast Guard or 911 regarding the whereabouts of a loved one on the water. I urge those who make overdue reports to authorities to make the call count. Information they provide could save a loved one’s life, especially if the loved one is wearing a life jacket. Read on. On August 25, 2003, the Coast Guard received a telephone call from Tricia Young that her husband and a friend, Vern Uricek, had departed early that morning for Rockport, Michigan, to go salmon fishing. According to a message Vern Uricek left on his answering machine, he would be returning home to Gaylord, Michigan, that same day around noon. At 4 p.m., Tricia Young called the Coast Guard after the fishermen had failed to arrive home. Local authorities checked the public boat ramp where the fisherman had launched a18-foot Sea Ray boat. They located the fisherman’s vehicle and boat trailer, but no boat. While local officials checked marinas, Coast Guard surface and air units commenced searching the waters off Rockport, Michigan, located 75 miles southeast of the Mackinac Straits. At 2:21 p.m. of the 27th a Coast Guard aircrew spotted a debris field at 44-58.798W, 83-03.619W, revealing a life vest, seat cushions and two homemade buoys. The Coast Guard pilot reported: WIND SPEED: 25 KNOTS, WIND DIRECTION: 350T, AIR TEMP: 64 F, WATER TEMP: 64 F, WAVE HEIGHT: 8 FEET; SKY CONDITON: CLEAR. The Coast Guard HH-65, Dolphin helicopter crew began a search of the immediate area. At 4:03 p.m., the aircrew spotted a man in the water. Lieutenant Commander Day, Assistant Operations boss at Coast Guard Traverse air, later told me a swim noodle that the victim was clinging to drew the airmen’s attention. They hoisted him aboard with the aid of a rescue swimmer, nearly 31 hours after the boat sank. His fishing mate faired far better: he made it to Middle Island after spending 20 hours in the water. At approximately 4 a.m. of the 26th, he crawled up onto the beach and broke into a keeper’s lodge used to host island visitors. “My heart was fluttering. I fell onto a cot and dozed in and out of sleep,” said Mr. Uricek. After dawn broke, he set out searching for a link with the outside world. There was no one on the island and he couldn’t find a telephone or radio to call for help. “I placed a large stop sign on the beach, spray painted an S.O.S. on a carpet and laid it out, and then wandered across the island holding an American flag over my head hoping it would attract the Coast Guard aircrew. It did. “When the helicopter landed, I asked the air crewman, how was John, expecting the worst. When the crewman told me he was alive and on board, it floored me. I thought I was a goner after spending twenty hours in the lake. That John spent eleven more hours in the water speaks volumes for his will to survive,” said Mr. Uricek, who attributes their survival to a fierce determination to live, and to- LIFE JACKETS. Post Search and Rescue Brief: So how did the fisherman end up in the water? Mr. Uricek told me around 9 a.m. they were trolling around seven miles northeast of the Middle Island, into 1-2-foot seas. A wave broke over the open bow dumping several gallons of water into the boat. A second wave followed and within seconds the boat filled with water. “There was nothing we could do, the bilge pump couldn’t keep up with the flooding and when John raised the engine, the boat rolled and we ended up fighting our way through downriggers and fishing lines to escape,” said Mr. Uricek. “I passed a swimming noodle that had floated free to John and being a capable swimmer I set out for Middle Island for help.” Yes, he was wearing a life jacket. Mr. Uricek told me that during the night a Coast Guard helicopter passed overhead flooding him in its night sun but fluttered away. “Apparently they failed to spot me in the white wind-streaked seas. Since, I have purchased a strobe light for my life jacket, and will never go out again on a boat without wearing it and a life jacket,” said Mr. Uricek. In all, the Coast Guard deployed one Falcon Jet, a C-130 (a four engine search and rescue fixed wind aircraft), two HH-65 helicopters and one 47-foot Motor Life Boat, totaling 32.9 resources hours. In addition, local rescue agencies provided resources. Cost: Thousands of dollars. A life saved: Priceless. How to make your call count: The Coast Guard’s and other rescue agencies’ ability to process a successful rescue regarding overdue cases depends a great deal on the initial information provided them by concerned parties. Most overdue reports stem from poor communications. A boater fails to inform loved ones of changed plans, such as unexpected stay over, unforeseen mechanical problems, prolonged fishing plans, and so on. Boaters should always inform family or friends of their boating plans (‘float plan”). This does not mean a casual “we’re going boating” notice, but the why, where, and when the boating will take place, and the boat’s description and name. If plans change, always update your contact so that if an emergency develops searchers will have an idea as to your whereabouts. In the above case, Mr. Uricek left a message on his answering machine that he would be home around noon. When he failed to show up by 4 p.m., family members sounded the alarm. In addition, his fishing mate, John Young, told his father that they would be fishing in the waters off Middle Island. Understand the Great Lakes holds a vast and complex marine environment with a myriad of bays, outlets, connecting lakes and river channels that hold hundreds of marinas and boat launches. It’s enough to find Sherlock Homes scratching his head. It’s your call- make it count. Group
Grand Haven | USCG
Office of Boating Safety
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