Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - September/October 2019 - 12

Better safe than sorry

During a busy Labor Day weekend,
Waterways Conservation Officer
(WCO) Nathan Hancock and I were
on boat patrol on the Delaware River
in lower Bucks County. For many
boaters, it would be the last weekend
of enjoying their boats for the season.
The weather was superb for a final
cruise on the Delaware River.
While patrolling upriver in Falls
Township, Bucks County, we noticed
a Personal Watercraft (PWC) floating
without an operator and three people
in the water about 75 feet away. We
pulled all three people out of the
water and took them to their boat.
All three people were wearing life
jackets and the operator had a whistle
attached to his life jacket, which he
used to signal for help.
About 1 hour later in the same
area, WCO Hancock and I witnessed
another PWC with three people
onboard. This PWC also hit a wake.
And, just as the previous incident,
all three occupants fell from the boat
as the PWC got away from them.
This time, a young woman sustained
minor injuries to her ankle and head

when she hit the water. After a quick
assessment, I found she was having
trouble focusing. On the way to a
boat ramp, I called for an ambulance.
She was examined and determined
to be ok with only minor swelling in
her ankle.
Being a good swimmer does
not always matter when you
unexpectedly get knocked off of a
boat. Always wear your life jacket,
and keep a sound-producing device
handy. Operating your boat in a safe
manner and always wearing your
life jacket can save your life-WCO
Michael Blair, Southern Bucks County.

Nice catch

While checking safety equipment
on a boat on the Susquehanna River,
the two anglers on board said there
must not be any bass in the river,
because they did not catch any in the
2 hours they were fishing. After the
safety check, a bald eagle flew over
with a large bass in its talons. I pointed
to the sky and said, "Hey, that guy
doesn't have a problem finding bass."-
WCO Douglas L. Deppen, Lebanon and
Southern Dauphin counties.

illustration-Andrea Feeney

12

Pennsylvania Angler & Boater * September/October 2019	

Better luck playing
the lottery

During a warm, summer day while
on patrol at Mauch Chunk Lake,
Carbon County, I spoke with and
checked numerous anglers and boaters.
Most of the anglers discussed the
success they had catching fish, especially
the anglers who were fishing from a
kayak. One particular angler fishing
from his kayak informed me that he was
not catching as many fish as his friend,
who was also fishing from a kayak.
Both he and his friend were using the
same soft baits. I noticed that he did
not have a wearable life jacket onboard
his kayak as required. When I asked
him where his life jacket was located, he
quickly stated that it was in his car and
that he knew he needed to have it and
wear it during the cold weather months
but not during the summer. After
explaining the importance and the legal
requirements of having and wearing a
life jacket, I informed the angler that he
would be receiving a citation for failing
to have a life jacket onboard his kayak
as required.
While completing the citation, the
angler remarked that with the luck
he was having today, he should have
played the lottery instead, because
he believed he would have had better
luck winning the lottery than fishing.
He went on to tell me that as he was
driving to the lake, he was stopped
by the local police department and
received a ticket for not having his car
registered. Upon hearing about how
his day was going, I agreed that he was
having a bad day. But, he also increased
his chances of drowning, because he
failed to have his wearable life jacket,
and his day could have turned out
much worse if he would have capsized
his kayak.
I hope the next time this angler
thinks about playing the lottery, he
www.gonefishingpa.com
http://www.gonefishingpa.com
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - September/October 2019

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