Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - March/April 2020 - 16

NOTES from theStreams
Who you gonna call?

During a holiday weekend, I was
working in an access area, addressing
people who forgot to get kayak
permits before bringing the kayaks
to the boat launch. While explaining
the process for acquiring the permits
online, I was approached by a
gentleman who had a question for me.
He asked what a person should do
when they are involved in a boating
accident. I replied that I would hope
they would call 911 to report it. Then,
he said, "Well, I guess I am glad I ran
into you today."
He told me that his son was
involved in a boating accident the
night before. I asked him if anyone
was injured. He said no. I asked if
any boats or property were damaged,
and he said that his boat had a hole in
the hull. His son was out on the lake
the night before and another boat
ran into his boat. I asked if he called
anyone. He replied that he considered
calling the Communications Center
for Luzerne County but did not want
to bother them on the 911 line. The
following morning, he called the
Pennsylvania Game Commission,
and they directed him to contact
the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat
Commission (PFBC). Then, he called
the PFBC's Regional Office, which was
closed due to the holiday.
I asked him what he would do if he
was traveling on the highway and a
car ran into his car. He replied that he
would call 911. I asked him why that
would not be the same for a boating
accident. I think he got my point.
If you are involved in a boat
accident and your vessel is damaged,
someone is injured, a vessel disappears,
or someone dies or is lost, call 911
and report it to the dispatchers,
so they can dispatch Waterways
Conservation Officers (WCOs) if
needed. By timely reporting incidents

16

to WCOs, we can investigate the
accident when the evidence is fresher,
and parties are onsite.
If you are unsure of whether or not
to report your accident to 911, contact
your county's Communication Center
on the non-emergency line.
If this happens to you, now you
know who to call.-WCO John R.
Cummings, Northern Luzerne County.

He did not want
to be rude

While patrolling The Point in
Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, a
popular boating area for both powered
and non-powered boats, with WCO
Matthew Raetsch, I observed two
kayaks traveling up the Allegheny
River portion. WCO Raetsch
maneuvered our patrol boat into
an area, so I could talk to the kayak
operators. When I was close enough, I
asked the gentlemen, "May I see your
life jacket?" The men replied that they
did not have life jackets. So, I provided
life jackets that we generally carry
onboard for such an occasion.
Then, I directed the men to
shore. After speaking to the two

Pennsylvania Angler & Boater * March/April 2020	

kayak operators, one of the operators
acknowledged that he had a life jacket,
but he left it in his car. I asked, "If you
had one, why didn't you bring it?" The
man replied that when he realized his
friend did not have a life jacket, he
did not want to bring his life jacket,
because he did not want to make his
friend feel bad. Well, at least he was
trying to be polite, but you should
always wear your life jacket when on
the water.-WCO Michael Johnson,
Central Allegheny County.

Duck for breakfast?

As I walked a local trout stream on
an early morning patrol, I observed a
duck flying across the creek. The duck
landed on a nearby hillside. A red fox
was nearby, and it seemed interested in
having fresh duck for breakfast. With
lightning speed, the fox was on the heels
of the duck, nipping at its tail feathers.
Surprisingly, the duck was fast enough
to keep just out of reach of the fox and
flew back across the creek to safety. It
is amazing the things that our natural
resources offer in the "survival of the
fittest" game of life.-WCO Darrin W.
Kephart, Southern York County.

illustration-Andrea Feeney

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Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - March/April 2020

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