Man rescued by freighter after attempted trip to Isle Royale on Jet Ski I made the trip by boat several times. Fog and giant waves. I have feared for my life on the big lake. But a jet ski I can't imagine. I talked with friends many years ago by doing it on snowmobile. But that's all it was...talk.

By the way I am pretty sure jets ski are not permitted at the Island.

It certainly seems as though this guy kind of did this on a whim. He clearly didn’t do much planning, especially if he didn’t even know jetskis aren’t permitted out there. Lucky for him there was a ship in the area. I can’t imagine floating along on Superior in the middle of the night, on a jet ski, with no gas.

Tony

“Dude, hold my beer while I go off and burn up other people’s resources and time on a massive scale.”

Another missed opportunity by Darwin. Damn.

Not Superior, but people routinely jet Ski across Lake Michigan. People are Jet Skiing the Northwest passage now. So this doesn't seem so unusual. They wear wetsuits and I'm pretty sure it takes a lot to sink a jet ski.

He needs to learn to navigate...

airmorse: "Another missed opportunity by Darwin. Damn."

I know what is his problem lately !

I laughed cause the next thread after this was you can’t fix stupid!

Blatz: "Not Superior, but people routinely jet Ski across Lake Michigan. People are Jet Skiing the Northwest passage now. So this doesn't seem so unusual. They wear wetsuits and I'm pretty sure it takes a lot to sink a jet ski. "

the person operating it might float too, but not find the water temperature to work out so nicely

It's 14 miles offshore at Grand Portage, but it looks so close. Could be tempting.

I'm a big fan of natural consequences. Nature tends to weed out the weak (and stupid) and keep the gene pool fit...

ZaraSp00k: "

Blatz: "Not Superior, but people routinely jet Ski across Lake Michigan. People are Jet Skiing the Northwest passage now. So this doesn't seem so unusual. They wear wetsuits and I'm pretty sure it takes a lot to sink a jet ski. "

the person operating it might float too, but not find the water temperature to work out so nicely"

I know first hand how cold Lake Superior is even in the middle of summer. Wet Suits or Dry Suits will give you time to climb back on. Like I said it being done in places harsher than Lake Superior in the summer.

I would really like to know this dudes cell phone carrier. He got a cell in the middle of Lake Superior, miles and miles from any cell tower. I can’t get a cell in my house.

Second is the story says he got lost in a fog bank. He had a cell phone, why on earth didn’t he use Google Maps to direct him back to shore?

Hope the tool is expected to pay all costs associated with his stupidity.

Savage Voyageur: "...I can’t get a cell in my house..."

You might be in the shadow of a tower. A few years back I had a t-mobile phne. Initially it worked fine from my house. After a bit it quit working at my house so I called support After determining my location they came to the conclusion that a recently erected tower left me out in the cold. I was in the zone of silence of the tower located a block away. I f my house was a couple of hundred feet further, I would have had a strong signal.

Blatz:
I know first hand how cold Lake Superior is even in the middle of summer. Wet Suits or Dry Suits will give you time to climb back on. Like I said it being done in places harsher than Lake Superior in the summer. "

here is a quote from the idiot:

“for unknown reasons, this fog was so thick and dense. I couldn’t see 5 feet in front of me.”

that's the difference between Superior and the places you claim are harsher, when the moist Gulf of Mexico air meet Lake Superior's cold water you get thick dense fog

I have experienced the same in early season Quetico, one time it was 94 degrees in May, when that warm air hit the cold water of Quetico Lake I couldn't see past the end of my canoe

I've paddled and lived by Lake Michigan, it's balmy by comparison

Savage Voyageur: "
Second is the story says he got lost in a fog bank. He had a cell phone, why on earth didn’t he use Google Maps to direct him back to shore?
"

I feel like I've been in places where I could get cell service to make a call, but not strong enough data to run something like Google Maps or the internet.

We marvel when someone exceeds all expectations or succeeds at stretching previously uncrossed boundaries. What would you all have said about BeaV had he broke an ankle on the Chilkoot Pass and required help? Would he have been ridiculed had he, as expected by many, perished on the Bering Sea? What if in a stupor from lack of sleep, 45 hours into their recent adventure, Peter Wagner and Matt Peterson had met with catastophe and summoned rescuers? Any one familiar with paddle boarder Karl Kruger? Some thought he made a ridiculous, life threatening decision.

Every adventure conveys some risk. The guy challenged himself and Lake Superior and came up short. An idiot or simply a heroic figure in the making?

ZaraSp00k: "

Blatz:
I know first hand how cold Lake Superior is even in the middle of summer. Wet Suits or Dry Suits will give you time to climb back on. Like I said it being done in places harsher than Lake Superior in the summer. "

here is a quote from the idiot:


“for unknown reasons, this fog was so thick and dense. I couldn’t see 5 feet in front of me.”


that's the difference between Superior and the places you claim are harsher, when the moist Gulf of Mexico air meet Lake Superior's cold water you get thick dense fog


I have experienced the same in early season Quetico, one time it was 94 degrees in May, when that warm air hit the cold water of Quetico Lake I couldn't see past the end of my canoe


I've paddled and lived by Lake Michigan, it's balmy by comparison"

I was referring to the Northwest Passage being a harsher area not Lake Michigan. I live 10 miles form Lake Michigan. So I know it well

OCDave: "We marvel when someone exceeds all expectations or succeeds at stretching previously uncrossed boundaries. What would you all have said about BeaV had he broke an ankle on the Chilkoot Pass and required help? Would he have been ridiculed had he, as expected by many, perished on the Bering Sea? What if in a stupor from lack of sleep, 45 hours into their recent adventure, Peter Wagner and Matt Peterson had met with catastophe and summoned rescuers? Any one familiar with paddle boarder Karl Kruger? Some thought he made a ridiculous, life threatening decision.


Every adventure conveys some risk. The guy challenged himself and Lake Superior and came up short. An idiot or simply a heroic figure in the making? "

I think there is a big difference between well planned expeditions by skill people and some guy pulling a stunt on a whim.

hobbydog: "

OCDave: "We marvel when someone exceeds all expectations or succeeds at stretching previously uncrossed boundaries. What would you all have said about BeaV had he broke an ankle on the Chilkoot Pass and required help? Would he have been ridiculed had he, as expected by many, perished on the Bering Sea? What if in a stupor from lack of sleep, 45 hours into their recent adventure, Peter Wagner and Matt Peterson had met with catastophe and summoned rescuers? Any one familiar with paddle boarder Karl Kruger? Some thought he made a ridiculous, life threatening decision.



Every adventure conveys some risk. The guy challenged himself and Lake Superior and came up short. An idiot or simply a heroic figure in the making? "

I think there is a big difference between well planned expeditions by skill people and some guy pulling a stunt on a whim. "

I don't know the level of skill this Jet skier possessed. I don't know that it was whimsical. I do know it is easy to be critical from the comfort of a key board.

There is a T.S Eliot quote that comes to mind when ever I hear of instances of adventure gone awry; " Only those who risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go." Should pushing your own personal envelope be limited to only those with the highest level of skill? What level of Jet Ski skill would have made an attempt to Jet Ski to Isle Royale acceptable? Does risk reduction diminish the accomplishment?

Edit: What I am trying to communicate is, it makes semse to say "He took a risk that I myself would not. To judge him harsher because he failed than you would if he succeeded is hypocritical."

OCDave: "Every adventure conveys some risk. The guy challenged himself and Lake Superior and came up short. An idiot or simply a heroic figure in the making? "

An interesting question. But using that logic, there would be no such thing as an idiot or a fool.

All wilderness travel (or challenges such as the Space Program) have inherent risks. But, the skilled tripper, test pilot, explorer, etc. fully understands those risks, tries to minimize them, and is as prepared as possible for emergencies, accidents, or unforeseen problems.

Some things are never meant to do "on a whim", because the end result is all too often death or serious injury and great expense for the taxpayer.

OCDave:


I don't know the level of skill this Jet skier possessed. I don't know that it was whimsical. I do know it is easy to be critical from the comfort of a key board.


There is a T.S Eliot quote that comes to mind when ever I hear of instances of adventure gone awry; " Only those who risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go." Should pushing your own personal envelope be limited to only those with the highest level of skill? What level of Jet Ski skill would have made an attempt to Jet Ski to Isle Royale acceptable? Does risk reduction diminish the accomplishment?

Edit: What I am trying to communicate is, it makes semse to say "He took a risk that I myself would not. To judge him harsher because he failed than you would if he succeeded is hypocritical."



"

you think somebody jet skiing to Isle Royale is a hero, we think he's an idiot, especially one who obviously wasn't familar enough with the area to plan and execute properly, now jet ski pulling a surfboarder , that might impress me

you are easily impressed, we are not

ZaraSp00k: "...

you are easily impressed, we are not"

"I would rather be ashes than dust! ..." - Jack London

awbrown: "It's 14 miles offshore at Grand Portage, but it looks so close. Could be tempting.


"

With that distance, my guess is this has happened way more than people realized. Most jet skis top off around 60mph and can easily cruise at 40mph. So the entire trip would be less than 1/2 hour. Jet skis don't take on watering can be easily remounted if you fall out. I would say there's more risk taking a loaded canoe across a big lake in early Spring or Fall.This guys biggest blunder was navigation. It's a big Island and a simple compass reading would have worked wonders.

Blatz: "

awbrown: "It's 14 miles offshore at Grand Portage, but it looks so close. Could be tempting.



"

With that distance, my guess is this has happened way more than people realized. Most jet skis top off around 60mph and can easily cruise at 40mph. So the entire trip would be less than 1/2 hour. Jet skis don't take on watering can be easily remounted if you fall out. I would say there's more risk taking a loaded canoe across a big lake in early Spring or Fall.This guys biggest blunder was navigation. It's a big Island and a simple compass reading would have worked wonders. "

With proper navigation tools it should be able to be done. People have used jet skis for longer trips

are you kidding me?

this guys mistake was fairly typical of people with more money than brains, anybody can buy stuff, but to use it properly is another ball game

comparing this guy to Beav ..., uh sorry but Beav built a cabin and overwintered/lived in Alaska, this fool with the jet ski had no idea what he was getting into and except for the luck of a freighter being in the vicinity would probably not have survived

ZaraSp00k: "this guys mistake was fairly typical of people with more money than brains, anybody can buy stuff, but to use it properly is another ball game


comparing this guy to Beav ..., uh sorry but Beav built a cabin and overwintered/lived in Alaska, this fool with the jet ski had no idea what he was getting into and except for the luck of a freighter being in the vicinity would probably not have survived"

ZaraSp00K you are making assumptions and more importantly missing the point.

Ask your self, what is the biggest risk you've taken in your own life? How would you be different as a person had you not taken that risk?

What is the 100th biggest risk you've taken? Would you have been willing to take the biggest risk had you not taken the 100th biggest?

As you said, BeaV didn't walk out of the womb the man who paddled the Bering sea. He got there as the culmination of all his prior experiences. His prior successes and perhaps more importantly his prior failures composed the man able to complete that specific Alaskan adventure. The same is true for each of us. We are who we are only because of the totallity of our experience.

Celebrate Jet Ski guy's failure because he is out there stretching his experience. Perhaps one day you'll read of my own spectacular failure and when everone else is asking themselves, "WHAT was this guy thinking?", you'll know I was just trying to expand my palatte of adventures; to be the guy at the end of my life who took that specific risk or possibly the next bigger risk.

I referenced a Jack London poem earlier in the thread. The entire poem is as follows:

“I would rather be ashes than dust!
I would rather that my spark should burn out in a brilliant blaze than it should be stifled by dry-rot.
I would rather be a superb meteor, every atom of me in magnificent glow, than a sleepy and permanent planet.
The function of man is to live, not to exist.
I shall not waste my days trying to prolong them.
I shall use my time.”

Give Jet Ski guy the benefit of doubt and accept that he would rather be a meteor.

I have to agree with some of OCDave's points here. Stupidity is self-centered recklessness. Bravery takes a chance on a worthy goal, but the worthiness of the goal is often in the eye of the beholder. We are often judged not on our preparation or experience, but on the outcome of our endeavors. It certainly seems like Jet Ski Dude was a case of stupidity and not bravery, but perhaps we don't have the whole story.

OCDave is pointing out that if Matt and I had been seriously injured on the border route, we could well have been branded stupid - perhaps justly so. Matt and I were ready to take responsibility for the consequences of failure and injury... we were just relieved that it didn't come to that. BeaV sets a good example of humility and self-awareness of his own frailty and limitations - an example that we would all do well to follow.

If you have to take risks in order to feel fulfilled, yes, I will be reading about your demise some day and my reaction will be “What an idiot”.

Let me give an example of my idiocy:
A couple years ago I took a week off to go hiking in the mountains out west, one a 13,000 footer in NV, the other a 12,000 footer in WY. I had previously been an idiot by including the 13,000 footer in a trip out to CA, I figured as long as I was going by, may as well mountain bike up it. The first thing that went wrong was I didn’t understand that in early May it might be snow covered, which only allowed me to get to 9500 feet. I also nearly killed myself coming down, who knew that brakes would get over used and I’d have to use my boots against the wheel to slow down?

On this trip I drove out to WY non-stop, got my gear together and started hiking up the 12,000 foot mountain. Excellent and enjoyable hike until I got to about 11,000 feet, I was exhausted so sat down. Started hiking after a few minutes and I made it about 50 feet before my head started throbbing, my eyes started to black out, and I realized I was suffering from the altitude change from MN. Made it down I was like a drunk when I got back to my car where a guy who happened to be a member of the S&R in the area in a nice way called me an idiot, he didn’t actually say that but told me a story about the previous week hauling two people down. I got the message, it cost them time and money to help two “idiots”. Next time get acclimated to the altitude.

After a couple days to get acclimated to the altitude I attempted to hike up the 13,000 footer. To make a long story shorter, lightning prevented me from making it to the top, I turned around when I saw the storm (I suppose you would have continued on, after all, life ain’t worth living unless you take risks). If I had been smarter I would have started earlier in the day, like the experienced hikers who had made it to the top and passed me on the way down as I was going up.

Like the jet ski moron, I applied what I knew about hiking from where I lived and what I was used to, rather than gathering enough knowledge to tackle hiking in an area I was not familiar. I’d hiked the SHT, BRT, and the Porkies in winter, but those “mountains” are 10,000 feet less altitude.

The conditions on Lake Superior are vastly different than what you’ll find in GA, or even on the other Great Lakes. Maybe he learned something from the ordeal, maybe not.
In any case, I am unimpressed buy an idiot riding a jet ski to Isle Royale. Now if he crossed Lake Superior from Grand Marais to the UP and back, THAT might impress me. But a hero? not likely.

You do realize you could have made you point and given us your detailed account of all the hiking and biking trips you've taken without using the words moron and idiot. I would say the use of those words actually detracted from your travelogue.

No matter what you think of jet ski guy, I am very curious to hear the end of the story. The boat that picked him up took him and his jet ski to Sault Ste. Marie. I want to know if the jet ski ever made it back to Minnesota, and how the guy ended up getting back?

Links to a couple of articles about this. The WTIP North Shore Community Radio article says he was warned it wasn't safe and couldn't legally use a jet ski at the Island.

LINK WTIP

The other article is from Rand Logistics company news letter. Said they picked up the man and his jet ski. At that time, they decided to retrieve his jet ski as well. This would prevent a future safety marine broadcast of an unmanned vessel if found. Once again, the crew did an amazing job retrieving the craft.

Rand news letter link