The question is, why no PFD, especially this time of year and a super big lake? Put it on.

Testing the theory of natural selection? Idiots.

Mocha.... I couldn't have said it better.

How does the star tribune decide when to have comments on a story? Most times the comments are better than the story.

"There were personal flotation devices on board, but the two were not wearing them. Alcohol consumption and lake conditions are believed to be factors, the statement said."

Lucky idiots.

I know I'm in the minority on this site but not far from shore I wouldn't have been wearing it either. It all comes down to how comfortable you are in a canoe. Clearly these two weren't and to top it off were drinking.

no log-on link to story

x2jmorris: "...not far from shore I wouldn't have been wearing it either..... "

Lake Superior in March?? Are you kidding?

I can't judge. I did my share of reckless and utterly stupid things in my 20s. Worse than this

bobbernumber3: "

x2jmorris: "...not far from shore I wouldn't have been wearing it either..... "

Lake Superior in March?? Are you kidding?"

Water temp yesterday in lake Superior was 34-36 degrees F.

I always think its funny when they say alcohol was involved duuuuuuuuuuh I already knew that before they said it !

Pinetree: "

bobbernumber3: "

x2jmorris: "...not far from shore I wouldn't have been wearing it either..... "

Lake Superior in March?? Are you kidding?"

Water temp yesterday in lake Superior was 34-36 degrees F. "

On the plus side, they were probably too hammered to realize how cold it was.

Pinetree: "

bobbernumber3: "

x2jmorris: "...not far from shore I wouldn't have been wearing it either..... "

Lake Superior in March?? Are you kidding?"

Water temp yesterday in lake Superior was 34-36 degrees F. "

I agree. You can get hypothermia in Lake Superior on a good day in the middle of summer. To be out on the water in Minnesota in March without a PFD is reckless.

They weren't without it though. It was in the canoe as it supposed to be. And one of them grabbed it to swim. And not far from shore. I mean I know I am in the minority as stated earlier and you do you :)

Basspro69: "I always think its funny when they say alcohol was involved duuuuuuuuuuh I already knew that before they said it !"

Just remember, alcohol has medicinal uses . . . ;).

x2jmorris: "They weren't without it though. It was in the canoe as it supposed to be. And one of them grabbed it to swim. And not far from shore. I mean I know I am in the minority as stated earlier and you do you :) "

I'm generally in the camp of letting people make their own personal safety decisions. However, I have canoed that lake for decades and still do. Even on the most calm days when the trees are still and nary a breeze is present, slow swells are still present on the big lake. It is often difficult to paddle, Imagine paddling the coast of the ocean.

Absolutely no person with any knowledge of that lake would consider paddling without a PFD. Lake Superior gives and takes.

tumblehome: "

x2jmorris: "They weren't without it though. It was in the canoe as it supposed to be. And one of them grabbed it to swim. And not far from shore. I mean I know I am in the minority as stated earlier and you do you :) "

I'm generally in the camp of letting people make their own personal safety decisions. However, I have canoed that lake for decades and still do. Even on the most calm days when the trees are still and nary a breeze is present, slow swells are still present on the big lake. It is often difficult to paddle, Imagine paddling the coast of the ocean.


Absolutely no person with any knowledge of that lake would consider paddling without a PFD. Lake Superior gives and takes."

All depends to me. If you are paddling to the Apostle Islands then yeah for sure wear it. If you are 100 feet from shore and near your car.... Most people sit on them and if the wind starts to pick up you can throw it on quick. If you have canoed long enough you should be able to stay upright in calm water.

tumblehome: "

x2jmorris: "They weren't without it though. It was in the canoe as it supposed to be. And one of them grabbed it to swim. And not far from shore. I mean I know I am in the minority as stated earlier and you do you :) "

I'm generally in the camp of letting people make their own personal safety decisions. However, I have canoed that lake for decades and still do. Even on the most calm days when the trees are still and nary a breeze is present, slow swells are still present on the big lake. It is often difficult to paddle, Imagine paddling the coast of the ocean.

t
Absolutely no person with any knowledge of that lake would consider paddling without a PFD. Lake Superior gives and takes."

Exactly,I paddled it on a dead calm day and it still had swells, that type of lake your canoe will separate from you very fast in the swells once you tip. Also 100 feet can be along ways,also think if you have a certain amount of clothing on to stay warm,it will make it harder to swim. Those swells seem to make you feel unstable in that very clear deep water. The clarity makes you feel like your on top of a thin glass looking down at just air.

Water temp thirty-four degrees. At least the PFD can help the rescuers find the body.

You also need to think of the safety of the first responders that will be out there trying to save you.

I too did tons of stupid stuff when I was young and yes drinking. The internet has created way too many judges. I'm glad they will live to see another day. I'm sure they learned a lesson albeit the hard way.

Reading this hours after reading about the six guys who capsized on Cache Bay in the new BWJ, I have little doubt that the death they suffered haunts them to this day. If you get the chance give it a read it was enough for me to plan on shopping for a quality, good fitting PFD this season and commit to wearing and not sitting on it on future trips.

My nephew, who is a Wisconsin Conservation Warden, was working as a marine warden on Lake Michigan. He had just put his boat in the water for the season and was out checking on early season sport fishing boats.

He noticed a boat in the distance which initially looked to be far off. As he approached it, he found three guys in a 12' Jon boat with about 6-8" of freeboard powered by a trolling motor. They were 5-6 miles off shore with only one PFD between them. Water temp was something in the upper 40s-low 50s.

When he questioned them about the lack of PFDs, they told him one was all they could find before heading out. They explained since the lake was dead calm, they didn't see any problem going out that day. While he followed them back to shore, he told them to decide among themselves which two would be getting citations for no PFDs.

His supervisor told him he had almost witnessed natural selection at work.

If you choose to paddle without wearing a pfd, and you choose to drink when you're paddling; you don't have good decision making skills in my opinion.
And if you make poor decisions, and you get yourself into a situation of your own making...........DON'T holler for HELP!!!
No reason to put another person's life in danger, because you make poor decisions. Help yourself !
You're hurt, incapacitated, you have hypothermia, you can't make it to shore, you can't retrieve your boat and gear, you're drunk, and you pfd floated away.
Deal with it!
If you survive; learn something from the poor decisions you made.
Don't set yourself up to be a victim.

Flashback: "If you choose to paddle without wearing a pfd, and you choose to drink when you're paddling; you don't have good decision making skills in my opinion.
And if you make poor decisions, and you get yourself into a situation of your own making...........DON'T holler for HELP!!!
No reason to put another person's life in danger, because you make poor decisions. Help yourself !
You're hurt, incapacitated, you have hypothermia, you can't make it to shore, you can't retrieve your boat and gear, you're drunk, and you pfd floated away.
Deal with it!
If you survive; learn something from the poor decisions you made.
Don't set yourself up to be a victim.

"

Well said, with all going on our medical facilities and responders are tapped well enough. Even a few feet from shore that lake is probably more of a risk. But man, the stupid things WE did in our twenties including the pfd thing. But back then a pfd I think was made to be the most uncomfortable thing to wear ever. Where now there are some that are a joy to wear.

Hey bobber#1 and #2... I wonder if they told their wives??!!

minnmike: " I too did tons of stupid stuff when I was young and yes drinking. The internet has created way too many judges. I'm glad they will live to see another day. I'm sure they learned a lesson albeit the hard way."

This is a little bit of how I feel. There are a lot of people doing a lot of stupid things on a daily basis and most of the time nothing bad happens and they get away with it. If I said I never did anything stupid and never put anyone else in danger in my life I would be a liar. I was just lucky enough to never have anything happen in those situations.
What they did was stupid and hopefully they learn and can possibly teach others about the mistakes they made. I believe getting up high on a soap box accomplishes nothing in this situation.