Helping a stranded boater: What would you do?

[mstrelectricman]

Good call sfef84. My kids like to play hero at the beach and I've warned them not to do it b/c of the liability issues. They carry snatch straps, shovels, buckets, etc to get people out. You try to do the right thing and it ends up costin you! Not cool. Of course if it's a vehicle full of hot chicks you should be a gentleman and offer your assistance! Ya never know!

[JT]

good advise...i remember the time over by the toll booth I saw this guy that thought he could drive across this little shallow water real fast and so i went to help out.....

[JT]

but when i opened the car door I saw this and it scared the crap out of me and i got the hel! outta there as fast as i could

[Longhornbubba]

Ask him if he needed anything,then tell him to get some pvc pipe to roll his boat back to the deeper water with.

[007]

I'll always at least give it the old college try....like Sandy said...we've both have run across morons in the SLP area and did the best we could to get them out....but..moonpie, being solo presents a different set of circumstances. The 1st thing I would do would be to tell him to try to even his load the best that he can...jackplate and motor all the way up 1st. Look where he is at.....is he in a bayou mouth?...if so, try to get him to the deeper side of it. If the boat still doesn't move, tell him to get his fat arse out with a rope tied to the bow and the stern. Then holler and cuss at him just to make you feel better....LOL!!!!!! It's easier to try to shimmy the boat out side to side vs. front
to back. Try to give him a yank one way or the other just to turn the boat and if that doesn't work, tell him to give you enough slack so you cann kinda buzz by him to make a big enough wake to break him loose. If all of that fails, Brazoria County has a 24 hour hot line that will free stranded boaters at no charge.

I've only ran high-and-dry once! Coach Law was with me and we managed to free ourselfs without too much hassle or embarassment.

[Swells]

I've warned them not to do it b/c of the liability issues

You have a duty to render assistance if the crew of the boat is any immediate danger ... which can be as simple as calling the Coast Guard ... elsewise you don't. The boat doesn't matter, it is all about the crew. Of course we'll always help a friend ... but if things go bad, you can be liable for injuries and damages. That's why towing companies, both on land and on the water, have rather large insurance policies. There is a "Good Samaritan" clause that most courts will recognize, but these days where you can even sue a ham sandwich, you can even get sued for hurt feelings and have to hire a lawyer for a "quick defense" of 5 to 10 grand, a major pain and no you don't get your money back unless you counter-sue. Sometimes it does happen.

Or maybe go our there with a "mud buddy" and shoot poop all over their boat, that'll fix 'em!

[mstrelectricman]

Hey Sammie,I guess you were quoting me. If you will read my post you will see that I was talking about pulling people out on the beach.

[Swells]

Hey Sammie,I guess you were quoting me. If you will read my post you will see that I was talking about pulling people out on the beach.

Whups, sorry neighbor. Yes, I know some people who make serious bucks pulling people out of the sand. That reminds me, I need another tow strap and to find some of that old 3/4 or 1 inch shrimper rope.

[Moonpie]

Sometimes there just much of anything you can do.

This instance happened to me the other day.
The guy waved me down. I stopped and checked on him.
He wasn't in any distress just stuck. Even had an awning so he could sit in the shade.
I asked him if he wanted a ride back to the ramp or needed to use the cell phone. Said no.
He wanted me to pull him out but there was no way my little boat was going to do that.
All I could offer was a ride or phone.
He got miffed when I started to leave.
Sorry Mister but your poor anchoring position isn't my problem.
Later I came back by and he had a BIG boat latched on trying to pull him.

[mstrelectricman]

"Some folks you just can't reach. So you get what we had here today! Which is tha way he want's it , so he get's it."
One of my all time favorite lines from the movies.