Tell me your rescue story !

[Tgen2013]

Having a Yamaha for going on 12 years now I have happened to rescue several stricken makes. None of them were Yamaha's thats for sure.

I have rescued ancient outboards, jets skis, Ski-nautiques, even one of those Moomba 's. There is something about happening on a stricken brother, and towing him in.
There were 8 people on one of the ski-boats I had to tow. Mine all occurred on Brookeville Lake here in Indiana its 16 miles long and a few miles wide in spots.

 

[Luc Lafreniere]

About 4 years ago, on my first outing ever on the Ottawa river (Ottawa, Canada), I came across a broken down Bayliner (19ft). I'm in a Scarab 165.... the small boat. I ended up having to tow him 20 km (12.4 miles). It took such a long time that I didn't plan for. We ended up arriving at the marina in pitch darkness. Remember, first time in this area. I've had plenty of night time boating experience, but nothing like relying on Navionics and lights from far away to navigate back to where we had to go (a different marina with my car).

I promised myself that next time this happens, they get towed to the nearest road/reasonable option. That was too long to tow. They were very insistent and it was very frustrating.

 

[AZMark]

I’ve only towed someone once, last season. It was actually right after I took my profile pic. Just a little old school jet drive ski/speed boat. They broke down fairly close to a boat ramp but just after sunset and with no lights. They were somewhat lucky I was out running around trying to get some phone service and saw them or they could have been out a long time or swimming for it. They were very nice & offered beer/gas but I had enough of both.

I’ve been towed a few miles in my previous boat. Nothing like what @Luc Lafreniere had to do. It was one of the more infuriating things I’ve experienced while trying to have fun so now I have a fuel injected Yamaha

 

[tdonoughue]

Done several rescues, tows, etc. First, I think, was 3 people on a rented jet ski. Got thrown off and none of them could get back on the ski (a really big gent and two ladies). Happened to see them waving. Turns out they had been there awhile there in one of the main fingers of the lake. Got them all out of the water, got them some drinking water, and one was able to get back on from my swim deck to the ski. Then we followed her back and dropped them all at the rental place.

 

[AZMark]

Done several rescues, tows, etc. First, I think, was 3 people on a rented jet ski. Got thrown off and none of them could get back on the ski (a really big gent and two ladies). Happened to see them waving. Turns out they had been there awhile there in one of the main fingers of the lake. Got them all out of the water, got them some drinking water, and one was able to get back on from my swim deck to the ski. Then we followed her back and dropped them all at the rental place.

That’s dangerous! Apparently there should be a physical test to rent those things.

 

[FSH 210 Sport]

Had two recently.

I was leaving my favorite cove just ahead of a rather large thunderstorm. As I was idling away I just happened to look back and saw a woman in a kayak round the corner and head into the cove. I cut my engines and asked if she knew the storm was coming and pointed up to the darkening sky. Long story short I picked her up and towed her kayak back to where she had put in. By the time we got to where I’d put her back in her kayak thunder could be heard behind even darker clouds. She thanked me and I managed to get back to the ramp, load my boat and drive home before the storm hit.

Second time was a few weeks later. I had dropped my friends at the dock and was heading back out about a hour before dusk and saw an inboard ski boat with its two occupants rowing with water skis. They we’re about a half mile out so it didn’t take too long to get them in. It was a man and a wife, he jokingly said I had prevented a divorce and the wife started laughing.

 

[2kwik4u]

I've towed quite a few back in.

Most recently a friend of a friend in the boating group decided he wanted to branch into boating after having a camper for years. He wasn't sure boating was for him so he bought a CHEAP '90's Baja. It was the smallest entry level they made at the time, had a little 3.0L Mercruiser in it and was only 19ft long. Tiny for a Baja. He paid something like $3k for it, and supposedly had a newly rebuilt engine in it. The thing never leaked, but it never really ran either. Dead battery, fouled plugs, loose ground wire, all kinds of things. The shade tree mechanic that he bought it from thought he was gods gift to mechanical work. He, in fact, was NOT.

It was such an issue that for two full seasons we made it a point when we blasted off that we wouldn't put the boat on the trailer until we saw he made it back as well. Pulled him in 2 or 3 times one year. Got pretty good at backing our 190 into his bow, then running a bridle from his bow eye to both tower mounts on my boat. I keep an extra 50' and 75' section of 3/8" braided rope on board for just such shenanigans, and they really got their use that year.

 

[Ronnie]

I’ve rescued quite a few people over the last, almost, 30 years on the water but three are very memorable too me and only one involved power boating.

1. When I first start jet skiing in the mid 80s I guy ran up to me panicked at a park/ramp on the Sacramento River because one of his female guests had borrowed a ski and not returned. I went out to look for her on my ski. Found her about a mile from the opening of the marina just before sunset in rough water (we were on single rider, stand or kneel on skis). I led her back to shore and she swore I saved her life, all but begging me to drive her home so she could show me how grateful she was. I didn’t take her up on the offer but honestly, I wish I did. She was only a few years older than me, so still in her 20s, gorgeous with blonde hair, blue eyes and big …chalk it up to a regret.

2. In the mid 90s I rented a peddle boat with my friends on a small man made lake 3 miles around in Oakland, CA where I lived at the time. After getting close to the middle of the lake we noticed people on the shore yelling at us and pointing at an overturned rental canoe. We saw the occupant bobbing up and down next to the canoe and peddled over to him as fast as we could. He was basically hopping up and down off the lake bed but gave up as soon as we were in arms length of him. I pulled him from the water and onto me. He immediately started throwing up a mixture of lake water and rum on me, which made me dry heave for a minutes. We got him to nearest shore where an ambulance met us and took him away. The rental company cameout to pick up the canoe and report to the police who where also on scene near the ambulance that they had found an empty bottle of rum floating under the overturned rental canoe.

The rental company towed me back to their facility and refunded my rental fee. As they did a work out buff “Muscular” ran up and started criticizing them for their slow emergency response. I was still wet and stinking of alcohol and the guy who was complaining looked like an nfl player (great shape) but I still managed to point out that there were over 100 people on shore, the water was only 5 feet deep yet nobody not even the guy complaining jumped in to help. Muscular STFU when I told him the guy apparently downed a whole bottle of rum before falling out of the canoe.

3. A few years ago my wife organized a lazy river rafting trip for our friends and family. We had over 50 people in five 12 person rafts tied together for most of a four ride down the American river near Sacramento, CA. A drunk girl and her guy friend jumped out of their raft which was in front of our group. The girl started struggling and panicking soon after she got in the water even though she had a life vest on. I made my way to the side of our raft which was closest to her and pulled her out of the water by here vest’s shoulder straps. She was a beautiful 20 something college student who had too much to drink and She ended up on top of me for a few seconds while she thanked me for “saving her life”. Truth be told if I would have let her float for a few more seconds she would have been able to stand. Anyway we pulled up next to their raft and put her and her guy friend back on it with the rest of their party. My wife let me know she wasn’t happy by how long it took for me to get out from under the girl I pulled from the water, it only seemed like a few seconds too me and and my flag wasn’t sticking up when she rolled off me so … lesson learned or relearned: “no good deed goes unpunished”.

 

[Wayloncle]

I have only towed an over turned canoe in. We were coming into the cove where the marina/ramp was, I saw 2 people in the water about 50 yards from the marina dock and there were 3-4 marina people standing there staring at them. I went over to the people and they were trying to pull/push the canoe that was 98% underwater to the dock where the marina workers were standing and laughing at them.
Got the guys in the boat and hooked to the canoe, towed it up to the dock and asked the workers why they didn’t go help them, they had several small boats tied up they could have taken to help.
The canoe guys said they had been in the water trying to get it to the dock for over an hour and didn’t seem like they got any closer in that time.

the marina workers tried to get me to pull the canoe around to where it would be easier for them to get it out of the water, that’s when I lost my shit a little. They laughed at these guys for an hour and didn’t help but they want me to pull their canoe around the dock so it’s easier for them…I hope the canoe completely sunk after I untied it.

just want to clarify, the canoe was a rental that belonged to the marina.

 

[Miitch]

Ended up having to “rescue” two girls on an old sea doo taking on water. It was my 4-5th time out as I had just got my boat. We were about 10km from our local marina tubing and we stopped to watch the sunset. Then as we headed back home, we noticed a pair of girls waving at us from their jet ski right up against the light house.

As any boat full of 20-year-olds would do, we looped around and tried to show off thinking they were waving at us. Turns out they took on water and we’re being bashed up against the rocks, trying to pull their now water filled ski on the pier. All 4 people from my boat threw life jackets on and swam over to help them. The coast guard also came. It wasn’t until three bystanders came by to help that this thing was able to get hoisted on the pier. That’s right, two girls, four 20-year-olds, one coast guard AND three bystanders is what it took to life a water filled jet ski out of the water.

Cherry on top of the cake was having the coast guard follow us back to our marina as by this time it was PITCH BLACK.

 

[Julian]

Warning....this is a LONG story with dry English Humor!

My telling of a rescue of a Yamaha during the 2017 Bimini Crossing.

https://jetboaters.net/threads/bimini-rescue-at-sea-from-2017.19085/

 

[portlandbucfan]

A month ago in Lake Spokane, came across a bigger gentleman treading water in the middle of the lake (no life jacket). I saw a young kid ( his nephew) about 8 years old kayaking around him. I drove over and noticed the guy's kayak was completely submerged. I immediately went to help, but the guy was slightly embarrassed and said he can swim across. I told him that wasn't an option and to get in. He finally agreed. I yanked his kayak on the swim deck and drove him back. His nephew was fine, so i idled next to him to make sure he made it back safe.

The guy ended up being very appreciative. I'm just surprised at how many boaters didn't stop. He surely would of drown imo.

 

[Tgen2013]

Get in my BELLY !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So his kayak was doing a U-boat impression ? JK. Good for him you were there.

 

[the MfM]

My neighbor put his pontoon in at the nearby boat ramp and made it to his mooring without issue at the beginning of the season.

The next weekend he loaded up and warmed up his engine and took off. Ten minutes later I went out front and in the distance I could hear yelling. Looked up and saw him waving for help.

I went out and towed them back to the dock. After ten minutes of trouble shooting we determined that a 50hp Mercury 4 stroke could run a surprisingly long time without the fuel line connected.

 

[four_the_kids]

At least once a year at the lake, towing stranded boaters in, jump starting a boat trying to launch theirs beside ours at the ramp, giving our spare tire to another boater to make it back to their cabin/campsite, or getting our tool box out to assist someone having an issue at the dock.
Having the empathy of knowing the situation they're in (or having been in a similar experience), and just wanting to help so that they can have salvage an enjoyable day out on the water.
We've never accepted any type of monetary appreciation, where only a handshake and a smile was/and is, gratitude enough. We always hope that if we're ever in a unforeseen predicament, that someone would be willing to take time out of their day to assist us.

 

[Jimmers]

25 years ago on vacation in St Marteen we (wife, 4 year old and myself) rented an electric RIB to go on a self directed snorkeling tour at an island about 3/4 of a mile out. We got close to the little island and the motor caught on fire ? . I jumped in the water and started splashing water ? on the fire (wife worrying about getting electrocuted)and pulled the boat swimming with the bow rope and got it tied up to a rock, got back in exhausted. We came loose and I swam/pulled the boat back. The 4 year old kinda saved the day when he noticed a 50’ rope under a seat, I could swim with just the rope and pull them in when I was in shallow water. A sailboat came by, dropped anchor, got in their own RIB to snorkel. When they got close I asked if they could tow us to shore. His wife said absolutely not, that it would ruin their day and went on and on about it. They argued for a minute or two. He agreed to take us to shore but we left our boat there, took him all of 15 minutes to get us to shore and return to his family. I hope he had a good day/vacation because he may have saved our lives and am forever grateful to this person.

 

[Acard7]

Few days ago we were letting some friends try our wakeboard behind their nice tritoon, they didn’t want to spend the money if they didn’t like it. Well as I was behind their toon going along a boat went past us in the opposite direction and we heard a loud pop. So I went down on the board and we checked on them.. Blew a spark plug out of their block, so we towed them almost a mile back to the ramp. Ironically around the same time the year before we towed a friend from close to the same spot for blowing a spark plug out of the block as well! This time we got a photo.

 

[Tgen2013]

Few days ago we were letting some friends try our wakeboard behind their nice tritoon, they didn’t want to spend the money if they didn’t like it. Well as I was behind their toon going along a boat went past us in the opposite direction and we heard a loud pop. So I went down on the board and we checked on them.. Blew a spark plug out of their block, so we towed them almost a mile back to the ramp. Ironically around the same time the year before we towed a friend from close to the same spot for blowing a spark plug out of the block as well! This time we got a photo.
View attachment 160900

Ahhh, rather than using oem spec torque,....someone used the "GOOD-N-TIGHT" spec on their plug...........................say goodbye to your threads.