Water safety equipment

Hello,

 

My name is Jack Doty. I am on a quest to make people safer on the water and help save lives. I was recently in a terrible accident; it was indeed an accident. However, I missed a critical step that could have reduced my risk significantly. I shouldn't be alive; I was in the frigid water for an hour. Had I used my kill switch, it would have been a cold 10 minutes for me to re-board my boat and get back to the boat ramp. I did have other safety equipment that saved my life.

 

I am looking to get a couple of things done. *if you want to send money directly to an organization (most are non-profits) I can put you in contact.

 

 

1. I want to purchase and share a wireless kill switch system with as many people as possible (I have talked with Fell Marine and obtained a discount code for purchasing these systems, I have no financial connection with them and do not get paid in any manner for this)

 

2. I want to share the systems and include other water safety items for people who don't understand their importance.

 

I find people who haven't been in an accident don't understand how bad it can be and don't take steps to prepare for it properly. I want to change that for as many people as possible.

 

I have completed safety lectures for the local high school fishing team and plan to find larger audiences.

 

here is my story:

 

Sherriff's boat that stopped ours:

I was in a significant accident on our boat that led to me being ejected from the boat and spending an hour in 39 degree water. Fortunately, I was extremely lucky multiple times that day, as crazy as that sounds.

 

We went to see the great people at Tonka Bay Marina today and see the boat; they are without a doubt one of the best businesses and people you can come across. Not only are they the go-to people for the Sherriff on lake Minnetonka, but they are also incredibly kind, caring and thoughtful people. Quite honestly, they have consistently checked in on me and my recovery as much as anyone. Also, they have completely removed the stress of worrying about our boat (it’s in their storage) and has allowed our family to focus on our serious recovery! If you need a marina for anything on lake Minnetonka, they are the one!

 

We also went to meet the people who dragged me out of the water and coordinated my rescue. The sheriff's water rescue group saved my life in horrible, treacherous water conditions (winds were at 40-50 mph that day). They figured out how to pull up next to me in those conditions without running me over while positioning the boat so I was at their access door. That isn’t easy to do when it isn’t life or death; they did it while I was in my last couple of minutes of being alive. I can’t tell you how lucky I was to have them there to help when I needed it. This sounds dramatic, it’s not

exaggerated at all, probably worse than I’m describing it. Needless to say, all those guys were very sincere and happy to see me walking and to meet my family. They also made a PSA video about the rescue:

 

https://m.youtube.com/watch?fbclid=IwAR0cUbWhKGWG7bKpUFeeLDXZuqlOxVqR7Vl9U1fejnlofJuGHZ_pVIkAeLk&v=eIC4ZPFp3y8&feature=youtu.be

 

So the point of this post I want to outline where things went wrong and where they went right. I’ve heard all kinds of comments, some were absolutely terrible (we all know there are mean and dark people in the world so I’ll spare those). Here are some that bothered me because they really gave people a false sense of security as in they would never be in the situation I was in:

 

1. What kind of idiot wears a life vest that needs to be blown up.

2. What kind of an idiot is out in 40-50mph winds

3. What kind of an idiot operates a boat that way

 

So here’s the truth: my life vest was the kind (Mustang Hydro) that inflates when you go under the water; it didn’t auto-inflate (I don’t think I ever went head under water). Those winds were not there when I went out (20 mph winds are a severe blow, I would not be out in 40-50); I literally hit the first wave of that storm that just came out of nowhere. My boat and I were more than capable of handling the turn I made into that wave. Had I known the first wave of a big wind storm was what I was going to hit, I would have held on better. I remember the entire moment; I barely lost my balance, and momentum did the rest (throwing me into the side of the boat and then overboard).

 

It was a small moment that nearly killed me, small. I can’t stress this enough; so many people have dismissed it as it would never happen to them. I did not hit a wall, rock, tree, another boat, etc.; it was a small thing combined with momentum. An accident. I am still seriously injured from the accident and getting more scans and tests this week to find the damage.

 

Which brings me to my points. If I had my kill switch lanyard on I would be beat up, cold, wet, maybe embarrassed but the boat would have stopped, I would have swam back to it and climbed aboard. WEAR YOUR KILL SWITCH LANYARD! Even people I know and respect have told me they wear it when out by themselves, but not when other people are on the boat; believe me if the pilot is thrown from the helm, the passengers aren’t going to be able to help. From launching your boat to loading it, if your main motor is on use that thing 100% of the time!

Circle of death:

Here is something else to consider, our boat is approximately 4000 pounds. That was out of control doing circles full speed (I was not running full speed, I must have hit the throttle on the way out). I’m attaching a photo of the damage on the front of the boat when it rammed the Sherriff's boat; it is still 100% operational; it would destroy lesser boats (the sheriff’s boat is basically a tank on water, https://www.wdio.com/news/lake-assault-boats-superior-first-responders-water-safety/6464592/ ). Don’t let your boat kill someone; wear your kill switch lanyard.

Sherriff's boat:

This is our boat:

This is a typical boat on the water that is hit (most boats are not durable like ours):

If you don’t like the cord being attached to you or use that as your excuse for not wearing it, then get this system for your boat:

 

https://www.fellmarine.com/products/

 

It is a wireless kill switch system that is coast guard approved. Zero excuses at that point.

The Sherriff's department that saved my life use these systems (ironically I tried to buy one for our boat this spring, however the local sales partner no longer sold the product in store). The Sherriff's departments boat with a Fell Marine product:

Also, clearly, the life vest saved my life, no question. I have seen so many people out this past week for fishing opening, and honestly, I’d say 1% are wearing life vests. Keep this in mind if the water temp is lower than your body, you are taking steps toward hypothermia. If you are such a strong swimmer that you don’t think you need one, I am a strong swimmer (certainly proved that), then when you need it, you will probably be incapacitated in some manner. No one plans accidents, wear your life vest all the time.

Third thing, attach a whistle on every life vest you own. I lost my voice, screaming for help, hoping someone would hear me in the wind. A few boats screamed by me, well within a few hundred yards; if I had been blowing a whistle, maybe they would have heard it. Being in the water, floating, is very important; it’s just as important to be pulled out of the water. It’s very hard to see people in the water with no waves; give yourself a chance to be heard and saved.

Here is a plastic whistle:

 

Again, I can’t stress this enough, no one plans an accident. I know people who scoff at the idea of wearing a lifevest, like it makes them less of a man. Foolish. People who think others in their boat will be able to handle the boat if something happens to the pilot are foolish; wear your kill switch lanyard from launch to load.

 

Learn from me nearly dying; all doctors I’ve seen have stated I shouldn’t be alive. I am still recovering from this accident; mentally, it’s been very hard on the kids, and honestly, my wife has been through more than I went through (I only had to stay alive, she drove to the ER thinking I was dead), and we still need to figure out what’s wrong with me physically (serious issues). I almost left behind my wife and two kids to go on without me, what a horrible thing because I missed a critical safety device when launching my boat.

Wear your life vest; anytime your main motor is running, have your kill switch lanyard on, attach whistles to your life vest, and know your equipment

Every boat can be outfitted with a Fell Marine system for between $180-$500, additional passenger tags can be added for approximately $85

Life vest cost approximately $30

Whistles cost approximately $.35 each

I would love to hand these out at boat ramps and on the water to raise awareness and change the culture of boating.