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The tragedy at Pickwick

WTM":bcmzqejq said:
sad and i feel and pray for the families. i cant wrap my head around why they were having a tournament to begin with, and it doesnt matter that it was above the dam. its even worse when the water is up because you cant see the current seam but it is still there along with the logs and trees that get pulled off the bank.

there are security cameras all along the dam and i imagine theyve probably reviewed the spillway footage. the guys that went over the spillway two years ago i believe they saw them on camera. i think those guys put in across the lake and hit the seam as soon as they left the ramp, if i remember.

the only scenario i can think of other than them hitting something or motor quit in the channel seam is that they fished the creek a while, went out of the mouth and fished levee rip rap. there is kind of an eddy there until you get close to the lock wall. get caught there and even the best trolling motor wont get you out of it. if they tried to swim even in 50 degree water, it can cause a heart attack or seizure when you hit the water.

God performs miracles every day and i pray this will be one of them.
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Someone posted on the general forum thread that seems to indicate that they boat was occupied when it went over the spillway according to cameras :(
 
WTM":e9iasn7t said:
sad and i feel and pray for the families. i cant wrap my head around why they were having a tournament to begin with, and it doesnt matter that it was above the dam. its even worse when the water is up because you cant see the current seam but it is still there along with the logs and trees that get pulled off the bank.

there are security cameras all along the dam and i imagine theyve probably reviewed the spillway footage. the guys that went over the spillway two years ago i believe they saw them on camera. i think those guys put in across the lake and hit the seam as soon as they left the ramp, if i remember.

the only scenario i can think of other than them hitting something or motor quit in the channel seam is that they fished the creek a while, went out of the mouth and fished levee rip rap. there is kind of an eddy there until you get close to the lock wall. get caught there and even the best trolling motor wont get you out of it. if they tried to swim even in 50 degree water, it can cause a heart attack or seizure when you hit the water.

God performs miracles every day and i pray this will be one of them.
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Looked at another article that quoted a TWRA spokesperson that the dam cameras showed the boat and people going over the dam between 8:00-8:30 Saturday morning. This makes a lot more sense now than them being seen late Saturday.

So sad a situation.
 
I have spent my whole life fishing the Tennessee River. I have seen many boats just quit on the river including my own. I have also seen many people attempt to flag boat after boat drive by people trying to flag them
Down for help because they are chasing that next great fishing hole. No telling how many times I have towed
People in. I hope no one drove past them
In the minutes they may have needed help. I couldnt live with myself if it were me. Im sure if someone did they didnt realize the danger these kids were in. I have fished with my sons since they were babies and I tear up as I write this but telling My sons goodbye and how much I love them
In this situation kills my heart to imagine.
 
For those not familiar with the dams in the area..


Wilson

0-DB10575-FBC1-4-E90-9-D36-A5514-D0-F5332.jpg



Pickwick

21432-C7-F-8044-41-F0-9957-0-B25-B1-EF03-B3.jpg
 
Seems like this would have been a good opportunity to cancel a tournament and teach the kids a lesson on using good judgement on the water. Hind sight is 20/20 and unfortunately this lesson came at great cost apparently.
 
I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around the idea that they must have thought they could ride the boat through the dam. Or at least that it was the best option. I know "swimming for it" would have been in vain, but I think I would have tried anyway. Otherwise, I can't imagine the level of fear they must have experienced, seeing their demise coming at them in slow motion.
Truly awful.
May God bless their souls.
 
Tenntrapper":1s2fhq56 said:
I can't imagine the level of fear they must have experienced, seeing their demise coming at them in slow motion.
Truly awful.
May God bless their souls.
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This is the part that tears at my heart as an adult, parent and example to young kids. We ALL know as adults, we would be crushed and in agonizing fear and distress to think we (as the adult and leader onboard) have these young kid's lives in our hands, and are helpless as we slowly proceed toward the gates, with extremely low odds of survival. I just cannot fathom how frightening that has to be. Their families need a lot of love and prayers during these very trying times.
 
Tenntrapper":3lfeuth2 said:
I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around the idea that they must have thought they could ride the boat through the dam. Or at least that it was the best option. I know "swimming for it" would have been in vain, but I think I would have tried anyway. Otherwise, I can't imagine the level of fear they must have experienced, seeing their demise coming at them in slow motion.
Truly awful.
May God bless their souls.
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Unfortunately I'm with you on this one. The minute the motor went dead if I couldn't call someone who thought they could make it to me in time I'm shedding my clothes and bailing. I've been in a frightening situation before and it absolutely blew my mind what adrenaline overcame in that situation. I'm far from certain that it would've made any difference at all but I do know that the odds of surviving after being sucked through are basically 0.
 
This is gonna sound harsh but oh well, the adult is 100% to blame. He should not have allowed them to go out in a boat that were already having engine trouble that close to the dam with the flood gates open. It was inexcusable in my opinion. I've seen people blaming the tournament directors, yes I believe it would have been smart to postpone it but it was up to the boaters whether to fish it or not.


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Unfortunately if they were in the boat as it went through the floodgates then there is a good possibility the bodies are still in the vortex below the gates.
 
Biggun4214":292yhzh1 said:
Unfortunately if they were in the boat as it went through the floodgates then there is a good possibility the bodies are still in the vortex below the gates.
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Don't think there is any "if" they have video of them in the boat going through the gates.


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I didn't mean to come across as blaming the tournament directors. This situation reminds me a lot of Cummins Falls- people that have no business being in or on the water under the current conditions assume it's safe because someone in a perceived position of authority (not the same thing as responsibility) didn't shut down access or an event and save them from making a poor decision.
 
Having been on and in (diving commercial) many large rivers. I think the tournament should have been cancelled. When an experienced boater with a 24 ft Carolina skiff doesn't like to be out there it ain't no place for a high school Bass tournament

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I am sick and tired of the Monday morning quarterbacking on Facebook that has apparently made it's way here. Discussion about how it happened or what happened is one thing, but the blame game and the "I would've done this or I would've done that" is just ridiculous. Unless you were in the situation with two 15 year old boys' lives in your hands, you don't know what you would've done. Yes, there were some bad decisions made that we should learn from, but blaming everyone from the Dad to the tournament director to bass tournaments in general to the size of a new bass boat doesn't accomplish a dang thing.
 

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