So, I almost killed myself again

[S/V Elusive]

On my previous dock, one of the regulars, but not a live aboard, was at a friend's boat (same dock). As he was living (having consumed a few Scotches) he slipped, hit the dock with his head and fell in face first - unconscience<sp>. His friend didn't hear a thing, even as he was 'right behind' him in coming up the ladder. Fortunately, as he was leaving the boat, he saw 'Fred' in the water. Fred survived. Seconds different? No Fred.

I would relate MY times of falling in the water by the dock, but nothing real interesting or close to a problem. I tend to be a LOT more careful around on the dock and getting on and off boats after Fred's incident.

[rsn48]

Amgine, a family lost a pup in the Deep Cove area to the same phenomena. As you know, Indian Arm is one of the few locations in the lower mainland where you can have a pier off of your property. It was one such family that had a pier off their property that experienced the loss of their older pup. The pup was used to going out onto the pier to sleep and the family thought nothing of it. Somehow the dog fell in and couldn't get back out, his body discovered an hour latter after he had been let out. Sad to say the least.

[clausont]

It can happen quickly. I was with my wife and kids at a local lake when my wife went into the water beside the dock in about 7' of water. I was about 30' from her and as it was summertime and warm, I was not too concerned as all she had to do was to move herself along the dock a short distance to shallower water and walk out.
She had already removed her PFD before she fell in and so was not wearing one. As I looked toward her and was starting to go over and help her I realized that there was far more wrong here than just being wet.
She had grabbed the side of the dock to try to pull herself up onto the dock and not having that much upper body strength, she realized that she could not do so. She had started to pull herself along the dock toward shallow water and tired very quickly in the cold water and full clothing. She was unaware of the water depth as you could not see the bottom there, she only knew that it was over her head and as she was trying to pull herself along her legs were swinging under the floating dock.
By the time I was able to get the small boat to her and get ahold of her to help her to shallow water, she was exhausted and terrified.
I will never forget the look of desperation and terror in her eyes...

This experience changed some of our rules about wearing pfd's even when on a dock for the adults in our family, and have always been that way for our kids.