ricky risteen

I was out in my 17ft. glasply. I was fishing king salmon. On the north tip of kruzoff Island Sitka ak. at a place called the Shark hole.The kings swim around this spot after coming in off the open ocean. We had just caught our limit and were pulling in our lines when i caught someting out of the corner of my eye. On the horizon about 12 miles away.Movement of some strange kind.I got out the binoculars and there on the horizon was this guy waving a fishing pole with a pfd attached to it.He was drifting out in the japanese curent. It took me about 30 minutes to get to him. He was in a 13ft boat with a force outboard. Broke down no kicker. I am pretty sure that if I had not saw him he would be on his way to japan. I attached a tow line to his bow and towed him for about four hrs. I found a fishing boat with a diesel in it and had them tow him into sitka sound. After that a few days latter he came over to my home and dropped off a case of beer. He knows how lucky he was. Anyway I was glad i could be help to him. Always have a pfd.kicker.vhf radio,oar&water aboard. The Ricky Sitka

saw1 Loc: nor cal Windsor

Was out salmon fishin on the Sac. River bout 20 years ago when this boat starts commin up the river slower than you could walk. We were several miles down river from the launch and it was close to dark. I towed them back up to the launch and when I throttled my motor down at the dock it quit runnin and seized up.
Burned my motor up towing them in.
I learned that you shouldn't tow someone UP river with a big fat man in the bow of the boat you're towing.
Let him get in your boat with you and tow less weight at a slower pace than full throttle.
OH well. Live and learn.

Crappie 007 Loc: Adams Tennessee

I’d say you probably saved his life. Well done.

DozerDave Loc: Port Orchard Wa.

Your right Steve, I towed in a couple of guys in off the lake a couple of miles and one of the fella’s was pretty hefty and it definitely put a strain on my boat. Luckily no damage done. But hearing your story I’ll do it differently next time...Thanks 🐟on

saw1 Loc: nor cal Windsor

Yeah, towing one guy in the back of the boat would have been fine, but with that big fella in the front of that boat it plowed water like draggin a big brick.

DozerDave Loc: Port Orchard Wa.

Yeah we started out with him up front but then I had both of them move back as far as possible. Making things better...🐟on

saw1 Loc: nor cal Windsor

Wish I would have known enough back then to have done that.

dougk Loc: WA

Fishermen take care of fellow fishermen. Towing, gear, advise, first aid, etc. Well maybe not good advise.

fishinphil

wow...either tow someone in and save a life or regret helping out because it ruined your gear/motor/ boat? What are we doing...putting a price on things versus a human life?The victim who got saved and figured his life was only worth a case of beer is very fortunate the cost wasnt more. my opinion...dont mean to tick any one off.

saw1 Loc: nor cal Windsor

No, just tellin it like it is. If we were putting a price on helpin somebody, we would just turn a blind eye and go the other way. Which happens to be against the law on the water. You're suppose to stop and render help.
That doesn't mean you have to burn your motor up tryin to tow their boat if it's too big or whatever.
You might only be able to go and get help but you still are suppose to render help just the same.

fishinphil

happened to me and the b.i.l once when we went out fishin for walleyes on erie. Was just past the breakwaters and the waves got bigger and bigger, up to six footers. So we saw this huge mast pop out over the wave we were driving into asnd it was a stranded sailboat, about twice the size of the twenty we were on. They cast a line to us...we tied off and towed them four miles up the lake to their marina even. The guy tried to toss my b.i.l a hundred buck s for saving them and for our gas and time...he refused the money and just said" when its our turn, i hope someone will save us".well, we went back to where we wanted to start,,,and ran out of gas.At least by that time it had calmed down, so we dropped anchor as his radio wasnt working and he had left the cell in his truck on shore.Eight hours later a fisherman saw us as i was waving like a madman...he came by...hooked up a line and towed US in.Wanna talk about Karma?