Aldeer.com Forums Alabama Deer Talk Aldeer General Forum HS Boaters missing on Pickwick

we had drownings every few years or so at the Eutaw dam, which is very small compared to the Tenn dams. Folks would be fishing below the dam and get too close. Then the back flow would pull the boat to the dam face and down it went. It had concrete pilars under water to break up the water flow...they also broke up any boat pulled under and were very dangerous to any boaters. It would tear a life jacket off. Last one I delt with died from head trauma, not drowning.

I'm still not certain how you'd get out of this scenario if it happened today, once the boat has been launched, and engine wouldn't start. If the current is too strong for the trolling motor to work in, I doubt you could swim against it?

The best option would be to paddle/swim towards the bank or the locks. There’s no way you could swim against it.

That's kinda what I mean. I doubt that would work.

I've had some crappy older outboards over the years. Y'all must be running better engines than me. Some days was a coin toss. I can't even begin to blame anyone for what happened. It would've happened to me.

I had a motor kill out on me one morning in the middle of the river with a barge coming around the bend. It’s worth every penny for a new motor and qualified mechanics.

It happened again in Eutaw just a few years ago. A guy below the spill way went past the markers and the water pulled him towards the dam. Barrel rolled his boat for a bit then spit it out. Killed one guy and the other got out somehow.

Wow. I never knew how hydrodynamics worked like that. That water was actually pulling stuff upstream and down below the boat. Prayers for those families.

Dr. B

Are you referring to the one 9 years ago where the guy said they fell asleep?
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=http://www.halecoso.com/files/Lock_8_Drowning.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwiwtuqYjvDnAhWRU80KHQRyAPsQFjAAegQIAhAB&usg=AOvVaw12d6TCulB9ATKIYh4g2QIi&cshid=1582751074424

Don't know the area at all and I don't think they had much time to react once they realized they were in trouble but is there no cell service around that dam. Sure seems one of them would have gotten out a call to someone.

TWRA is saying that they are now in recovery mode. Apparently the chances of surviving at this length of time is not likely. Prayers sent for the families, friends and the students that attended school with those boys.

Doesn't take much to create a bad situation either. Water is so powerful...especially in this situation

Not trying to one-up or say "hey look at me", but.....I almost drowned in college when i got caught up in some similar dynamics when canoeing a river. Fell into the boil and I was in a tumble and had no control...got pinned against a rock and then tumbled some more. What I was in was NOTHING like the water that boat and people went through at Pickwick though....this rapid I was in was very small in comparison. Got lucky and grabbed onto submerged debris eventually...was able to find the bottom, much less current and push off and out. I was under for about 45 seconds. I was with a group and there was nothing anyone could have done either or they would have died too. I was an experienced swimmer at the time, water safety instructor, lifeguard instructor, swim team coach for City of Oxford, MS and I swam several miles each week....made no difference because I had zero control until I got lucky with a submerged tree that I was able to cling to. Could not imagine being in the mix in something like they went through. Prayers for all involved. Horrible situation.

Those guys were also battling heavy wet cloths and hypothermia.

I tried fishing the channel on gville last Saturday and the current was so strong I had my trolling motor on 10 and was still going down river. This is a bad deal all around.

I don’t recall the details of what happened exactly but I don’t think that was the same accident. The one I was referring to was right below lock 7. I’m thinking it was 5yrs ago maybe a little longer.

I was on Wilson and pickwick for the last 3 days and the water was flat out rolling. A trolling motor was only good to keep you in an eddy behind something or point the boat a certain direction while drifting downstream. You definitely weren’t going to go upstream with it, not anywhere near the dams anyways. I hate it for them and their families.

Have they found any of them yet?

Chad

As of dark today, no.

TWRA is updating every 2 days, I believe, on their website. Scroll down to find the latest.

https://www.tn.gov/twra.html

My soul aches for those families and friends.

Any news?

God Bless,
David B.

Unfortunately, as high as the water is and as long as it has been since the incident, it would not surprise me at all if they are found well down steam later this spring by turkey hunters up in the woods once all that water goes down. I'm sure Troy and others can confirm but I think I heard somewhere that a body will float after about 4-5 days and theres no telling where it may end up with all that water pushing down. Just a sad sad situation. Hate it for both them and the families. Terrible way to go.

I'm wondering if they had life jackets on and if they stayed on. That much water could move bodies pretty far unless they got hung up in trees and such. No telling where they ended up.