Middle-aged man to the rescue

[Carlingtonian]

Originally Posted by car54

Great job helping those kids, Carlingtonian! You must have some arms on you, man! It's got to be at least a mile just from the mouth of Pohick Creek up to the park dock!

Thanks! Technically speaking, I do have arms. But barely. If they were any shorter, I'd be a shoo-in for a part on Game of Thrones. Anyway, I don't think it was a mile; we were upriver (on the main portion) maybe a few hundred feet from the RDT&E docks of Fort Belvoir (where the Army boats are).

Originally Posted by car54

Yesterday morning the wife and I cast off for our "big cruise" to Nova Scotia. It was such a beautiful day that I was driving from the flybridge and about 5 miles below Turkey Point (entrance to Elk River/C&D canal) I see something white in the water. Figuring it was the usual flotsam I didn't think much of it. But as we closed in on it, my binocular peering wife screams. "it's a dog!". Sure enough, it was a miniature poodle...out in the middle of the Bay! I got as close as I dared and killed the engines and the wife dove off the swim platform and grabbed him. She rinsed him off in the galley sink and blow dried him and I got on the radio.

A lot of lucky things happened...1) the dog was wearing a life vest or he would have probably drowned...2) he fell off a sailing yacht (slow enough to still be in radio range...about 12 miles south of our position)...3) and last but not least, the vessel answered our radio call.

Anyway, we turned around and headed back down the Bay to meet up with his owners. They were a charming older couple aboard a 60 foot ketch from Australia, of all places! They had been cruising the world for over a year! They were obviously ecstatic to have their pup back!

He had a collar and I imagine we could have eventually contacted his owners but it sure would have been sad sailin' for those folks...

WOW! That is great! You guys saved that dog's life for sure, life vest or not. Well done!

[toosie]

Our hero, Carlingtonian! Good on you, man. That's some BS that the kids weren't more gracious. Also troubling about ffx county unmanned rescue boats - what the hey ho?

[Carlingtonian]

Originally Posted by toosie

Our hero, Carlingtonian! Good on you, man. That's some BS that the kids weren't more gracious. Also troubling about ffx county unmanned rescue boats - what the hey ho?

Thanks, that's kind of you--but it's not like they were gonna die or anything. I saved them some time and inconvenience. And maybe a little embarrassment. They did say thanks.

Now Car54--he saved a life today! I have no idea why those people wouldn't make sure their dog is tethered securely on the yacht. At least he was in a PFD. As I recall, poodles are actually water dogs. It would be funny if Car54 had sent a retriever (Lab, Golden, etc.) to get the poodle.

[lovnova]

Safety on the open water is serious business folks!

[car54]

Originally Posted by toosie

Our hero, Carlingtonian! Good on you, man. That's some BS that the kids weren't more gracious. Also troubling about ffx county unmanned rescue boats - what the hey ho?

"Rescue" boats aren't what they used to be. Although I mainly cruise the Bay nowadays, I spent decades in the Upper Potomac area where Carlingtonian was today.

The Potomac River above the Wilson Bridge is patrolled by The DC Police Harbor Branch. They are a very common sight out on the River and sometimes you'll see them assisting pleasure boaters with tows, etc.

Below the Wilson Bridge, the River belongs to the State of Maryland right up to the Virginia shore. The Department of Natural Resources Police are a very rare sight on the Upper Potomac. You can go years without seeing a DNR boat. Recently, PG County Police has operated at least one police boat but I've never seen them anywhere but tied up at National Harbor.

The US Coast Guard is sighted occasionally, but they are usually in their SWAT getups and racing around at high speed...Unless your boat is on fire or upside down, they probably won't assist beyond calling a commercial tower. You're better off calling them yourself.

Fairfax County is puzzling....why do they have boats at all? The only water they have jurisdiction over is a few tributaries like Pohick Creek, Gunston Creeek, and maybe a short stretch of the Occoquan. Yet I've seen them stopping boats out in the River in Maryland water. On nice weekends, you can often find the fireboat tied up at National Harbor...again Maryland water. During the recent budget woes, there was talk of Fairfax County getting out of the boat business altogether....but they still have them.

In the post-911 era, you pretty much have to convince the police/USCG that lives are in imminent danger for them to do anything resembling a "rescue". Otherwise, you are on your own out there (again with the possible exception of DC Harbor).

...unless they see you lift a cold beer, that is...LOL

[car54]

Originally Posted by Carlingtonian

Thanks, that's kind of you--but it's not like they were gonna die or anything. I saved them some time and inconvenience. And maybe a little embarrassment. They did say thanks.

Now Car54--he saved a life today! I have no idea why those people wouldn't make sure their dog is tethered securely on the yacht. At least he was in a PFD. As I recall, poodles are actually water dogs. It would be funny if Car54 had sent a retriever (Lab, Golden, etc.) to get the poodle.

That sailboat was rigged that mesh stuff from the lifelines down to the gunwales all the way around which is usually sufficient...apparently the little bugger found a hole. I'll bet they make sure it doesn't happen again. He wasn't a standard poodle...just a little guy, maybe 12-15 pounds. The only critter we cruise with is our old, fat boat cat. He slept through the whole thing...