Sad Note

[THECUSCUS]

More on this incident here:

 

[JamesG161]

Two thoughts came to mind...
1) Survival swimming
2) VHF portable radio that floats and submerges. [I have one I tether to me]

I was taught Navy Survival Swimming. I had to swim minimum of 5 miles in a flight suit with my aviator boots tied around my neck. You can make a float out of tee shirt and even trunks. Dont think a bikini can do it.

I have taught my Admiral Survival Swimming. I can float in the water and rest for at least an hour, without much energy lost.
Jim...

PS: All my training was in >80° water.

 

[SG]

https://www.nola.com/crime/index.ssf/2018/08/horrific_accident_or_crime_aut.html

Sometimes, it's just a stupid, inexplicable series of events...but other times...
I have no idea.

 

[BigEasy]

I really haven't seen or heard anything about this in the local media since the women was found. The info that you guys posted today is the only update that I am aware of. Surprisingly, the N.O. police and the USCG have not released any statements nor updates. Haven't seen any statement from the survivor-captain. Guess the matter is still under investigation.
Perhaps they jumped in for a quick swim and underestimated the current pushing the boat faster than they could swim. Its a real mystery. Again, seems that local authorities would have published a statement from the survivor.
Jim, I was taught survival swimming in the Navy also, but that was a long time ago! Just wear my inflatable now.....just in case.

 

[Will Gilmore]

But how the boat managed to get away from them is a total mystery, or a candidate for the Darwin Award of the Year.

Once the boat got away from them, how did they manage to lose sight of each other?

Or simply bad reporting. They seemed much more interesting in the prayers than the facts.

I agree with that. There do seem to be some facts that the media should be able to obtain that could be reluctant, but they are too distracted by the peripheral activities and the "possible" crime. If they simply published evidence of a bad accident that left out the possibility of foul play, they might not have as compelling a story for their readers/listeners/watchers. Not that they are telling a real nail biter anyhow.
Who owned the dog? Why was the boat without her mast? How long had the owner been a sailor? What time did they leave for their cruise? All these questions are answerable without the authorities. And they may be relevant.

-Will (Dragonfly)

 

[JamesG161]

Jim, I was taught survival swimming in the Navy also, but that was a long time ago! Just wear my inflatable now.....just in case.

Very true, but even the Aviators wore life vests.

We train for the rare event, perhaps back up plan "D".

I would guess, even after many years, @BigEasy would quickly remember the Navy Survival Swimming, when needed.

My favorite survival stroke, was the "floating back stroke". Easy to breath normally and swim.
But...
You better not have overcast night skies, without a waterproof compass.[Aviators had such a compass too]
It is difficult to look where you are swimming, with face up to the sky.
Jim...

 

[Ron20324]

I heard a news bit about 5 people that jumped off a yacht for a swim. No one had lowered the swim ladder and they could not get out of the water. IIRC they died. Any update on that- or was I dreaming?

 

[JamesG161]

how did they manage to lose sight of each other?

It was night time for many of the hours and voice sound can be drowned out by the cars on the Causeway approaching New Orleans night life.
This is where the USCG went first, near the heavily traffic bridge. Mostly likely this is where the survivor told them, this area was his last sighting of her.

The "Cajun Navy", a volunteer trained group, used 4 drones to detect the unusual Lake currents. They said they coordinated with the USCG to search South of USCG's position. The Cajun Navy saw the USCG 3-4 miles north in their pattern, when they "luckily" found her floating face down. She "bobbed" up in a freak current, per an interview with the Cajun Navy, above video in post# 21.

Sad to even talk about that.

The survivor was probably trying to reach his boat, since he was found close to his boat. He was exhausted and clinging to a crab trap float, near the lit shore, in the early morning hours.
Jim...

 

[shemandr]

Awful.

 

[Pearson 39-II]

Quoted from local news:

"Thibodeaux and a friend went for a sailboat ride on Sunday in Lake Pontchartrain, then decided to take a swim. Because their boat was not anchored, they lost sight of the boat. Thibodeaux's friend was found alive nearly 13 hours after crews found their unmanned sailboat."

The two were supposedly platonic friends The boat was found with the ladder down and towels on the rail, so it sure looks like they went swimming. But how the boat managed to get away from them is a total mystery, or a candidate for the Darwin Award of the Year. They didn't anchor, and didn't have a drag line deployed. The dude is 'sailing' a 40 year hull without a rig. Leaves fenders out. I assume lights off. Not super clever.

Jackdaw, thank you for the details. My friends in Baton Rouge and New Orleans had not seen the report that the swim ladder was found lowered in the water, towels on deck or rail. Could you say where that info was found?

 

[Jackdaw]

Jackdaw, thank you for the details. My friends in Baton Rouge and New Orleans had not seen the report that the swim ladder was found lowered in the water, towels on deck or rail. Could you say where that info was found?

There was a LE photo shown on CNN a few days ago. According to a racing/sailing friend it showed the boat in that config.