| http://www.heraldonline.com/2011/03/09/2896633/man-escapes-boat-wreck-with-minor.html - news@lakewyliepilot.com LAKE WYLIE -- Jon Appleby, 56, of Lake Wylie headed out on the lake at Big Allison Creek at about noon Feb. 22 for bass fishing in his restored 1975 boat. He headed toward the bridge, turned off the engine to soak up the sun, relax and drop a few lines. It became a day, he said, that he learned "millimeters count." At about 2 p.m., he heard a boat coming up with "wide-open throttle."  Jon Appleby of Lake Wylie was fishing Feb. 22 on Big Allison Creek when a bass boat collided with his boat. "You expect to hear boats," he said. "I continued reading my book." But Appleby said the about 19-foot bass boat he heard slammed into him. "I got my back to him," he said. "It went right over the top of me." "He had to be traveling greater than 60 mph," Appleby stated in the S.C. Department of Natural Resources report. "The sound of that collision was a little hard to get out of my head. It was hard to get to sleep for a while." Cpl. Mark Ferrell of SCDNR said fishing boats can go speeds of 60 to 70 mph. "He probably was going pretty fast, but there isn't a speed limit on a lake," he said. The rub rail on the starboard side of the boat grazed Appleby, leaving a mark on the back of his T-shirt. Luckily, one small scab two weeks later on his forearm is the only injury to show. "If I'd have jumped in the driver seat to try to start my boat up, I'd have been killed," he said. "To be involved in what I was involved in and to have the equivalent of a paper cut, it's amazing ... I've heard God loves fishermen." Ferrell said the other boat driver was ejected into the 49-degree water, and suffered minor injuries. "He was wearing a life jacket and did have his kill switch hooked up to stop the boat's engine," he said. Alcohol was not a factor, Ferrell said, and both boaters had all of their safety equipment. "He said the sun was in his eyes, he lost his hat, and he couldn't see and didn't see him," Ferrell said. "It can happen just as easily on the roadway. It's fortunate no one was hurt." Jerry Schilling, who lives on Big Allison Creek, said he and his wife were in the yard and heard the wreck. "It sounded like a sonic boom," he said. "The sun was so bright, it was hard to see what was going on." After hearing Appleby's yells to help the other boater. Schilling got in his boat and assisted him getting back to shore. He said the boat had a rope tied to the boat and was able to pull himself back to it. "He was fortunate he'd taken those precautions because he was an 80-year-old gentleman and the water temperature was 49 degrees," he said. As for Appleby, Schilling said "his boat should've sunk and he was so calm. I hope I don't see it again." Unfortunately, Schilling said, Big Allison Creek where he has lived for 16 years is "far from quiet." Plus, he said, "safety is not always practiced." "This was a very unusual accident but fortunately no one was seriously injured," he said. "It's a good safety wakeup call." That elderly boater was charged with negligent operation, which carries a $470 maximum fine, Ferrell said. The officer said it's the first major wreck of the season on Lake Wylie. "It was early for this year, but with the nice weather it's likely more people are active on the water," he said. On Lake Norman on Saturday, Ronnie Burchett, 75, and his 41-year-old son, Todd Burchett, were visiting from Virginia to practice for a fishing tournament this weekend. They were traveling across the lake at about 40 mph when they struck an unknown object, tossing them from their boat, said Officer Ron Robertson of the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission. The boaters were not wearing life jackets and did not have a kill switch, according to The Charlotte Observer story. The Burchetts' boat circled for several hours until it ultimately ran aground. Both father and son were treated and expected to recover without serious injuries. Both Ferrell and Appleby are asking boaters to be more aware and slow down. "If you can't see, please, slow down and back off the throttle," Appleby said. "You've gotta have your head on swivel." Ferrell agreed boaters need to remain aware. "And, the main thing is be on the lookout for other boaters," he said. "Everyone, just slow down to prevent an accident." On Friday, Appleby was waiting to hear from his insurance company. "It's totaled," he said. "I'd love to be fishing again this summer, but we'll see." ================================================ Fishing reduces stress and gives you a break from our modern world where everything is going a million miles per hour 73 Check & Clear 6 LOC: 38-54-14.60N / 097-14-09.07W |
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