# What happened at W. Branch Sunday eve?



## creekcrawler (Oct 5, 2004)

Saw something about a call for FD & divers needed at West Branch Sunday.
Sounded like a truck and trailer were underwater?


----------



## Mikj8689 (May 13, 2018)

Van rolled back in water in boat ramp


----------



## creekcrawler (Oct 5, 2004)

Ahh. Oops. Can't say nothing, I've had my moments too.


----------



## twistedcatfish1971 (Jul 21, 2013)

I found this.


----------



## Specwar (Sep 22, 2014)

That will surely ruin your whole day......


----------



## monte39 (Nov 24, 2011)

Im surprised it doesn't happen more often. On busy days there's people that have no business putting a boat in or taking one out. I think it just comes down to common sense. I've had close calls in eight years owning a boat but have a check list i go through every time to stop this from happening ..............may not have been stupidity accidents do happen.


----------



## Bluegillin' (Jan 28, 2009)

I am not a boat owner but have seen multiple pictures and videos of cars and trucks submerged at the boat ramps. What causes this? Is the ramp simply covered in moss and slime which causes the vehicle to slide down in the water? I am struggling to understand how this seems to happen "frequently" based on all the YouTube videos of it.


----------



## Specwar (Sep 22, 2014)

I do not fish on weekends or holidays to avoid ALL ramp issues. Some people should be forbidden to own a watercraft that required them to use a launch ramp.


----------



## ya13ya03 (Sep 21, 2010)

I swear when I'm older and have nothing to do. I'm going to grab my lawn chair and just sit down at a busy ramp and people watch. Quality entertainment right there. I've seen some good ones. Seen people fall in. Seen one fella launch his boat and lost the bow line. He ended up diving in and swimming for his boat. Always a good time. Seen plenty of arguing as well.


----------



## RMK (Feb 21, 2017)

ya13ya03 said:


> I swear when I'm older and have nothing to do. I'm going to grab my lawn chair and just sit down at a busy ramp and people watch. Quality entertainment right there. I've seen some good ones. Seen people fall in. Seen one fella launch his boat and lost the bow line. He ended up diving in and swimming for his boat. Always a good time. Seen plenty of arguing as well.


probably not the place for this but its a good storey..... early spring(COLD) i m launching alone. no big deal i do that quite a bit. back the boat in till it starts to float. unhook boat from trailer. give a little tug on the line attached to the front of the boat. normally the boat slides off and i tie it up and pull the trailer out.... however this time my pull rope dry rotted over the winter and snapped as i tugged to pull the boat off the trailer and backwards and head first i went into the water off the dock. boat still sat on the trailer. cold and wet i cranked it back up and went home defeated....


----------



## MIRROCRAFT (Apr 23, 2014)

That would have made me laugh RMK . I like to watch the boat ramp when a storm pops up and everyone wants out at the same time.


----------



## Shortdrift (Apr 5, 2004)

Watched that start to happen at OSP and never saw anyone move so fast or start a van that was 1/3 gone. Three of us just stood there while it was going on and gave the "Captain" a thumbs up when he exited the van.


----------



## mbass8dor (May 9, 2004)

I still remember watching a Husband having his Wife back up an Expensive Fiberglass Speed Boat, He kept yelling at Her to back up and He unhooked the Bow Strap and She Launched the Boat onto the Cement Ramp! Boy that Boat was Trashed, And so was Their Marriage lol!!!!!!


----------



## 27482 (Apr 16, 2011)

This guy has got it down to a science.


*How to launch like a boss*

<



>

*How to dock like a boss*

<



>


----------



## Mickey (Oct 22, 2011)

I've seen this happen and I think it's usually because the driver's foot slips off the brake on to the gas pedal. To prevent this I always put it in neutral as soon as I can coast down the ramp. Hope this tip might save someone from a bad experience.


----------



## MuskyFan (Sep 21, 2016)

Bluegillin' said:


> I am not a boat owner but have seen multiple pictures and videos of cars and trucks submerged at the boat ramps. What causes this? Is the ramp simply covered in moss and slime which causes the vehicle to slide down in the water? I am struggling to understand how this seems to happen "frequently" based on all the YouTube videos of it.


Yes, that is part of it. Ramps get slippery and gravity never stops working. That's why on some of the videos you see trucks being pulled out with the rear wheels sliding. Powering off with the bow strap still attached will do it too. Another is putting it in N instead of P, poor parking brakes, poor tires, etc.

Most people don't even think about putting their vehicle in 4WD when on the ramp even though many vehicles today have it. I put my truck in 4WD and chock the front tire when I'm alone.



ya13ya03 said:


> I swear when I'm older and have nothing to do. I'm going to grab my lawn chair and just sit down at a busy ramp and people watch. Quality entertainment right there. I've seen some good ones. Seen people fall in. Seen one fella launch his boat and lost the bow line. He ended up diving in and swimming for his boat. Always a good time. Seen plenty of arguing as well.


There's some older couples who do that at Wellman Ramp on Caesar Creek. I would imagine they could write a book about their observations.


----------



## bdawg (Apr 14, 2009)

Didn't get a picture, but my fishing buddy tried to get out of my boat and onto the marina dock Friday night at West Branch and almost went in!!! He underestimated how much my little boat would dip when he step on the front end and then missed his step up to the dock. He got one foot wet.


----------



## Mikj8689 (May 13, 2018)

Same exact ramp this happened at the night before I did almost same exact thing. Was trailering my boat and standing in bed and parking brake started to slip. Dock was super busy so I had left truck running and it’s 5 speed. The 6 inch lift with 35 inch tires probability saved me too because it was in to front tires when I managed to get it in gear and heading back up ramp. Ride home my actual brakes went out due to rusty blown out line. Didnt think park parking brake was run off brake line system. Or just coicendence. Either way replaced all my lines after that close call. Saw post online next day about van and didn’t feel so bad abou my incident lol


----------



## tellthetruth (May 29, 2004)

I believe at a busy ramp the pressure of getting the job done on a timely basis so as not to hold everyone up can attribute to a screw up as well


----------



## just perchy (Jan 16, 2005)

Last couple of weeks at Miller rd. launch in Avon have had boatloads of mennonites launching and trailering. Wish I was entertained, mostly frustrated at their lack of ramp etiquette. Came in at 8:30 am to a line of 5 boats waiting for a boat of young Mennonite men at the end of the take out ramp, just sitting. Had another boat go around them and trailer while they sat. Finally their trailer came down, a half hour later they finally get it trailered well enough to pull out. In the meantime another boat of mennonites tried to go around us, they were told to wait there turn as we advanced to pull out. Much frustration!


----------



## Wow (May 17, 2010)

Just relax! When launching gets in your head, something will go wrong. Everyone wants to be fast and flawless. Be safe first, protect your equipment and boat mates. Speed usually slows you down. --Tim


----------



## JamesF (May 20, 2016)

We where at Raystown Lake in PA,on the 4th of July, a few years ago.State Wildlife and Rangers directed traffic, they didn't play around. Either you did as directed or you had to either go to the end of the line, which was probably about 25 vehicles,or you went home. watched as they had a Sheriff at the end of the dock,Everyone had to go around to the other side of the courtesy dock, while he checked for contraband,tow trucks were also on hand. everything went well.with a few exceptions of course. we saw a few vehicles that were booted,off to one side,couldn't count as we where just driving by.Great fireworks display. The causeway was closed off at both ends, very organized.


----------



## crestliner TS (Jun 8, 2012)

Mikj8689 said:


> Same exact ramp this happened at the night before I did almost same exact thing. Was trailering my boat and standing in bed and parking brake started to slip. Dock was super busy so I had left truck running and it’s 5 speed. The 6 inch lift with 35 inch tires probability saved me too because it was in to front tires when I managed to get it in gear and heading back up ramp. Ride home my actual brakes went out due to rusty blown out line. Didnt think park parking brake was run off brake line system. Or just coicendence. Either way replaced all my lines after that close call. Saw post online next day about van and didn’t feel so bad abou my incident lol


Forget parking brakes by themselves! Put in gear, turn vehicle off, turn wheels and put in 4 WD = no problems! You were in a hurry and almost paid, That is how it happens!


----------



## c. j. stone (Sep 24, 2006)

just perchy said:


> Last couple of weeks at Miller rd. launch in Avon have had boatloads of mennonites launching and trailering. Wish I was entertained, mostly frustrated at their lack of ramp etiquette. Came in at 8:30 am to a line of 5 boats waiting for a boat of young Mennonite men at the end of the take out ramp, just sitting. Had another boat go around them and trailer while they sat. Finally their trailer came down, a half hour later they finally get it trailered well enough to pull out. In the meantime another boat of mennonites tried to go around us, they were told to wait there turn as we advanced to pull out. Much frustration!


For some reason, certain "groups"(trying to keep comments Civil here) don't feel they need to abide by the same rules that govern the rest of us!, be it hunting, fishing/boating regs/laws-or just plain common Courtesy/Etiquette-pretty sure those last two words Don't even exist in their dialect!


----------



## Mikj8689 (May 13, 2018)

Parking brake and shut off and left in gear is the normal routine. I did feel pressured to trailer my boat quickly this time. Also add in my buddy was along with me an for whatever reason was causally fishing off dock as I backed in instead of having boat ready. I had posted about losing trolling motor at mosquito due to fishing partner not pulling it up before I took off. Same guy lol. He’s good friend , just not always the best partner in boat though.


----------



## Gottagofishn (Nov 18, 2009)

Many moons ago a boater lost his life when his vehicle became submerged. It was a cold water period... I heard he went back into the vehicle for something and never resurfaced... Probably 35 years ago..


----------



## Fishinaddict (Sep 23, 2014)

Let me think what I've done at ramp in the past
1. Launch with transom straps on----gee why won't boat come off trailer.
2. Forget to unhook front strap --- again, why won't boat come off. Throttling my v6 Johnson to the moon in reverse!
3. Then there's the drain plug incident---won't go there.
4. Watched a guy launch a 30 foot Baka in Catawba. He was using a thin old rotted rope to hold bow to trailer! Steep ramp half way up snap, crackle pop! 7000 lbs of boat steams off trailer splashing back into water. My boat docked next to this. That 4 foot wave almost knocked me in water. Bow slammed on ramp as it came rushing back into water.


----------



## Fishinaddict (Sep 23, 2014)

Oh yeah totally agree. Get a chair near a ramp on a holiday morning and watch the antics! Bring a camera and first aid kit! It might be me you film and first aid!!! Lol


----------



## Evinrude58 (Apr 13, 2011)

My usual routine actually caused a problem a month or so ago. Once I back down to retrieve I put on parking brake put it in park and turn off engine. I do leave the key in. This time got boat on and got in to pull it out of the water. Turned key and nothing. My 4 y/o battery was 2 months over 4 years and completely died. Luckily there was someone there to give me a jump start.
Was at Old State Park at Portage Lakes yesterday and someone had backed their trailer off the end of the ramp. Took several guys but they did eventually get it out.

Things I have done in the past. Of course the standard forgot drain plug once. Launched my little boat by backing in using a rope to connect it to the trailer. Done this many times but this time the rope broke and boat floated away. Luckily someone was fishing close by who retrieved it for me as water was 50 degrees.


----------



## BaddFish (Jun 20, 2009)

Others have said; for some reason stress levels are raised becouse your trying to get in & out quickly not to piss off anybody... Sometimes, when a girlfriend or wife gets involved, stress levels explode... usually she's trying to back up and on her 22nd try, she sorta gets it right....


----------



## Shad Rap (Nov 10, 2010)

BaddFish said:


> Others have said; for some reason stress levels are raised becouse your trying to get in & out quickly not to piss off anybody... Sometimes, when a girlfriend or wife gets involved, stress levels explode... usually she's trying to back up and on her 22nd try, she sorta gets it right....


You NEVER have the wife or girlfriend back the boat down...give her the rope and have her walk to the dock as you're backing up...I never get out of the truck...screw that...lol...I dont give her the chance to hold things up...


----------



## firemanmike2127 (Mar 17, 2013)

My wife always backs me in when we fish together. I'm fortunate to have a partner that can wheel around a 53' semi trailer or our motorhome w/ the boat attached all by herself. Funny thing is she never wants to drive the boat - always content to ride while I drive. Mike


----------

