River float tubing - fatal accident in Canada

Float Tube Fishing Float Tubing General
1

This summer just finished a river float tube angler lost his life.
Maybe it is timely for the rest of tubing folks to be reminded of the importance of sticking to “safe practise”.

http://www.bonnercountydailybee.com/articles/2007/07/08/news/news03.txt

2

Sounds to me like the angler was using a craft that is not for river floats. In fact, I think that some states have min. craft length requirements for floating rivers.

Dounuts and U-shaped craft don’t have the stability of a pontoon boat on moving waters.

Reports like that are sad to read, and make people rethink their options on floating rivers.

3

Apart from how he managed to turn it over:
The report says he was “safety belted into the tube” …
I can’t imagine why anyone would strap himself to a boat of any kind.
That probably stopped him getting out when he needed to.

4

:sunglasses:**I have been tubing over 50 years. I have written a book, several articles and many responses to questions from tubers and wannabees over the years. I ALWAYS tell folks that you should not take tubes into moving water…especially fast moving water with changing depth. When your legs dangle and you hit shallow water, or a rock, the force of the water can upend you or roll you down the shallow area. **

Yep. Not good sense to float a river in a tube. Even worse to belt yourself in with a strap without a quick release buckle.

Sorry for the guy and his family. The best that can come out of it is a lesson to others.

5

[reply]
:sunglasses:**I have been tubing over 50 years. I have written a book, several articles and many responses to questions from tubers and wannabees over the years. I ALWAYS tell folks that you should not take tubes into moving water…especially fast moving water with changing depth. When your legs dangle and you hit shallow water, or a rock, the force of the water can upend you or roll you down the shallow area. **

Yep. Not good sense to float a river in a tube. Even worse to belt yourself in with a strap without a quick release buckle.

Sorry for the guy and his family. The best that can come out of it is a lesson to others. [/reply]