Iowa Big Bass Fisher » safety

5 BWIs Handed out over the weekend in Sioux City

admin — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 14:38:34 +0000

A boating safety enforcement project on the Missouri and Big Sioux rivers near Sioux City over the weekend resulted in six arrests including five for boating while intoxicated and one for operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated.

The joint project between the Iowa Department of Natural Resources and the South Dakota Game Fish and Parks conducted the project for several hours Saturday night. Field sobriety tests were conducted on 11 boat operators which resulted in the five BWI arrests.

Iowa DNR Conservation Officer Steve Griebel said there were also two boat operators who had blood alcohol readings above .08 but less than .10. The blood alcohol level in Iowa is .10. In Nebraska and South Dakota, the blood alcohol level is .08.

“I think the project was successful,” said Griebel. “The majority of the families on the river are being safe, but too many boaters are disregarding boating safety laws and putting themselves and others at risk. We want people to have fun boating, but safety needs to be their priority on any body of water.”

The Missouri and Big Sioux rivers hazards include a fast current, both are narrow and have a lot of debris.

In addition to the six arrests, the project handed out 13 citations for safety and equipment violations primarily for not having the proper number of lifejackets and for speed and distance violations. Officers also handed out four written warnings and gave three verbal warnings.

Man dies after being sucked off Jet Ski into roller dam

admin — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 14:35:24 +0000

A 30-year-old man died after he was sucked off his Jet Ski and into the roller dam near the 2500 block of Old River Road in Cedar Rapids Wednesday night. Witnesses said the man and a 36-year-old woman were riding separate Jet Skis on the Cedar River. The man got close to the dam several times and eventually was sucked under the current at about 7:45 p.m. “You could see the man come up and go back down a couple times, and then he just never came back up,” said Brett Rettenmeier, 20, who was fishing on the river. The female rider attempted to go toward the roller dam and jump into the water to help the man, but bystanders yelled for her to get out, said Cedar Rapids Fire Department spokesman Greg Buelow. She returned to her craft and went to shore. Firefighters who responded to the scene quickly realized they would be performing a river recovery instead of a river rescue because of how long the victim had been under the water, Buelow said. Firefighters launched boats from the Cole Street and Old River Road boat ramps for the recovery. They also positioned a 100-feet ladder and used equipment to retrieve the victim. The victim was wearing a life vest, but it could not help him because of the strength of the undercurrents, Buelow said. The man was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to St. Luke’s Hospital. The Linn County medical examiner will perform an autopsy. Names of those involved were not released pending notification of family.

Roller dams have a recirculating current and anything drawn into the current is pulled under and barreled into a wall.

Learn to Fish in Des Moines

admin — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 16:36:07 +0000

I found some events that could be a great way to have a good time with the family or to introduce your children to fishing.

Nature Friends presents Fishing at Easter Lake

Tuesday Jul 14th, 2009 6:30pm -7:30pm – Ages: Preschoolers – $7

2830 Easter Lake Drive
Des Moines, IA 50320
(515) 285-7612

Explore a different nature topic each evening through stories, sharing time, guided exploration, and art activities.

Fishing Basics at Thomas Mitchell Park

Thursday Jul 16th, 2009 6:00pm -8:00pm – All Ages – Free - (515) 323-5300

10509 N.E. 46th Ave.
Mitchellville, IA 50169

Learn about the different kinds of fish in Iowa , fishing safety, casting, and how to tie a hook. Anyone over the age of 16 will need a 2009 Iowa Fishing License. Bait and poles will be provided. Bring something to sit on. All ages welcome.

Gone Fishing

Friday Jul 24th, 2009 12:00pm -1:00pmAges: Kids – (515) 232-2516

McFarland Park, Story County Conservation Center
56461 180th St.
Ames, IA 50010

Naturalist’s Lunch Box Programs at Conservation Center.This program is free and appropriate for children of all ages.

Construction worker dangling from a crane plucks woman trapped in Des Moines River

admin — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 01:37:26 +0000

The Des Moines River near the Center Street Dam in downtown Des Moines during the rescue yesterday

A construction worker dangles from a crane, his arm stretched out to reach a terrified woman trapped in swirling water at the base of a dam. These astonishing images show the dramatic rescue of the woman after her boat overturned near the dam on the Des Moines River in Iowa. She was pulled to safety by the quick-thinking construction crew – but her husband, who was with her in the boat when it overturned yesterday, tragically drowned.

Jason Oglesbee

The heroic Jason Oglesbee, a construction worker working in the area pulled the woman to safety.

“I saw the boat drift down, and he started it up and he hit the bridge base,” construction worker Joe Lowe told local media. ‘”Then he tried to wrap it up with an anchor or line and then I heard him holler at his wife, put your life jacket on. He didn’t have one on.”

The unnamed husband’s concern for his wife may have saved her life. Her life jacket kept her afloat in the swirling waters of the river for up more than half an hour as construction worker Jason Oglesbee battled to reach her. Des Moines police Sgt. Joe Gonzalez said the workers saw the woman floating in a boil and they tried to move a crane over to her. Meanwhile, fire crews tried to throw life preservers from a boat.

Construction worker Jason Oglesbee dangled from a crane and saved the drowning woman in the Des Moines River yesterday

Emergency crews said it is likely the woman would have drowned had it not been for the construction crew’s heroic rescue operation. Clutching life preservers thrown to her by rescue services, the woman struggles to stay afloat near the dam before the rescue. After the initial attempt with the crane was unsuccessful, the construction company rigged up Oglesbee to the crane with a harness and Oglesbee was able to grab the woman from the water.

‘They just harnessed me in and dipped me down in the water and I grabbed her,’ he said. When asked if he volunteered to be rigged to the crane, Oglesbee said he just happened to be wearing the harness. “‘I just told her to hang on tight. I won’t let go,” Oglesbee recalled.

Oglesbee is lowered to the water by the crane

The Des Moines River near the Center Street Dam in downtown Des Moines during the rescue yesterday He insisted the rescue was a team effort and was reluctant to talk to media, saying: “It’s no big deal. The whole crew did it. If it wasn’t for the team effort of Cramer & Associates, we might have two drowning victims,” Gonzalez said.

The body of the man, who was in his 60s, was pulled from the water about 25 minutes after the boat overturned at 4pm yesterday afternoon. The woman was pulled from the water at 4.35pm and rushed to hospital, where she was pronounced stable last night.

The body of the man, who was in his 60s, was pulled from the water about 25 minutes after the boat overturned at 4pm yesterday afternoon.

The Des Moines River near the Center Street Dam in downtown Des Moines during the rescue yesterday