Missing father/son on Tawakoni

http://www.fox4news.com/news/226780773-story


Be careful and be Smart!

Sad deal. Prayer sent for the family.

Awful. That storm would have been blowing through twok around 5:45 yesterday, when they were reported to have been at the lake, right?

Damn. Prayers up.

Yeah a major storm came thru, a lot of lightning. Once it blew thru it was calm, but I would not have wanted to be out on the water when that storm came thru, especially with a 5 year old. Sad deal, prayers up for the family.

Prayers for all concerned.

I live on lake tawakoni. The storm came thru around 615. They found his son last night and found his boat just now. He is still missing. I know him personally. He was awesome man. He has 4 month old baby too. So sad

Very saddened to see this. The cover photo for the article on NBC 5 on facebook shows about a 10-12' alumacraft laying across the deck of the GW boat. You guys are right - the storm came through this part of town about 6:00 or so. I clocked a 60 mph gust at the house with lots of wind in the 40-50 mph range for about 30 minutes.

I did see where a homeowner found the dog alive. Said it was running up and down the shore trying to swim out into the lake. Sad

Edited because this weighs heavy on my heart - if you know them - sorry - but why in the HELL would you put your 5 year old child in that situation, let alone yourself? This storm was NOT a secret - it has been all over the news for 3 days! I've seen numerous people saying he hunted all the time and knew the lake well - so WHY? Tawakoni is down right deadly in wind half of what blew through with this storm - not to mention the ridiculous amount of lightning? In what appears to be a damn 12' alumnacraft.... I've seen no mention on if they boy was found with a PFD on, but I'm assuming likely not...there is not a single damn duck on this planet worth taking that kind of risk over...

Very tragic....wear PFD's....deaths could have been avoided....prayers up....

Bad deal for sure.

Sad indeed. Prayers.

Breaks my heart. We were out in nasty winds on the 30th, awful reminder of how real the danger can be. Praying for their loved ones.

Specific Tawak Safety note: Go slow within 100yds of the nearest tree you see on southern region out there, saw multiple strays right on the surface we'd never noticed that would've been bad at 15+mph

Did his son make it?

No

Damn it man, that sad news.

That just makes you want to cry.

WFAA Story

More details than the Fox 4 link

Terrible I can't even imagine how terrified they would have been in the dark on that lake. I was crappie fishing with my dad on Twak when I was about 7 year old. We were in a cove and got out on open water to go back home and a storm blew up on us...prolly the most scared I've ever been.

This is terrible and hits home as I take my 6yo and 2 yo out with me everytime
I get. Very sad to hear this

That is really sad, prayers up to the family. Always hits home...

I was gonna go out thinking that I would wait at the ramp until after the storm came through. When I got up and saw the radar I thought the timing wouldn't work so I didn't go. I NEVER go out without a PFD tho, I know how things can turn real quick for the worst.

25 year old father's body has been found.

I have seen multiple reports now that neither were wearing a PFD.

At any rate another preventable tragedy fueled by stupidity.

Feel sorry for the family, the son, and the dog. Father was an idiot to put them in that kind of situation.

He made a mistake, yes.
He paid the ultimate price, no real need for name calling at this point.

Any man willing to spend time outdoors with his children has my respect, but discretion is something this game does require, and even when exercised bad things happen.

From the Lake house we send our sincerest condolences and best wishes.

Prayers to their family. Wear your PFDs.

I wear PFD even when I am setting up Decoys- aint worth dying over that's for sure

Sad deal...probably never know what his thought process was. When it started he might've already planned on being at his spot and thought he could wait it out. Easy to bad mouth the man and his decision the day they pull him out of the water but we don't know what happened exactly. Prayers up for the family.

In this case, name calling appropriate- you are supposed to protect your children- not endanger them

Very bad deal here, said the family is from Quinlan but no TX numbers on the boat, first letters are IA, wonder if they are new to the area.

Just yesterday as we were doing probably 40 mph across the lake I thought to myself, "WTF don't either of us have a life jacket on"? I think I am going to go drop some serious money on two good life jackets for my wife and I and be done with it. I might even go with the kind that pop when you hit water.

That's the kind I got. It is a LOT easier to put on over a heavy jacket.

Prayers up.

this is what we use as well.

This is so sad. My heart goes out to the 5 year old and his mother. So many "what if's" here but if the boy had no pfd on the dad messed up. Hell my wife would have never let me take any of our 3 boys when they were 5 knowing a storm like that was coming. I'd like to know were they in route to their spot...anchored in deeper water and waiting on shooting light? If they were on the water at 5:45 why did it take so long to get to their hunt area? Were they "scouting" for a spot to set up on when the storm hit? The dog made it...was it wearing a dog jacket? The boy had no chance I would imagine and I bet the dad lost his life trying to find his son in all that hell.

Just so senseless.

Let me know a brand and where to get them if you would please. That is it, we are going to do it as of as soon as the mail guy brings them. I have a life long friend whom I have hunted and fished with every year. We have a group that goes fishing in Port Mansfield for a week. On this trip I was not along. Another friend brought his son who got off in the channel and was not doing good at all. His dad went in to help him. Within minutes they were both in serious bad trouble. My best friend just happened to see them down the channel and thought they were having trouble. By the time he got to his boat and over there, (From the dad to my ears) he said he had one more shot at swimming under his son and pushing him up out of the water, he was going to give it up after that. His son was already unconscious. My bud got them on the boat and started CPR on the young man, my buddy couldn't speak he was so worn out. Other boats arrived and they lit a shuck to town while doing CPR. As they arrived in Port Mans they got the kid back. Being in the job that I do for as long as I have, I know the chance of saving someone with CPR is extremely low. So my friend (the life saver) makes his kids wear them on his boat and when they are wade fishing. Screw it, today is the day, the law is getting laid down on my boats.

Prayers up for the Family and Friends.

As to what happened with them only they know and that secret died with them.

Lets all take it as a reminder to make good decisions and try not to put ourselves or loved ones at risk.

There was a story a few years back about a guy out of LA that was on the way out with his 10 yr old son on Lake Pontchartrain. Hit a stump or something, got thrown into the boat so he was knocked out, and both ended up thrown overboard. Long story short the kid tried to save his dad but couldn't hold on to him and the boat so he had to let his dad go. Tore my heart out... been wearing a PFD every time since.

If 52" around the chest will work for ya, this is a good deal!
Cabela's inflatable PFD

Larry I remember that story. Continuing on the way we have in the past is just not going to happen. We had an accident on my boat so bad I nearly lost my wife. Under power she caught a rope in the mouth that broke her upper jaw from the k9 teeth up between the eyes. It ripped her cheeks on both sides in 5 different places and tore off a 3rd of her upper lip. After 13 years worth of surgery you would not know it unless I pointed it out. That was horrific. God looks out for us. We were on Padre Island north of town in the bay. Padre doesn't have a hospital so I had to drive her to Brownsville. The doctor said to me "I can't help her". They loaded her on an ambulance and took her to Harlingen. It just so happened there was a surgical convention. The best facial reconstruction surgeon was a guest speaker. They consulted him and he dropped what he was doing. 14 hours later he had her back together. When she came off that boat she was under water and out of site before I could turn around. She was out unconscious. I jumped in to follow the boat trail to find her. She popped up right in front of me as I got to her. Things go bad in seconds. Yep its time.

I use the Mustang brand inflatable PFDs. I think Academy carries them and also the inflater cartridges that need to be changed out every couple of years.

http://www.mustangsurvival.com/?country=25

At Twok you have to be within 100' of the shoreline to hunt. No anchoring out in open water. It's been a long time since I've been up on that end of the lake but I remember that cove being fairly shallow (with the lake at the level it is right now) - especially within 100' from shore. I would assume they were trying to make it to their spot. That whole area is a stump field. From the pictures I've seen of the boat it appears to be a 12' alumacraft with a 5hp or smaller motor on it - with a trolling motor up front. Add in a dog, a kid, and a couple dozen decoys and that thing is overloaded even on a normal day in big water.

I'm guessing they were probably in the middle of the cove based on what my weather station was recording on wind directions. It would make sense with where they were found (based on where the dog was found). I don't believe the dog had a vest on from every report I've seen (the people who found the dog). The boat and both bodies were recovered in the general area where the dog was staying / trying to swim out to.

The boy wasn't wearing a life vest. The dog lead the gw to the bodies. I grew up here on lake tawakoni. And this lake ain't no joke when it comes to weather. I don't understand why risk your life or put your family in danger

We have all done stupid things, especially at 25 years old. Certainly he didn't know or feel he was going out to die with his son. He didn't get a warning shot like me and dozens of us on this board. He made a horrible call and he and his little boy paid a heavy toll. I did worse than than that in my early 20s. I used to run the Navasota in a 14 footer with a 5 horse motor when it flooded. I would put in off the highway and follow the river upstream. It was a hairy three hour trip to get to the place I hunted. I have dodged whole rolling oak trees coming down river. It would have taken a total of one of those rolling oaks to end our lives right then and there. Now I am more into talking to the landowner that owns the place I used to hunt years ago and parking at the house and walking into the flooded timber.

I'm sorry Wal but putting a 5 year old kid in a 12' boat without a life jacket on, in the dark, with an oncoming storm is way more than "doing something stupid at 25."

A Go Fund Me page has been set up to help with arrangements

https://www.[censored]/8w-funeral-arrangements

They've already reached the goal. That's good.

I agree it was bad. I mean how can one argue with that, he is dead now so there is no arguing. I am just damn glad I had bad things happen that opened my eyes and didn't kill me. The biggest eye opener I got was the Darrel Lundsford video tape. He was an officer in East Texas that filmed his own murder. His family allowed the FBI to be released to Officers as a training aid. It woke me up and made me sick to my stomach. We really had no training like that back then. There is no doubt in my mind that tape saved lives.

It wasn't name calling.....too late for him and his son....those comments were directed to the rest of us....

I bought one of those and took it back. I didn't trust it. If I remember correctly had to like baby it, store it a curtain way, etc... I just like the regular life vest I know won't fail me. I want to get a new one with pockets on it I can put my cell phone in.

X2 word for word. If it was just light green on the radar I might have gone, but when you see yellow orange and red, no way, I don't even want to drive my truck in that. And I sure as heck don't mess with lightning.

sad deal
Been on the water when I shouldn't have in earlier days..

Darrell Sr. was a close family friend. His son was my classmate in a class of about 32. His grandson was an OL for the Houston Cougars and is now a DPS officer.

They must've raised the goal, they are almost little over 30k short.

It's amazing how many stupid things I myself and I'm sure all of us have done and lived through it to be here and question others stupidity.
Prayers to the family.
And prayers to all of us. So that we may look back on our mistakes and wonder how we got through our bout of stupidity alive.

So heartbreaking. My heart goes out to the family. I can't even fathom the grief that they must be enduring.

I was listening to the report on the radio today and can't imagine what they went through or what the survivors must endure. Truly tragic.

Tragic simply due to the fact it was so preventable. Simply makes no sense. Prayers for the family that must endure this. .

Gotcha, I wasn't sure what kind I had until I got home from work. I have a Mustang inflatable PFD like duckbill posted up.

It's not an MD318X is it? There is a recall on those.

Prayers sent.

Check out this site Wal

http://www.coleman.com/stearns-recreational-fishhunt/

There was a video posted on here a couple weeks ago with a guy using the manual kind with waders on

Ditto.


For you guys using the auto inflate vests, I guess something is better than nothing. If I were you, I'd put all my hunting gear on when it's warm and jump in a pool with one. I wouldn't trust my life to it. Go find you a vest no matter how uncomfortable it is to wear that will float you with all your gear on.

I am with Guy and BarneyWho on this one....I don't trust those inflatable PFDs with hunting gear on and in the conditions we run. I would much rather have a vest that I KNOW will float me with gear on and not worry about if it will inflate when i hit the water.

Had a father/son in my boat last week that didn't put vests on, I had set them in their seats and they moved them. Before we got underway I asked them to put them on. At the end of the hunt when we came back to the ramp the father thanked me for making him and his son wear the vests. Just a good habit to get into, always wear your PFD and kill switch.

Any accident is horrible, but a preventable accident is just senseless.

A gofundme page has been set up to help the wife and their newborn.

+1, I used to fish small lakes and big winds are deadly

Agreed. Common sense doesn't seem to be very common these days

Sad deal.... when you hunt tawok, fork or any other lake that gets rough, better have your sh!t straight or things can turn bad really quick.

I thank you but I might be going back old school. I think I am just going to find a very comfortable vest with easy snaps int he front. I will mount the kill switch cord to it and hang it on the throttle handle. That way if I fail to put it on, its all my fault. The reason I am changing is my bud said the sensor that makes it go off is down by you waist. If I have a jacket and waders on, then that could take too long to go off if at all. I am just going to go old school.

Wow, sad sad deal. My thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends of those affected. You have my sinserest condolences!

Wal I think your making a wise choice!

To those talking about conventional life jackets being uncomfortable and using the inflatables. NO WAY I would trust one of those to work when my life or especially my child's life is at stake. They are mechanical and it is 100 percent proven that anything mechanical CAN and WILL fail when it is most needed.

I just did a quick google search and found multiple reasons why I would never trust one. I'll take mild discomfort anyday and know my pfd will be functional when I need it.

Here are 7 reasons here I'd never use one. # 3 in particular.

1) As opposed to conventional, inherently buoyant PFDs, these are high-tech devices. They will not provide buoyancy until they’re inflated. This imposes a higher level of responsibility on the user. They MUST be carefully inspected before each use to see that the inflator mechanism is armed and in good condition. The bladder must not leak, and the user must be familiar with its use and operation. This is a big difference from using a conventional PFD. That's also why they’re not approved for use with persons less than 16 years old.

2) They are not recommended for swift water sports (white water) or any activity where the user will probably get soaked (personal watercraft, sailboards).

3) Cold weather adversely affects the operation of these PFDs. While the CO2 cartridge will fully inflate the vest most of the year, in extremely cold temperatures the same amount of gas will not expand to the same volume, reducing the vest’s buoyancy.

4) While they are designed to auto-inflate only when immersed in water and not by rain or high humidity, the ‘pill/bobbin’ material can break down under these conditions and activate the inflator.

5) Inflatable PFDs provide no protection from hypothermia.

6) Since there is a slight delay from immersion to inflation, they are not recommended for non-swimmers.

7) An inflatable MUST be worn as the outermost layer. Never wear a coat or rain gear over these vests.

One option that most hunters don't think about are watersports competition vests. These come in CGA and non-CGA versions. The vests are designed for maximum flexibilty and comfort by the wearer. If you get your hands on some you will see they usually have a superior design and comfort compared to most of the fishing life jackets out there.



Wakeboarding Vests

I can certainly agree with you on this point. I've used neoprene jackets for years when I was younger for wakeboarding and slalom tournaments. They are superior in comfort and their cold water insulation value. They are designed to fit like a glove so they would need to be oversized for heavy clothing. But yes, very comfortable.

SM that's a really good post you made on inflatables. If you are the meticulous type person, you know clean your gun after every hunt type, that PDF might be more up your alley. But my vest gets thrown in the mud, kicked around, stepped on, left out side, etc... Not for me, I need a Benelli vest that can take abuse and keep on ticking.

This is a horrific story to see. I looking forward to my daughters first hunt ad. Annoy imagine how horrible that was for the father son and family. I was hunting that day too but was safe on land and sat the storm out in my truck.

I recommend the nooprene life vests. They are comfy, keep you warm and will float. I usually wear mine until I am ready to hunt then throw on my bulky camo jacket

Thank you sir! I am the meticulous type! My gun gets cleaned after every hunt. Sometimes 3 t 4 times a week and I still won't use an inflatable. I'll take my chances with a vest I know will work 100 percent of the time over one that may or may not work. There are already enough dangers in the things I do. No need to add to that just because a standard vest is mildly uncomfortable. Seat belts aren't exactly comfortable either but I'm gonna use it.

Prayers to the family.

Very sad and tragic. Should have never happened. Safety first always.

this was a very tragic story and i pray for his wife and child.

I have a Mustang auto inflate that I have had about 10 years. a couple of years ago i had left it in one of my storage boxes in my bass boat and had brought it back from Fork to do some work on it. it wasn't covered and i had mistakenly left the plug in my boat when we received one of the 10" rains a couple of years ago. needless to say when i returned home and realized my boat was full of water i turned on the bilge and pulled the plug. while looking through the boat to see if i had any damage i found my then 8 year old Mustang fully inflated. i noticed that when inflated it was extremely tight...full of air and much bigger than i would have imagined. my first thought was that this would hold an elephant afloat. interesting thing is that put it on top of a shelf in my garage with the intent on recharging it and reusing it. it is still on that shelf today in the exact inflated condition i found it. i trust them.

Wal, as wreck prone as you are I would consider a wetsuit, waders, then life jacket over the top.

Rip

Who cares about comfort, you wear the vest just for the boat ride, then it comes off. Now if you needed a vest you wanted wear while you hunt and shoot, those inflatables would make more sense.