Gulf Coast Drownings include Former Arky QB

[SaltyTiger 7,808]

Have and continue to spend a lot of time on the coast. Can not grasp the ignorance or disrespect for rip tide warnings. We have a system in place providing advisory’s on our beaches. I have seen numerous events with rescuers endangering their life to pull people from the water. Amazing the number of beach goers entering the water when visible double flags are overhead. I have no problem verbally warning folks, especially when kids are involved.

https://sports.yahoo.com/former-nfl-arkansas-qb-ryan-mallett-dies-in-apparent-drowning-at-35-224640819.html

[LPTiger 5,164]

1 hour ago, SaltyTiger said:

Have and continue to spend a lot of time on the coast. Can not grasp the ignorance or disrespect for rip tide warnings. We have a system in place providing advisory’s on our beaches. I have seen numerous events with rescuers endangering their life to pull people from the water. Amazing the number of beach goers entering the water when visible double flags are overhead. I have no problem verbally warning folks, especially when kids are involved.

https://sports.yahoo.com/former-nfl-arkansas-qb-ryan-mallett-dies-in-apparent-drowning-at-35-224640819.html

Very sad.  Rip currents are no joke.   If they can kill a 6'5" former 5 star, former NFL QB, still in really good shape and at age 35, the slightly overweight guy who has had 5 or 6 beers has no chance.   And, I saw video this week of a bull shark pulling a guy out of a boat.   All reasons to enjoy fresh water lakes.

[SaltyTiger 7,808]

8 minutes ago, LPTiger said:

Very sad.  Rip currents are no joke.   If they can kill a 6'5" former 5 star, former NFL QB, still in really good shape and at age 35, the slightly overweight guy who has had 5 or 6 beers has no chance.   And, I saw video this week of a bull shark pulling a guy out of a boat.   All reasons to enjoy fresh water lakes.

Saw the shark clip and sort of freak thing. Plenty of sharks out there. If people could see everything out and only a few hundred yards they would probably not enter the water. 
 

Rip tide disasters are so avoidable. Think it was 2013 we lost an ex Auburn basketball player 26 YO. Only a few hundred yards down the beach from us. Recall it being a nasty week with no swim warnings everywhere.

[LPTiger 5,164]

11 minutes ago, SaltyTiger said:

Saw the shark clip and sort of freak thing. Plenty of sharks out there. If people could see everything out and only a few hundred yards they would probably not enter the water. 
 

Rip tide disasters are so avoidable. Think it was 2013 we lost an ex Auburn basketball player 26 YO. Only a few hundred yards down the beach from us. Recall it being a nasty week with no swim warnings everywhere.

Great memory Salty.  It was K-Vot Barber in 13.   The shark video was surreal with his buddy warning him about not putting his hands in the water.   While tarpon fishing, I foul hooked a bull shark in its dorsal fin.   For 2 hours I convinced myself it was a 200 pound tarpon that simply refused to jump.    That shark wore me out!!!!

[SaltyTiger 7,808]

19 hours ago, LPTiger said:

Great memory Salty.  It was K-Vot Barber in 13.   The shark video was surreal with his buddy warning him about not putting his hands in the water.   While tarpon fishing, I foul hooked a bull shark in its dorsal fin.   For 2 hours I convinced myself it was a 200 pound tarpon that simply refused to jump.    That shark wore me out!!!!

Thinking back that was a rough week for rain and storms. Seems the story was he went in the water during a break between storms late afternoon. 
 

Would imagine you had one heck of battle with a foul hooked bull shark. Bull sharks are worrisome. Especially if you enjoy wade fishing early spring in sounds and bays. Know a guy that surf fish guides at night for big sharks. Kayaks bait out about 500 yards. He measures, records male or female, and tags all fish for NOAA. Caught a huge bull at PC Beach a few years ago and saw that he had caught the same fish down at Mexico Beach 6 years prior.

[AUloggerhead 2,231]

On 6/28/2023 at 9:58 AM, LPTiger said:

Very sad.  Rip currents are no joke.   If they can kill a 6'5" former 5 star, former NFL QB, still in really good shape and at age 35, the slightly overweight guy who has had 5 or 6 beers has no chance.   And, I saw video this week of a bull shark pulling a guy out of a boat.   All reasons to enjoy fresh water lakes.

The report I saw said it was a lemon shark.  They're not known for attacks on humans like bull sharks are.  

Re the former football player drowning, it doesn't matter if they're in terrific shape or look like Mr Universe.  Swimming in open water is vastly different than in a pool -- if you go to take a breath expecting air and get a mouthful of salt water instead due to a wave or light chop, then you have to learn to hold your breath just a moment longer, relax & not panic.  Panic induces quick shallow breathing & that doesn't help at all while swimming.  

[LPTiger 5,164]

2 hours ago, AUloggerhead said:

The report I saw said it was a lemon shark.  They're not known for attacks on humans like bull sharks are.  

Re the former football player drowning, it doesn't matter if they're in terrific shape or look like Mr Universe.  Swimming in open water is vastly different than in a pool -- if you go to take a breath expecting air and get a mouthful of salt water instead due to a wave or light chop, then you have to learn to hold your breath just a moment longer, relax & not panic.  Panic induces quick shallow breathing & that doesn't help at all while swimming.  

Yes the recent reporting is that it was not a rip current.   Rip currents, sharks....   just come to our Alabama lakes!!!! 

[AUloggerhead 2,231]

14 hours ago, LPTiger said:

Yes the recent reporting is that it was not a rip current.   Rip currents, sharks....   just come to our Alabama lakes!!!! 

And steer clear of cottonmouths & other unpleasant critters! 

[SaltyTiger 7,808]

38 minutes ago, AUloggerhead said:

And steer clear of cottonmouths & other unpleasant critters! 

I am a cottonmouth bite survivor. Stepped on one as youngster. FYI….they to not like being stepped on.

[AUloggerhead 2,231]

11 minutes ago, SaltyTiger said:

I am a cottonmouth bite survivor. Stepped on one as youngster. FYI….they to not like being stepped on.

Tell us about your ordeal -- how old were you & how long to recover?

[SaltyTiger 7,808]

2 minutes ago, AUloggerhead said:

Tell us about your ordeal -- how old were you & how long to recover?

Had been to the Doctor two days in row with an infection from an ingrown toenail on right foot. 11 YO and was supposed to stay at home and off foot but slipped away with some friends to play along community creek. Barefoot of course, we were running along a tall grassed area by the creek. Thought I had stepped on thorns until looking down.

We all ran to my house with one of my friends yelling he had a knife to cut the bite open. My parents took me back to the doctor with my mother raising hell about me sneaking off. Doctor did admit me and I stayed in the hospital several days. The snake bit me in ball of my right foot but my entire leg swelled and was discolored. They treated me by icing then heat on my leg. Not sure they really knew how to treat a snake bite. Never gave me anti venom but needed to know type of snake in case. My Dad actually had my pals take him to where I was bitten after he and Mom had taken me to the doctor. Snake was still in the same spot. He killed it and had it identified by a herpetologist. 
 

End of day my doctor claimed that I had to be hospitalized with a snake bite to fix my infected ingrown toenail.

[AUloggerhead 2,231]

31 minutes ago, SaltyTiger said:

Had been to the Doctor two days in row with an infection from an ingrown toenail on right foot. 11 YO and was supposed to stay at home and off foot but slipped away with some friends to play along community creek. Barefoot of course, we were running along a tall grassed area by the creek. Thought I had stepped on thorns until looking down.

We all ran to my house with one of my friends yelling he had a knife to cut the bite open. My parents took me back to the doctor with my mother raising hell about me sneaking off. Doctor did admit me and I stayed in the hospital several days. The snake bit me in ball of my right foot but my entire leg swelled and was discolored. They treated me by icing then heat on my leg. Not sure they really knew how to treat a snake bite. Never gave me anti venom but needed to know type of snake in case. My Dad actually had my pals take him to where I was bitten after he and Mom had taken me to the doctor. Snake was still in the same spot. He killed it and had it identified by a herpetologist. 
 

End of day my doctor claimed that I had to be hospitalized with a snake bite to fix my infected ingrown toenail.

Moral of the story -- be careful when you clip your toenails?  

[LPTiger 5,164]

My son just finished his first year of med school (VCOM of course).   I mentioned to him that I read Mallett may have died of over-heating.   The water temp was mid to high 80s and air temp was 96.   He had a couple of observations...   Water is a better conductor than air.    Hence why you can survive in 20 degree air longer than 20 degree water.   Also, when you are in the water you do not sweat (one of the body's key coolants) and you have no airflow over your body.   He said swimming for long periods or aggressively for short periods in water above 85 degrees can be very dangerous.    I would have assumed 85 degree water would have cooled you off....

[AUloggerhead 2,231]

38 minutes ago, LPTiger said:

My son just finished his first year of med school (VCOM of course).   I mentioned to him that I read Mallett may have died of over-heating.   The water temp was mid to high 80s and air temp was 96.   He had a couple of observations...   Water is a better conductor than air.    Hence why you can survive in 20 degree air longer than 20 degree water.   Also, when you are in the water you do not sweat (one of the body's key coolants) and you have no airflow over your body.   He said swimming for long periods or aggressively for short periods in water above 85 degrees can be very dangerous.    I would have assumed 85 degree water would have cooled you off....

Congrats to your son.  I get what you're saying about hot water, but you do sweat (ever been in a hot tub?) you just don't cool off because it can't evaporate.  I grew up in Ft Walton Bch and the shallows along the coast in the summer can be like bath water.  I always preferred swimming there in the spring -- much cooler and no seaweed growing yet.   One other thing:  20 F "water" is technically ... ice.   But I do get what you mean about the difference in air/water temps(!)  

[SaltyTiger 7,808]

1 hour ago, AUloggerhead said:

Congrats to your son.  I get what you're saying about hot water, but you do sweat (ever been in a hot tub?) you just don't cool off because it can't evaporate.  I grew up in Ft Walton Bch and the shallows along the coast in the summer can be like bath water.  I always preferred swimming there in the spring -- much cooler and no seaweed growing yet.   One other thing:  20 F "water" is technically ... ice.   But I do get what you mean about the difference in air/water temps(!)  

I like the cool springtime water but prefer the warmer early summer water absent the seaweed. Saltwater is so buoyant. Spent countless hours floating and relaxing when conditions permit.