On Facebook there was a post about one boat capsized but the captain and student anglers were able to swim to shore.



In the sue happy world we live in, is THSBA not assuming a huge liability regardless of waivers letting tournaments run during extreme weather?

Waiver/agreement they sign should be a release of liability for THSBA. From what I read, the storm popped up out of nowhere.

Regardless, I think you point at the captains. They assume responsibility, in my opinion, and being in charge of the watercraft you need to make decisions to ensure the safety of you and your passengers. No tournament is worth risking life for.

Glad no one was hurt. Lesson Learned!

if anyone believes the informal paper waivers you sign in tournaments hold any clout in a court of law... then I have some oceanfront property in AZ to sell you! These organizations need to be mindful when they are putting inexperienced captains and kid's lives at risk with their decisions. Most of us know better, but there is a lot that don't quite understand it all yet.

Clearly you have zero experience with contract law/release of liability cases, then. They are absolutely upheld in court.

So what’s the address to that property there, fella?

It's still the captains responsibility. You can't predict the unpredictable especially with weather no matter the forecast. I've seen the worst forecast imaginable only for it to turn out pretty nice. Weather changes fast.

I was up at 4:30 am Sunday morning. I live about 5 minutes from the lake. When I opened my garage I saw a bunch of lightning, so I went and checked the radar. Why wouldn't the tourney people do the same. I guess it was a calculated risk.

Again, judging here but IMO there are too many people with very big hearts but very limited fishing let alone tournament fishing experience trying to "help" HS kids fish these events. Critical decisions like weather, safe boat operation, etiquette, etc.. are left up to what amounts to many(not all) adults with little or no experience. I am so grateful no one was hurt!!!

Poor judgement call not to cancel an event with hundreds of high schoolers out on the water. I don't care if it "popped up out of nowhere." Sounds like a lot of people planned on fishing that day and cancelled their trip because of the weather. Did the tournament director forget to look at the forecast the morning of??

It was a Trailering event, Some were on the lake well before 5am. With first cast at 6am and we did not see the storm show up until almost 7am. The tourney director had no way to get in touch with all involved. Like Jarrett said it really does fall on the captain and his/her ability to keep the kids safe. I have been caught in several storms over the last 30 years of fishing sometimes it just happens. To try and blame a tourney director for a storm is useless. I am certain that we all have times in our lives where maybe we should have done things another way, we live and learn that is all we can do. I don't see the use in pointing fingers and saying someone in specific is to blame. Bottom line is the tourney was cancelled and we still start again next Sunday.

Jody

I would like to hear more about this capsized boat. I never saw it and never heard of any recovery efforts or how anyone had to swim to shore. Would be nice to know what happened there.

Jody

I live 8 minutes from the ramp. Was leaving the house at 5 when I saw the lightning show to the north. Checked the radar and went right back to bed.

It had to be close to one of the bridges on Loan Oak Road or FM 372(just past Johnson Branch SP), those are the bridges my kids crossed Sunday coming out to the house for Fathers day. They saw the tow boat recovering a bass boat and asked me if I knew anything about it when they got to the house. I don't know any other details about swimming or anything else other than they saw a boat being recovered.

Somebody put up pictures and video on FB. Think it was on or linked to the THSBA page. It was most definitely a rough go.