Exactly, I can only imagine this was heard across the lake moments before the boat landed where it did https://youtu.be/SW29hkBuFt8?si=oX3TWmWwcvw_rTEL

Ran around that HUGE island hundreds of times in dark and/or fog…no way this way a near miss with GPS
They smoked the east side, which is the biggest, easiest side to see and know to avoid with the boulders…

Prayers up for both guys- but that wasn’t “experience” on Rayburn….way too close to Rattlesnake

Nobody said what KIND of electronics to not trust.
Maybe he was on his phone or something.
Thankfully, no innocent bystanders of boats full of other anglers were injured or killed by this guy.

It was livescope- that thing is the debil…..

It's got nothing to do with being perfect, humble or feeling sorry for someone... We just ain't buying what the wife is trying to sell... Maybe just come clean and accept responsibility for your actions... Dan

His pal probably won’t sue him but you can bet his buddies insurance company will.

It's getting harder all the time to avoid those who are lacking in common sense.

How do we know that the boater did not take responsibility? The only one to whom he is responsible in this incident is his partner, anyone else immediately involved, his wife, and God, not a bunch of keyboard warriors like us. Should we all prioritize safety on the lake? Certainly, but have any of you never made a mistake or a questionable decision? If so, keep casting stones. Meanwhile, I thank God for preventing a much worse consequence, and I bet the boater has learned a lesson more powerful and constructive than any condemnation the virtue-signalers among us choose to heap upon him.

What do you think occurred there- care to speculate?

Man, they’re coming out of hibernation to give sermons and lecture about not lecturing and sermonizing, ain’t they?

I suspect that he got disoriented and thought he was way farther from the island than he was. Something similar happened to me in minimum fog, and I was relying too much on my GPS. I was sure that I was running parallel with the bank a hundred yards out, but in fact I was heading straight into the bank and didn’t realize it until I was only fifteen feet from impact. By the grace of God, the bank was flat, and I simply coasted to a stop. I thank God that He saved me and anyone else from getting hurt. I struggled for over a month, though, dealing with guilt over what could have happened. I will no longer go faster than idle speed when visibility is limited, and I am not absolutely sure of where I am.

I have not been in hibernation (notice that my screen name is my real name), and I am not sermonizing. I’m just trying to encourage people to have a bit of empathy. I’m sure the boater hates what happened more than anyone does. It’s easy to be an armchair quarterback, and this forum is starting to resemble that abominable TV show _The View_.

First time on the internet?

Prayers / thoughts going out to the anglers and their family. This is an accident that no one wants to be a part of.