PSA... Kill switches

From an article I just read...

"Two college anglers are counting their blessings this evening after a mishap on the water today sent them both into the lake. Matthew Meegan and John Nash were out for a day of fishing on Lake Cumberland Jan. 2, 2023, way up the Fishing Creek arm, when a mechanical failure, likely the steering cable breaking, caused the boat to hook and sent both anglers into the icy waters. Unfortunately, they did not have the kill switch hooked up, so the boat continued to circle with steering wheel spinning.

Do you run without attaching your kill switch, ever? Not me. No, I've never been run over by my own boat, but I don't think I want to take that chance. I don't run, nor fish if solo, without my life vest on either.

What say you? Will you attach it from now on? Many of you would leave a lot of folks very sad.

Blessings,
MS

Mine is always attached!!!

If I recall, Gary Dobbyn's almost got killed, running solo and getting thrown from his boat w/o his vest on.
With broken bones he had a hard time flagging folks running by in their boats, they didn't notice him, scary.

It’s law now and I always have it attached . If I’m running fast or plan on running fast I wear my life jacket, too. When I’m just putting around I don’t wear my life jacket. Probably should

Always kill switch and vest when running. I like being alive.

I have a carabiner on my vest. Makes it easier to clip the kill switch lanyard.

If you cheat on safety, you're only cheating yourself. And possibly your family and/or heirs. IslandJim

Life jackets and kill switches. Back in ‘70s when they became a rule in tournaments I knew I would forget if I didn’t have a reminder. I made a habit of hoping the switch to life jacket and wearing it while running. When I stopped to fish I would put the jacket in the drivers seat so I had to put it on or sit on it. Worked for tournaments and 22 years guiding.

Unless I’m moving like 4-500 yds when big motor goes on vest is on and kill switch is attached. Another reason why I love the hot foot. I leave the boat no gas to the pedal.

when I get in the boat my life jacket is on and stays on till I load up to leave, kill switch is attached to the life jacket so it is pulled when I get up and has to be reattached to fire it up.

being dam near 70 means I don't want to swim unless I have to.

Mines on a wristband. It’s right in the shifter, making it easy to put on while engaging the motor.

Life vest and kill switch. No brainer. And the law in Texas. I fish solo a lot and then never take my vest off. Will check out the wristband idea since I sometimes forget to hook or unhook the kill switch.

If the outboard is running, life jacket is on.

Always attached to my life vest and my life vest is always on when under power / running.

Guess them boys didn't have a hot foot on that boat.

Too bad they don't make those mandatory on all new boats, don't ya think?

Mine is attached to my life jacket when driving the boat. When I get up to fish the life jacket stays on and I wrap the kill switch lanyard around the steering wheel so I can't forget it.

I almost had a bad accident in High school "skipping" my boat around a point in a lake. It was scary enough that it convinced a 17 year old to always wear both a life jacket and kill switch everytime.

I wear mine.. and to add to this.. buy a universal kill switch lanyard and keep it in your boat. Let you partner know where it is! If you get thrown out, they or someone else can restart the motor to get to you. Or if you come up on someone you can restart their boat. I think I gave $12 for mine. It works on every brand, or it’s supposed to. Yamaha and OMC I know for sure it works.

I should more often. Same with life jacket

always... red cord attached to the para-cord loop attached to the belt... it's the law !.. the other end of the para-cord is my key's; I've never lost my key's since attaching them at the end of 3' of para-cord attached to my leather belt !