Guys when I say an aluminum flat boat will sink quick I mean within 30 seconds it was completely gone in 20' of water.

I had my prodrive tied up to boat house at Toledo Bend and with all the rain I had to keep bailing out the boat. Jan and I decide to put the boat on the trailer yesterday evening. So Jan heads to the ramp with the trailer and I bail most of the water out of the boat. I crank it up and head out, after just a short distance I decide to pull the plug on the boat which I did and start plowing along letting the water drain our. The boat has a lot of leaves inside so I lean over to clear the drain and when I tuned to look forward I ran up on a stump. The boat immediately flipped and I am dumped in the water, I feel stuff on my head and push away from the boat and come up to see the bow of the boat standing straight up, about 5' is exposed and it's going down fast. My PFD is in the front compartment, I swim to the boat and grab the handle to the front compartment but I can't open no matter which way I turn the handle and no matter how hard I pull. I look towards the bank and realize how far I have to swim. I finally grabbed the front folding seat from its pedestal and then released it and it floated, alleluia. The boat is below the surface but I can see the glow of the bow light. I then begin swim to the bank which is really far. I'm on my right side stroking with my right arm, holding the folding seat in my left hand. I am laboring to swim and getting no where fast. This is when panic set it, I am about to drown, I can't believe this is the end for me, in the distance I see the brake lights of my wife's car at the boat ramp waiting for me to arrive which should have been some time ago. I am expierencing thoughts and emotions that I've never expierenced before. What can I do, what can I do, what do I do I don't want to drown, I've got to get out of this cold water. I then think open the folding seat which I do and slide it under my chest. It works, it's helping keep me afloat. I continue to swim with every bit of effort I had in me. I see a stump in the distance which I swim to and think I'm going to take a break and catch my wind. Within less than a minute I'm thinking I have to get out of this cold water. I push off and swim more, get to another stump and rest maybe 30 seconds and continue onward. I finally make to my neighbors boat house and reach his stairs. I had to literally dragged myself up on the stairs and I reach for the folding seat and it literally weighs about 40 pounds. I don't think it would have floated or had much more buoyancy to it much longer. I get into the house and call Jan which was freaking out at the ramp waiting for me to arrive. Never once did I feel cold or had the shivers, not sure why that is, maybe because the water temp is 60*.

NEVER once did it cross my mind to wear my PFD, I know better and I know I should have had it on but the thought to get it out the front compartment and put it on never crossed my mind until I needed and couldn't have it.

Thank god your alive i have heard way to many stories of boats sinking lately and all of them have been very lucky thank god.

Man im glade your still here to tell the story

Thank, God you made it out OK! Sometimes I regret not having foam in my boat...

Everybody needs to be so careful on the water even wearing pfd you can still get killed.

Scary shit. Been there done that.

Glad you made it out ok!

Glad you made it out, okay. Thanks for the read.

.....and Giga will be here in 3, 2, 1.....

Glad you're ok! Did you recover your boat? Not proud of this fact but, i've sunk every boat i've had except the newest one. Some deep, some shallow and it takes seconds for it to go down literally. Was fortunate to not lose my life, much gear or boat each time but its a scary deal for sure!

Great advice. Glad you made it. Did you find your boat?

Watched a man drown in 1978 off Lake Bistineau Dam in NW Louisiana. Him and his friend were retrieving striper baits snagged on a log. Water was full of turbulence, and both individuals were not wearing PFD's. Using an old Skeeter original bass boat made in the 60's(?), motor also did not have reverse. Needless to say, a train wreck waiting to happen....

As both went into the water, a good bit of laughter ensued from the fellow fisherman around them. After the third time they went under, panic changed the mood of everyone witnessing the tragedy. Fortunately, one was able to grab the lifeline and be rescued. The one who lost his life....? Remember his glazed over eyes as if it happened today, looking at all of us as he went with the strong undertow for the last time......You coulda heard a pin drop with the water rushing across the concrete structures....

Thank you so much for sharing your post. It was as COME TO JESUS moment in my life when I witnessed this terrible event, and to this day I NEVER while ina boat do not wear a PFD while the boat is in operation. I wish more people would as well.

Glad you are telling your own story. But it will not make one difference I bet to those that think they are too cool to wear a pfd. I always had mine on. it got so that I did not even know I had it own anymore.

I never sunk the boat, but I have taken a plunge in very cold water when the wind took the bow out from under me while I was hopping over to the bulkhead. 7ft of water.

Yes the insurance company sent a diver to retrieve the bait which they did Friday before last. It was in 20' of water. I towed it to the landing and he put it on the trailer and hauled it to Houston to a storage yard. I heard from adjuster last week and it seems they are going to total it.