Deadly Lake Mead Weekend---(Nevada)

CaptnKirk · 05-15-2006, 01:34 PM

Quote:

One teenager drowned, a San Diego man is believed to have drowned, and a woman was critically injured in separate incidents at Lake Mead over the weekend, authorities said.

Crews recovered the body of a 16-year-old boy who drowned Saturday night while swimming toward an island with his friend, said Roxanne Dey, a spokeswoman for the Lake Mead National Recreation Area.

When the boy cried for help, two more of his friends swam out to help him. While his friends reached him, the boy began experiencing trouble, went under and never resurfaced, Dey said.

Crews continued Sunday to search for another man believed to have drowned Friday afternoon.

A visitor reported that 39-year-old Thomas Washington Jr. of San Diego swam off a houseboat, went under the water and never came up again, Dey said.

"People really overestimate their swimming ability," Dey said. "People say, 'I'm a really good swimmer."' Well, do you swim laps in an Olympic-size pool, or do you just hang out in your backyard pool?

"When you get tired in a pool, you just grab onto a ledge," she said. "You can't do that in a lake."
In another incident Saturday, an 18-year-old woman from California was seriously injured after her 16-year-old friend drove their personal watercraft in front of a boat.

The 16-year-old driver of the boat tried to avoid the two, but hit the back end of the watercraft. The 18-year-old was hit several times by the boat propeller, causing severe injuries, Dey said.

The woman was airlifted to a Las Vegas hospital. She was in critical condition Sunday night. Dey did not release the woman's name or home town.

KLAS-TV

willycrumb · 05-15-2006, 02:15 PM

That lake can eat you up quik. Saw a guy that smacked the wall in a cove while waterskiing. He was dead when they got to the marina and less than 20 minutes later a guy backed up over his friend and killed him while backing down the ramp. I was just trying to get my slush puppy and I had to witness these two incendents.

I was there in 84 when there where two red flags with black ball. Hurricane winds. 75-80MPH and was camping on a beach about 5 miles from marina. I was 7 and I thought i would die. So many boats sunk that night.

lookslikeltdan · 05-15-2006, 03:58 PM

Unbelieveable!

My family and I are going out there Next Monday for a houseboat vacation. Is the lake already super crowded? I usually make the trip out to Mead earlier in the season to avoid the crowds (although I usually have to deal with a little more wind). My brother is coming down from Toronto Canada, and this was the only time we could work out together.

It really is terrible to hear things like that - I hope that is the last of the aweful stuff we hear for a while...

willycrumb · 05-15-2006, 05:57 PM

I go to mead twice a year and have never not had to deal with wind.

danketchpel · 05-15-2006, 06:10 PM

We were there in 2004. On one of the days we went out in complete still air and on the return trip we came around a bend in the canyons and all of a sudden the wind was blowing very hard, maybe 40mph? I'm not very good at judging wind speed, but needless to say it, was a pretty tough ride back in big wind whipped swells.

I couldn't believe how fast it changed in the space of 4 hours.

We were in the Temple Bar region.

willycrumb · 05-15-2006, 08:15 PM

When they get to about 4 foot rollers it is very fun. woopdeedoos.

groaty · 05-15-2006, 08:25 PM

damn i'm going to mead in october for part of my honeymoon. whats the weather out there like in october? will it still be warm?

willycrumb · 05-15-2006, 08:34 PM

Hit or miss

pyrogirl171 · 05-15-2006, 08:39 PM

The end of September and most of October are the best times to visit Lake Mead. The weather has cooled down a little, but the water is still warm. It's usually not windy. The best part is that most of the "summer warriors" are gone. If you visit during peak summer months, the lake isn't too bad during the week. Most of the morons come out to play on the weekends. I won't ride on the weekends until very late in the afternoon when most of the idiots have cleared out or passed out.

SFC A2 · 05-16-2006, 03:39 AM

Last summer right before WF's I thought I had lost my wife! Scarred the Sh*#!% out of me. She was riding her blaster & i was on the houseboat. We were about 10 mins. in to where the Lake opens up heading toward Temple Bar. Long story short the wind picked up she got knocked off the blaster, & the next thing you know the ski was gone. We couldn't see her through the swells. Me & my brother nearly sank the ski boat going out looking for her. Thank god for some boaters that to this day I am greatful for who found her still wading in the water for 7 HOURS. Luckily she didn't panic & kept her vest on because that is what saved her life! I don't know if I'll ever go back.