Seanook Posted May 28, 2012 Report Share Posted May 28, 2012 So, as has been widely reported this weekend, someone has tragically drowned while trying to swim in the Whirpool. News reports stated that a 22 year old Man entered the pool to cool off on Saturday and was swept away by the current as horrified onlookers could do nothing but watch. This is another senseless tragedy. I cannot count how many times I've seen people swimming at the pool. Just last week my brother climbed out on a rock to net some minnows and dropped his cell phone in. He immediately went in after it! I freaked out. He was able to retrieve the stupid phone but I was furious. He didn't understand why I was so angry. He says to me "I didn't even feel any current" and "If it was that dangerous there would be signs all over the place". 5 minutes later he watched the current change in an instant. Going from what appeared to be a very calm eddy to boiling whirlpool in what would be to quick for any man to recognize and retreat quick enough from. He is a newbie and I had warned him repeatedly but he must have felt that the appearance of the water was safe enough at the time......WRONG!. There need to be more signs. Big, bold signs. Maybe a death count with the date of last deceased. It seems like common sense but people keep tempting fate. I see it every time I go down. A few weeks ago I watched a man play frisbee with his beautiful chocolate Lab. The frisbee must have gone in the water with the dog following in after to retrieve it, over 15 times before I decided I didn't want to see this dog drown and gave the owner a stern warning and lesson. He was astonished at the thought that this body of water was that dangerous. I was thinking "You gotta be kidding me. This doesn't look dangerous to you?......Are we looking at the same thing?....Are you a complete moron?" The Whirpool needs more damn signs!. I don't wan't more signs but I think it has become a necessity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ogliq2 Posted May 28, 2012 Report Share Posted May 28, 2012 The Whirpool needs more damn signs!. I don't wan't more signs but I think it has become a necessity. It's been said that genius has it's limitations, but stupidity has no boundaries ..... All you have to do is look out over the pool from the aerocar platform to see the awesome power and constantly changing currents. Maybe you should have to complete an IQ test before being allowed to proceed down the stairs.... I really don't think more signs will help, but i like the statistical sign idea ..."Maybe a death count with the date of last deceased": Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seanook Posted May 28, 2012 Author Report Share Posted May 28, 2012 It's been said that genius has it's limitations, but stupidity has no boundaries ..... All you have to do is look out over the pool from the aerocar platform to see the awesome power and constantly changing currents. Maybe you should have to complete an IQ test before being allowed to proceed down the stairs.... I really don't think more signs will help, but i like the statistical sign idea ..."Maybe a death count with the date of last deceased": Well there is a sign in one of the warehouses I frequent that has a work related injury status report on the wall. It includes the number of WRI's on the premisis and the number of days since the last one. That is kinda where that idea came from. I don't know if it will prevent anything but having something similar at the Pool at least will give me something to reference when trying to convince morons and their dogs that it isn't in their best interest to test the Beast. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bryan Posted May 28, 2012 Report Share Posted May 28, 2012 I wonder if they will ever make that place off limits to the public? It would really suck to loose such a great fishing spot... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmate Posted May 28, 2012 Report Share Posted May 28, 2012 missed the big event by 24 hours each way.. fished the pool friday and sunday. The cops were out looking for the body right in front of me with no luck on sunday. Did pretty well down there as far as fishing goes. Smoked one of the bows i got for dinner today Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larry b Posted May 28, 2012 Report Share Posted May 28, 2012 Put the sign up in several languages as its an international tourist attraction Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Horrorshowrot Posted May 28, 2012 Report Share Posted May 28, 2012 Really people actually try to swim there? I guess it helps out the gene pool. I am sorry but if you believe you can "conquer" the current there you are a damn fool. It changes in a heart beat plus you can't see undertows... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smerchly Posted May 29, 2012 Report Share Posted May 29, 2012 I consider the rapids below the whirlpool more dangerous . The rocks get moss covered and very slippery .....one slip and you are a goner . Anglers have fished there at night and that can be even more treacherous . Make sure your feet are well planted on a spot where landing a fish is safe and always be wary of the slimmed up rocks . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seanook Posted May 29, 2012 Author Report Share Posted May 29, 2012 I consider the rapids below the whirlpool more dangerous . The rocks get moss covered and very slippery .....one slip and you are a goner . Anglers have fished there at night and that can be even more treacherous . Make sure your feet are well planted on a spot where landing a fish is safe and always be wary of the slimmed up rocks . Oh god yes. The rapids down there are ridiculous. Took a climb around the rocks down there a few weeks ago and the rocks closest to the water are very slippery. I was using my hands and knees to navigate around pretty quickly after discovering that. Anyone with a brain would learn very quickly that it's probably not the best spot to goof around. That being said, I would be willing to bet that less accidents happen there because even an idiot can see the danger. The Pool for whatever reason seems to attract fools who think it might be a safe enough place to take a dip or jump from the rocks on the south end into the water (yes, I have actually seen that). And on most of those occasions I'm pretty sure there is also Beer and doobies involved. Great combo eh? "Lets climb on down into the Gorge with a case of beer and a bag of weed, get inebriated and eventually end up taking a dip in a virtual meat grinder". I can totally see the appeal there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveC Posted May 29, 2012 Report Share Posted May 29, 2012 I gave my wife an earfull last year....she likes to wander around talking to everyone and checking things out. I had just seen her like 10 mins ago, then all of a sudden she had vanished. I was panicking....thinking, crap did she fall in or what? I quickly started searching for her. Then I spotted her over on those rocks way over to the right of the heli pad. You know the rocks where its a straight drop into the water with no shoreline. I yelled at her to get off of there....When she came back over to where I was. We had a heated discussion....I told her you ever go over there, or anywhere where I cant see you....I will never bring you with me again. I went on to explain, if you fall....one slip, and its game over your a goner. I cant rescue you, and niether will anyone else. She was sorry for what she had caused me...and said it would never happen again. Her excuse was she never really thought of how dangerous it is. And as long as your on the rock....your ok, but like Seanook says, you fall in and its see ya later....the undertow will drag you away. There needs to be a sign at the top of the stairs, of the dangers in the pool. Maybe when we refer to it as " THE POOL" people think...hey, lets go get pie eyed and swim the pool. Dumb for sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seanook Posted May 29, 2012 Author Report Share Posted May 29, 2012 "And on most of those occasions I'm pretty sure there is also Beer and doobies involved. Great combo eh? "Lets climb on down into the Gorge with a case of beer and a bag of weed, get inebriated and eventually end up taking a dip in a virtual meat grinder". I can totally see the appeal there". To be clear here. I was not insinuating that the man who lost his life Saturday was doing any of the above things, other than trying to cool off. It is my understanding that alchohol was not believed to be a factor in this case. By all accounts he's been reported to have been an upstanding hardworking, nice guy who made a fatal but silly mistake. Tragic. I feel for his family. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveC Posted May 29, 2012 Report Share Posted May 29, 2012 Tragic for sure.....I have seen so much crazy stuff down there. I watched a guy jump in and swim back to shore while he was fishing on that rock that is exposed when the water is low. His family was busy eating donuts and drinking coffee when someone noticed the water in behind him. He was too busy paying attention to fishing, the water came up behind him and he was straned on the rock.....he went in waist deep, but if you know where Im talking about the current sweeps in behind that rock with a pretty good force. For sure needs to be some signs of the dangers. Young life snuffed out over a bad decision. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smerchly Posted May 30, 2012 Report Share Posted May 30, 2012 That must be the "Italo Rock" you're talking about Dave .... I fished from that rock many years ago and I noticed the water rising . I got off that rock pronto and didn't get my feet wet ! That's another good point to mention how the water can fluctuate very quickly . I agree a sign should be put up to say NO SWIMMING in the whirlpool . A good picture of a swimmer with an "X" sign would serve all languages . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveC Posted May 30, 2012 Report Share Posted May 30, 2012 That must be the "Italo Rock" you're talking about Dave .... I fished from that rock many years ago and I noticed the water rising . I got off that rock pronto and didn't get my feet wet ! That's another good point to mention how the water can fluctuate very quickly . I agree a sign should be put up to say NO SWIMMING in the whirlpool . A good picture of a swimmer with an "X" sign would serve all languages . I never knew it had a name....did Italo fall in off it or something? Last year my buddy was with me and he put his bag down on a rock and was walking the shoreline doing some drifts...and I had to call him out quick that his bag was floating in the water...It rises fast when they open the gates. 20 mins later, that same rock he set his bag on was 5ft below the water. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Horrorshowrot Posted May 30, 2012 Report Share Posted May 30, 2012 The water rises quick time. I have seen it go up a few feet in like 10 minutes or less. Its crazy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larry b Posted June 24, 2012 Report Share Posted June 24, 2012 Apparently there was another one yesterday Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Horrorshowrot Posted June 24, 2012 Report Share Posted June 24, 2012 Any info on what happened or was it just someone being stupid? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larry b Posted June 25, 2012 Report Share Posted June 25, 2012 Was sent a link to the standard.ca for 06/24/2012 that said man found floating in whirlpool,they sent choppers in to pick him up.at the time they didn't suspect fowl play Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larry b Posted June 25, 2012 Report Share Posted June 25, 2012 They found him yesrterday afternoon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blue pilgrim Posted June 25, 2012 Report Share Posted June 25, 2012 Male from stateside. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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