Would you let your 9 year old son go onto a river in a boat with your 25 year old future son in law ? February, cold day, the 25 year old is not a stranger to the river and is trustworthy as far as you know. You've know the 25 year old most of your life to an extent, he's been dating your oldest daugher for 7 months and he's a good guy.
Safety equipment? - yes
Water temp? - damn cold
Does the 9 year old know how to swim? - yes
Does the 25 year old have any physical or mental health problems?
Does he drink? Does he smoke dope or use other drugs? Is he mature? mature and no to the others
What kind of boat? Inboard? Outboard? Canoe? Raft? Cabin Cruiser? Yacht? 20' river boat, flat bottom, 9.9 hp
For how long? afternoon
Day or night trip? day, clear skies, not windy
River/current conditions? Depth? In a bay or eddy? 1'-10' deep river, fairly strong current in places .... just a normal river.
Other navigational questions? Obstacles? Hazards? normal river stuff
Other marine vehicles in the river at the same time? its a fished river yes, you never know how many boats or guys bank fishing at given times
What is in the boat? Any firearms? Alcohol? Equipment? fishing stuff, legal requirements on safety stuff
What is in direct proximity to the river? its a river going through countryside, rural areas
Is the river polluted? no
In general, how dangerous is the river? [/quote] compared to ??
When I was about 14, I went canoing with my cousin (about 20 years older than me, and his son, about 7 or 8 at the time. It was the fall in Michigan and the water was cold and high. Things were going great when we got to a downed tree spanning the river. It's the type that, when you duck, you sail right under. Except that, as I said, the water was high. The tip of the canoe just caught the tree, and then we were swimming in short order.
Were my cousins son and I "endangered?"
We had life vests on. We knew the area/ found a house quickly. Nothing bad happened. We got cold, we recovered. The situation was potentially dangerous, but the adult practiced reasonable safety.
As ya'll probably expect, the kid was my brother in law and the 25 year old was me. Dangerous situation ? Not really, I was raised on the river, know the shoals, the eddies, the currents, the flow ... I had fished the area hundreds of times never a problem.
Well long story short we both got knocked out of the boat and damn near drowned - literally. God smiled on us that day, I have little doubt of that.
Was the parents neglible, endangering their child by letting him go with me ? I don't think so, no, from my point of view as the guy that went that day. Not cocky or anything, I just know that river, know fishing, etc etc. Sometimes the unexpected happens, even when you're best prepared. Could have happend to the Croc Hunter, couls have happened to the 6 year old on the tractor, did happen to me only 1 day of the hundreds and hundreds of days I've fished.
My point ? Some say yeah, let the 9 year old go, no big deal, minimal risk. Other say a higher risk that they'd take. Two opinions, more if truth be known, but no clear cut right or wrong.
Answer this question please
