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Man treads water for 20 hours so he can retire
Old 06-03-2016, 06:28 PM   #1
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Man treads water for 20 hours so he can retire

Some recent news DW pointed me to (link has auto-start video among lots of ads):

Man Treads Water for 20 Hours While Awaiting Rescue After Fall From Fishing Boat - Inside Edition

"A 61-year-old man stranded in the Gulf of Mexico without a life jacket, tread water for 20 hours in a desperate bid to stay alive.

William Durden fell off his fishing boat Wednesday while fishing alone. He somehow was able to tread water off the coast of Florida for all those hours while awaiting rescue."

""I was thinking, I am so close at retiring at my present job, I am not going to get ripped off and die out here, ” Durden said."
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Old 06-03-2016, 06:54 PM   #2
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If you live near the water everyone should learn drowned proof treading of water.
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Old 06-03-2016, 07:28 PM   #3
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That sounds like me during this last year, and especially this last month, prior to FIRE...
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Old 06-03-2016, 07:41 PM   #4
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Ah, actually treading water!! Not like the rest of us, doing it virtual-style!
Good for him!
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Old 06-03-2016, 08:03 PM   #5
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You sure his first name was William? Not Tyler?
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Old 06-03-2016, 08:35 PM   #6
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If you live near the water everyone should learn drowned proof treading of water.
When I was just a boy, I learned how to fully inflate my lungs and float on my back, without flailing around, slowly letting out air and then quickly re-inflating my lungs--which expends much less energy than "treading water." Your inflated lungs while floating on your back serve as an emergency life preserver of sorts. I still practice that back-floating technique when I'm at the local pool.
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Old 06-03-2016, 08:35 PM   #7
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I was thinking his name was Bob.


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Old 06-03-2016, 08:38 PM   #8
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When I was just a boy, I learned how to fully inflate my lungs and float on my back, without flailing around, slowly letting out air and then quickly re-inflating my lungs--which expends much less energy than "treading water." Your inflated lungs while floating on your back serve as an emergency life preserver of sorts. I still practice that back-floating technique when I'm at the local pool.

When I was in the Boy Scouts, we were taught to turn our pants into a makeshift life vest by tying the legs and using the belt to close the waist.


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Old 06-03-2016, 08:49 PM   #9
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When I was in the Boy Scouts, we were taught to turn our pants into a makeshift life vest by tying the legs and using the belt to close the waist.
Yes, I learned that, too,in Boy Scouts. It's one of those things that looks a lot easier in the Handbook than it turned out to be. I think that was the closest I ever came to drowning--while treading water, getting your wet pants off, tying off both legs, flailing the open waist of the pants through the air above your head to inflate them--it was a lot of work. I think I ingested a quart of water before I finished!
Good times! I float a lot better now than I did as a wiry 13 year old!
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Old 06-03-2016, 09:01 PM   #10
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Hmmmm......If I ever go out fishing or sailing by myself I think I'll wear a life vest!
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Old 06-03-2016, 09:48 PM   #11
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Yes, I learned that, too,in Boy Scouts. It's one of those things that looks a lot easier in the Handbook than it turned out to be. I think that was the closest I ever came to drowning--while treading water, getting your wet pants off, tying off both legs, flailing the open waist of the pants through the air above your head to inflate them--it was a lot of work. I think I ingested a quart of water before I finished!
Good times! I float a lot better now than I did as a wiry 13 year old!
+1

Can confirm. That pants off in the water then tie around the neck thing about did me in too.
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Old 06-03-2016, 10:08 PM   #12
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When I was just a boy, I learned how to fully inflate my lungs and float on my back, without flailing around, slowly letting out air and then quickly re-inflating my lungs--which expends much less energy than "treading water." Your inflated lungs while floating on your back serve as an emergency life preserver of sorts. I still practice that back-floating technique when I'm at the local pool.
My father use to do this to relax in our backyard pool when I was young. Can't say he actually took a nap that way but he would spend an hour or more and come in refreshed.
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Old 06-04-2016, 05:38 AM   #13
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Much easier to go underwater to remove your pants, shoes, etc. That way you're not fighting to keep your head above water while doing that.
Also had it in boy scouts then again a few times during my career since I flew on helicopters offshore occasionally.
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Old 06-04-2016, 06:33 AM   #14
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When I was at the US Naval Academy, one of the requirements to graduate was to jump in the pool fully clothed and swim around for 45 minutes like that. There was a requirement for how many laps you had to complete (something like 20 laps in an Olympic-sized pool) and you could not touch the side of the pool at any time (it was too deep for anyone to touch bottom). That was really, really hard. I can't imagine what it would take to swim for 20 hours in the open ocean.
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Old 06-04-2016, 08:30 AM   #15
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When I was in the Navy there were various swim requirements. Which I couldn't/can't pass. More a needle dropped in water kinda guy. Operated schmooze mode to get my name on the fulfilled requirements list.

Decided no one was swimming to shore from mid-Pacific anyway, but did have a good looking inflatable vest with extra CO2 cartridges on the off chance I ended up in the water with no floating boat around.
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Old 06-04-2016, 09:33 AM   #16
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When I was in the Boy Scouts, we were taught to turn our pants into a makeshift life vest by tying the legs and using the belt to close the waist.
I remember quite a few years ago a US Navy sailor fell off an aircraft carrier (I think it was at night) and used this technique until his ship ultimately found him.

As to the original posting here, all I can say is WOW that is one truly motivated guy.
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Old 06-04-2016, 10:22 AM   #17
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Another good reason for pensions.
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Old 06-04-2016, 04:27 PM   #18
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Another good reason for pensions.

But pensions sometimes "sink" when the sponsoring company "goes under".


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Old 06-04-2016, 05:46 PM   #19
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But pensions sometimes "sink" when the sponsoring company "goes under".
Don't be a downer. The idea of collecting saved this guy's life!
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Old 06-05-2016, 02:23 PM   #20
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Don't be a downer. The idea of collecting saved this guy's life!

At least he didn't get into his situation "on porpoise"


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