or how about we
don’t.
What would be the point? Does drowning somehow imbue the deceased with a quality that merits absolute strangers donate? If so, Why?
People die all the time. Its one of those certainties of life. He made some poor choices and paid for it. Sad, but not nearly as sad as a lot of things.
besides
– Last Updated: Dec-14-06 4:21 PM EST –
We already have plenty of reasons to rag on alabama.
And I'm guessing the "friend" was an alabaman.
What were the police supposed to do?
A grown man disappeared. You may not realize it, but you have that right. You have the freedom to walk away and NOT be found if you do not wish it so. The police do not need to be in the business of looking for anyone that is 24 hours over-due unless there is REASON for them to do so. From my understanding of the story the police were contacted and simply told that an adult male was missing. NO mention of a river or a kayak. After a prescribed amount of time, the missing report was filed. When it became apparent that the man had been in a river, a broad search was conducted.
But folks, know this. If he was found in the water, out of his kayak, and in the temperatures that were forecast… he was dead LONG before anyone, even his girl-friend knew he was missing. So the slagging on the police about the amount of taxes paid or how good one states search and rescue is versus another is a waste of breath. IT would never have been a search and rescue, but almost certainly a search and recovery.
NO ONE needs to be blamed in this except for the paddler. Not his girl and certainly not the volunteers that would have been called out to find his carcass.
Why not? Why should
the police search for a “missing” adult at all unless there is reason to suspect foul play?
Its not the polices job to hold your hand. Christ,can you imagine the number of false calls that they would have to go on because someone just wanted to go away?
Who’s whining? I just want y’all to
use these forums the way they CLEARLY were designed to be used. It is remarkable how puerile, touchy, and resistant to prior structure people are on this board. I NEVER get in trouble on BoaterTalk, but here if I call someone on an obviously incorrect decision, several whiners will always show up.
I also question the posting of river death stories by people who lack even a remote connection to the events. I usually only published details of deaths that pertained to my club or neighboring clubs in the SE.
Who’s the voyeur here? You buzzards.
Thanks, joemess. After reviewing, I
think this is as good as any a way to die. I’ll keep it in mind, as my accidental death policy pays much more than my life insurance policy.
exclusions …
Most accidental life insurance polices carry a shopping list of exclusions, such as suicide, hang gliding, skydiving, and other high risk recreational sports.
You might want to read the fine print on your policy – and even if kayaking is not excluded I’m not so sure that going out in 14 degree weather in December wouldn’t give the insurance company grounds to claim that you inflicted intentional personal injury and might void your policy.
What were the police supposed to do?
– Last Updated: Dec-15-06 7:29 PM EST –
Respond, that's what they're supposed to do. Ask a few questions maybe? Like - Why do you think he's "missing"? Was he expected back at a certain time? Was he upset when you last saw him? ect.....
Not "come back when he's been gone 48hrs"
& to the poster who felt it necessary to personally attack me with the "anger" comment, I am not angry, just adamantly opposed to public employees who make excuses for not assisting the public, that's what we get paid to do, & some quite well also.
Again, as a public employee myself, I can assure you that had an "important" offical walked through the door (anywhere) to report a missing family member they certainly would not have been told to return later - & we don't work exclusively for them.
Always glad to be of help.
Geeze, maybe we can all get
chips implanted in our butts so that we can be located.
It still would have been a body recovery. As liberal as I am, I do know that if the police had to chase down every single ADULT that was reported missing because they are not home due to screwing around on their spouse, drinking at the bar, or just did not check in the police would get even less done. There has to be a limit.
Oh, your “I am a public employee” is about as impressive as G2D’s " I was an editor" comment. Whoopie shit. Unless youare in the same county as these guys, you have no clue what their manpower, funding, or abilities are.
joemess
– Last Updated: Dec-16-06 12:19 PM EST –
Being condescending does not help your argument.
I've worked in several Counties-thank you, & public service "resouces" are directly related to population.
I never argued whether the person would have lived or died, simply that 48hrs is a ridculous standard that doesn't apply to all. I never said every report should be "chased", but in most cases people are told that the "procedure" is to wait 48hrs (unless you're "important" that is) so please return when that time has elasped. No further questions are usually asked.
Change the procedures, they don't work.
Nothing is more important than the life of a human being. The minute we think that the individual life is "less" important, the less human we are.
(on edit - thankfully missing children are handled differently, but if I could implant a locating "chip" in every child born & be assured that no parent would ever suffer the tremendous pain & grief of a lost or missing child, I would gladly do so..)
rwen-- if so, they should void policies
for accidental deaths in Atlanta traffic!
Amen
I stopped to talk to a police officer last summer to report a description of a car who’s driver had just done a hit-and-run. He was obviously taking a break and I wasn’t keeping him from anything important, but he told me he couldn’t take information from anybody except the victim of the crime. I bit my tongue and avoided calling him a lazy bastard on the public dole, and said “what if the victim wasn’t quick enough to get a vehicle description and licence number? Please take the information so you’ll have it if the victim does NOT have it.” He was really pissed, but he wrote down the info. Probably just threw it in the trash. And public employees wonder why they are hated so.
so typical g2d …
… when cornered, change the topic …
well there you go
I’m sure that’s the tack they’ll take
(“save the children!”)
did I ever tell you bout my uncle Ernie?
puerile, touchy and resistant?
That’s ironic.
Cornered? I was just joking.
I don’t recall being cornered on paddling.net in a lllooooonnnnnngggg time. Coronered, yes, as in bored silly.
are we looking at a circle here?
Let’s see, if most – or even some – of the general public believe as you do, and,
Once one recognizes that our “public servants” are actually public “employees”,
Why do we insist that they be god-like instead of people like you and I who are just doing their jobs?
As my brother was racing me to the airport last year at speeds approaching 85 mph, being a visitor to his urban world, I asked if he wasn’t worried about getting a speeding ticket. His response: did you ever see someone getting a speeding ticket when it’s raining hard?
My experience also shows that if one approaches a public employee with an attitude such as the one you displayed here they are going to do anything, and everything, they can to NOT do what YOU want THEM to do. It’s basic human nature, and the sooner you learn it the better off you will be (and your life will be less stressful, too!).
you’re right
– Last Updated: Dec-18-06 11:18 AM EST –
Because really no one gives a damn. We could care less about what you did on your watch as an "editor", you can slink back to it and no one would miss you. This site functions just fine. Sorry for the harsh translation but the previous responses apparently weren't breaking through your ego.
I have to question the intelligence of someone who doesn't see the usefulness of discussing paddling accidents.