During my lifetime, I can recall no fewer than 8 aquaintances and friends who died on the water. In everything from a rowboat to a Chesapeak Deadrise. In each and every case, foolishness paid a big part, no matter the experience on the water. In one case, it was SIX DECADES WHEN DRINK AND COLD WATER (43 DEG) took his life as he and a helper attempted to take squid from a trap. Less than 100 yds from shore. BOTH DIED.
The Deadrise had a full load of fish on board, 50-60 miles N/E of the Montauk Light when they waited 3 or 4 hours too long. And as the Gordon Lightfoot song says "she...broke deep..." . Another friend who was also headed for Lake Montauk say the boat hit the face of a large swell, and not come out the other side.
Another went stringing for coot with a friend in nasty December weather. All they found of him was a foot in a hunting boot the next spring on the shore of Gardiner's Island, thou his friends body was recovered within 24 hours.
When I was salvage diving in LA CA, a Abalone Diver's boat turtled, and he sat on the overturned hull for 4 days, the last two with the body of his partner, who died of exposure. The diver lived because he was TOUGH as nails and kept his full wetsuit on.
Not to say that I didn't do stupid things on the water, I did. Not the least of which was surfing in Hurricane surf. At one point I fell off, lost my board about 30 yards from shore, intio a BAD rip. It took me a half hour of steady swiming to make the beach. Praised God, loaded my bioard, and went home. NEVER did that again.
But NORMALLY sanity overcame my brain while doing stupid things, and I'd head for the beach. Maybe that's why I'm here and they are not.
