By Ed Snyder/Outdoors
Every year we read about, or know of someone who drowned either by accident or by simply enjoying a favorite aquatic sport. Although alcohol plays into the cause of many of these incidents, inexperience or misjudgments can be blamed for most. Drownings along the Texas Gulf Coast mainly involve anglers who’ve entered the surf for fishing, or visitors who’ve waded into the surf to cool off or play in it. In one horrible incident at San Luis Pass five members of one family drowned. Several such incidents have occurred in or around our coastal passes or bays.
I, myself, have had several near misses when wading the surf or passes. Some with sharks involved and others with porpoise or stingray. You have to remember that when you’re entering the surf you are wading into danger with every step you take. But my most frightening incident occurred in my teens. An inexperienced 15 year old back then was setting out decoys for a duck hunt when I slipped under the surface. My old pair of canvas chest waders filled up with water in a hurry weighing me down and keeping me from reaching the surface. Suddenly, several hands reached in and pulled me out. My hunting buddies had seen what happened and came to my rescue. If it hadn’t been for my hunting friends I wouldn’t be here writing this today. That’s a good lesson to you all, never wade into the water alone!

Top: Rescuer on the right manged to get the victum in reach of helping hands. Bottom: Rescuer was totaly exhausted and had to be rescued himself. A true HERO, folks.
The following remarks are from those who are experienced wade fishermen:
Gary Fruge’: Safety points on fishing the surf out in front of Rollover Pass. When west winds prevail look out for westerly tidal rips, when Easterly winds prevail, look out for easterly tidal rips, and when North winds prevail, watch out for quick tide changes. If it is chest deep, the tide can sweep your feet out from under you taking you with it. If this happens ALWAYS swim at a 45 degree angle towards shore. If you are caught in this situation and being swept out to sea, DROP YOUR FISHING ROD and other gear and start swimming. Most importantly be courteous to other anglers in case you need their help.

O’Neal moving in to help rescue stranded wade fisherman
Scott Ray, another experienced wade angler of Rollover, stated, “ The veteran anglers know when it’s not safe, if some well-known speck fishermen are watching, instead of wading, there’s a good reason. Here’s a good rule for rookies, never wade the surf on an incoming tide.”
“As a “former” wade angler (salt-legger), I’ve spent 68 years in the surf, bays, and lakes fishing for “whatever” swimming in those waters, taking chances and feeling bullet proof. As I recall those many years I feel the cold chill of what would’ve happened in any one of those incidents when I was alone, struggling to stay afloat to survive the tides that were pulling me away from safety. I’ve enjoyed many exciting moments from wade-fishing, but just as many close calls and near misses. I learned the hard way to keep it safe when wading. But, there are some who didn’t heed those warnings and experienced death by drowning instead.”

Wade fishing is completely safe and relaxing when done right
Re-read the above causes of drowning and heed the warnings by experienced pro-waders Gary Fruge’, Scott Ray and Charles O’Neal, because it just might save your life one day!

DON’T END UP LIKE THIS!! Be carefull and heed the warnings
What’s it like to drown? Well maybe the following will answer that question. There are typically five stages to a drowning:
This Ed Snyder/Outdoors Article Sponsored by; Miss Nancy’s Bait Camp, Crystal Beach Local News.Com, The Beach Triton, and Fishing World.Com
I remember an incident at San Luis Pass, back in the ’70’s it seems, where four of five brothers drowned, the surviving brother being a 16 year old twin to one of the victims. The worst incident I can recall, but see nor hear no mention of it for years now. Don’t understand how anyone could ever forget that.
A lot of what you have hopefully just read has happened to me also after wading for 50 plus years. I used to be on the swimming team in school and was a great swimmer from very early on. I won’t repeat all the things that happened to me over the years but let me just say this. You should read the above stories over and over again until they sink into your head. All of them are true and they happen almost every day some where along some body of water in Texas.Please Believe it before its too late to save your own life.