To sink or to float: That is the question when considering the use of a PFD.
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My family and I were up at our Puget Sound beach place on Camano Island in the dead of winter. I needed a moment of serenity after a niece’s birthday party left me reeling. The water was flat, so I dropped the 12-foot aluminum boat in the water for a solo cruise south along the shoreline.
At first, the cruise was going well. I made my way south toward the head of the island, where there are no shoreside beach cabins because of the high bluff. I then backtracked toward home.
Suddenly, I came upon an adult male standing on the beach, waving his arms. His jeans and winter flannel shirt were soaking wet—not ideal, given that the air temperature was in the high 40s. Then, I noticed a second man 50 yards from shore, struggling to swim. I pulled alongside, but he was too big to haul into my small boat. He wasn’t entirely coherent and was losing motor function, but was able to grab the side of the boat as I, with my free hand, grabbed the back of his heavy winter shirt. Slowly, I towed the guy to shore, where he crawled out of the water and proceeded to lie flat on the beach.
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