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PHOTOS: Promote safety only

| June 6, 2018 1:00 AM

Disappointing to see the picture accompanying the Thursday story about spring fishing on snow-fed runoff on local rivers. The picture of three persons and a dog on the St. Joe River near Marble Creek in a small rubber raft being rowed in turbulent water. No one, including the dog, was wearing PFDs! In addition, two were sitting on the gunwales fore and aft inviting falling off into water which probably ranged in the low 40s.

Have they or your photographer never read the advice on cold water immersion this time of year? The old adage of 50-50-30 still holds: (If you fall into 50-degree water, you have a 50 percent chance of surviving unless you are rescued in 30 minutes or less. PLEASE! Avoid promoting such practices and promote ALWAYS wear PFDs in boats. Oh, BTW, did Bartholdt wear seatbelts throughout his tour along the St. Joe River?

Stay Safe Out There! Thanks!

ROBERT S. WEST, MD, FACS

Coeur d’Alene