Another Sailor Dies When Least Expecting Trouble

Yesterday the Coast Guard suspended their search for a Lake Michigan sailor. The sailor had gotten in his dinghy alone and started out to his sailboat, and was not seen again. After he was reported missing, a search was conducted by boat and helicopter, and his dinghy was found adrift, but the sailor was not found. The most likely scenario is that he fell into the cold water, one way or another, and - mostly likely not wearing a PFD - quickly drowned. Unfortunately, his assumed death fits a pattern true of most sailing fatalities: they occur when the person least expects trouble and is therefore not wearing a PFD, and is likely inattentive to the risks present whenever one is on the water. Think you know when sailing is most dangerous? You might be greatly surprised to read these Coast Guard statistics about sailing fatalities.