I’m known to my friends and peers as a safety nerd. I have been on a first name basis with the weathermen in the towns in which I have coached and am always among the first to pull my crews if there is a hint of thunder or if I think the water isn’t safe. I am, I think, on the overly-cautious side when it comes to safety and my crews, and I am proud of that almost to the point of arrogance.

At Wisconsin, the men’s coaches all wear life vests when on the water. While I agreed that it was a really good idea to do so, I could always rationalize that, because I was so safety-conscious, I didn’t need to. I didn’t want to. They were uncomfortable and cumbersome, not to mention unflattering. I wouldn’t put myself in the position to need one, and if I did, there were two bags of them in the launch with me. I am basically a stubborn fool who is also one very lucky coach, because I got to learn a really hard lesson the easy way.

On a chilly morning in Florida during our recent training trip, wearing enough clothing to keep me warm in Wisconsin, my driver’s attention wavered for a moment, and she put our launch head-on into a channel marker. I went right over the front and into the channel. We were going fast enough that it threw her forward so she lost control of the boat, and when I surfaced from my front-flip entry, I saw the stern of the boat coming directly for me. I was able to deflect it just as she reached the handle, keeping my legs out from under the prop, but found myself trying to tread water in four layers of clothing including a down and gortex jacket and boots. I was shocked. The water was cold and the launch was getting further and further from me. It was hard to get a full breath –- cold water, shock, and fear -- and the weight of my clothing wasn’t making it easier. I am a very strong swimmer, but I was scared. 

I needed a life vest, I didn’t have one and lived to talk about it. My crew didn’t have to watch me drown in front of them. I didn’t hit that pylon as I went in and the engine didn’t run me over, so my launch driver doesn’t have to live with my death on her conscience, although she also learned a very hard lesson the easy way. I get to keep doing what I love. With a life vest on …