SemperFiDawg
Political Forum Arbiter of Truth (And Lies Too)
Was mullet fishing in the middle of the Oconee River today with my 5 and 12 year old sons.
About 6-8 women came floating by on floats and we made small talk. Oddly enough it turned to gators and they said they hadn't seen any and I told them I hadn't either, but I knew they were in the river, because I had seen them several miles down. They floated on down and my 5 year old was playing in the water just above me. There was a submerged sandbar in the middle of the river. It was about 2-3 foot deep. We were all standing in the water and only had a kayak anchored with us to keep our bait, drinks and supplies in. I happened to look up and saw a BIG gator swimming about 35 yards up river swimming away from us. I told my 5 y/o to come to me. I've never been scared of gators before. It's always been my opinion that if you leave them alone they left you alone, but I wanted my younger son closer just in case.
The gator swam on up the river about another 50 yards and proceeded to do what gators generally do.....just sit there next to the bank. My 12 y/o son decided he wanted to go get some fishing line from the bank so he swam over(about 70 yards opposite bank) got out and got the line and proceeded to jump back in and swim back toward me. I looked up just to check on the gator and he was cutting a wake right toward my son. It was almost surreal how fast that gator was moving. I yelled for him to swim like crazy to me at the kayak and I took off running through the water trying to put myself between the gator and my son, yelling, splashing and waving my arms like a madman. The gator initially paid no attention to me, or didn't notice me and veered toward me as my son got closer. My son reached the kayak and the gator finally noticed me and stopped about 20-25 yards away from us. I picked up rocks and threw, yelled and continued to be as menacing as i could, but it was very hesitant to leave, eventually taking up station about 75 yard up river and on the left bank. Our exit was on the right bank. I had threw my 5 year old in the yak at some point. I don't even remember when, but we were in a pickle. I found myself in the middle of the river with 2 children, 1 kayak, no phone, no one in sight, and no reason to expect anyone, knowing to get out we were gonna have to swim for it. I didn't panic, but there was no good solution. I didn't want to try to swim for it because I had seen how fast that gator could swim and knew there was no way we would make it if it decided to come again, especially with me having to push my 5 y/o son in the kayak while the 12 y/o swam. I thought maybe we could try to wade down the river and come out on a rock shoal so we tried but it kept getting deeper and deeper very quickly so that was a no go. we went back up and positioned ourself in the shallowest water i could find which was rocky but about 2 foot deep. From there I hoped we could go up the river and try to cross. It would move us slightly closer to the gator, but would mean the swim wouldn't be quiet as far. That's what we did. I angled us up the river but away from the gator and got to a point where we wouldn't have to swim about 20 yards. I told my 12 y/o son to SWIM and he made the bank in no time. I check the gator hadn't moved and couldn't see him anymore. I shoved the kayak with my 5 y/o son toward my son on the bank as hard as I could being neck deep in water and quickly caught up to it and steered it to the bank. It was very steep and as soon as the kayak hit the bank i turned it sideways and my 12 y/o grabbed the 5 y/o and got as far up the bank as they could. I waited there chest deep in water until they cleared the top of the bluff and floated with the yak down about 30 yards to where we had put in at. I got out, pulled the yak out and sent the kids to fetch my phone from the truck. I called 911 and asked that the warden be notified. I could see the gator again and Thank God he was on the other side of the river. I just sat and watched him. Pretty sure I couldn't have walked if I wanted to. The Warden called me back in a while and while I was speaking with him the gator came back across the river to our side and settled about 70 yards up stream. Initially I had thought he was 6-8 foot long judging from snout to brow, but seeing him from higher vantage point on the bank, I could see he was probable 8-10 foot, but not super wide. Just as he went behind some flotsam a local gator trapper showed up. I don't know who called him, 911 or the Warden, but the Warden knew him when I told him who had showed up. I got off the phone with the Warden and relayed the story again to him. He said he had seen a 10 footer here before and that from what he had seen recently the gators are very hungry due to low water levels, and that the gator had simple seen my son as an available food source. I had pretty much guessed the same, but it dang sure wasn't any more reassuring. The plan is to try to pattern the gator, catch it and who knows from there. I told him all my life I've respected gators, but not been afraid of them, but that today had changed all that. He said they are apex predators and if you are in the water, or near the water, then you are on the food chain. I guess in theory I've always known that, but today did away with my thinking about it on a theoretical basis. It was real, and if it wasn't for the grace of God we would be dragging the river for my son tonight. I won't be sleeping much tonight, but Thank God it's not because of that.
About 6-8 women came floating by on floats and we made small talk. Oddly enough it turned to gators and they said they hadn't seen any and I told them I hadn't either, but I knew they were in the river, because I had seen them several miles down. They floated on down and my 5 year old was playing in the water just above me. There was a submerged sandbar in the middle of the river. It was about 2-3 foot deep. We were all standing in the water and only had a kayak anchored with us to keep our bait, drinks and supplies in. I happened to look up and saw a BIG gator swimming about 35 yards up river swimming away from us. I told my 5 y/o to come to me. I've never been scared of gators before. It's always been my opinion that if you leave them alone they left you alone, but I wanted my younger son closer just in case.
The gator swam on up the river about another 50 yards and proceeded to do what gators generally do.....just sit there next to the bank. My 12 y/o son decided he wanted to go get some fishing line from the bank so he swam over(about 70 yards opposite bank) got out and got the line and proceeded to jump back in and swim back toward me. I looked up just to check on the gator and he was cutting a wake right toward my son. It was almost surreal how fast that gator was moving. I yelled for him to swim like crazy to me at the kayak and I took off running through the water trying to put myself between the gator and my son, yelling, splashing and waving my arms like a madman. The gator initially paid no attention to me, or didn't notice me and veered toward me as my son got closer. My son reached the kayak and the gator finally noticed me and stopped about 20-25 yards away from us. I picked up rocks and threw, yelled and continued to be as menacing as i could, but it was very hesitant to leave, eventually taking up station about 75 yard up river and on the left bank. Our exit was on the right bank. I had threw my 5 year old in the yak at some point. I don't even remember when, but we were in a pickle. I found myself in the middle of the river with 2 children, 1 kayak, no phone, no one in sight, and no reason to expect anyone, knowing to get out we were gonna have to swim for it. I didn't panic, but there was no good solution. I didn't want to try to swim for it because I had seen how fast that gator could swim and knew there was no way we would make it if it decided to come again, especially with me having to push my 5 y/o son in the kayak while the 12 y/o swam. I thought maybe we could try to wade down the river and come out on a rock shoal so we tried but it kept getting deeper and deeper very quickly so that was a no go. we went back up and positioned ourself in the shallowest water i could find which was rocky but about 2 foot deep. From there I hoped we could go up the river and try to cross. It would move us slightly closer to the gator, but would mean the swim wouldn't be quiet as far. That's what we did. I angled us up the river but away from the gator and got to a point where we wouldn't have to swim about 20 yards. I told my 12 y/o son to SWIM and he made the bank in no time. I check the gator hadn't moved and couldn't see him anymore. I shoved the kayak with my 5 y/o son toward my son on the bank as hard as I could being neck deep in water and quickly caught up to it and steered it to the bank. It was very steep and as soon as the kayak hit the bank i turned it sideways and my 12 y/o grabbed the 5 y/o and got as far up the bank as they could. I waited there chest deep in water until they cleared the top of the bluff and floated with the yak down about 30 yards to where we had put in at. I got out, pulled the yak out and sent the kids to fetch my phone from the truck. I called 911 and asked that the warden be notified. I could see the gator again and Thank God he was on the other side of the river. I just sat and watched him. Pretty sure I couldn't have walked if I wanted to. The Warden called me back in a while and while I was speaking with him the gator came back across the river to our side and settled about 70 yards up stream. Initially I had thought he was 6-8 foot long judging from snout to brow, but seeing him from higher vantage point on the bank, I could see he was probable 8-10 foot, but not super wide. Just as he went behind some flotsam a local gator trapper showed up. I don't know who called him, 911 or the Warden, but the Warden knew him when I told him who had showed up. I got off the phone with the Warden and relayed the story again to him. He said he had seen a 10 footer here before and that from what he had seen recently the gators are very hungry due to low water levels, and that the gator had simple seen my son as an available food source. I had pretty much guessed the same, but it dang sure wasn't any more reassuring. The plan is to try to pattern the gator, catch it and who knows from there. I told him all my life I've respected gators, but not been afraid of them, but that today had changed all that. He said they are apex predators and if you are in the water, or near the water, then you are on the food chain. I guess in theory I've always known that, but today did away with my thinking about it on a theoretical basis. It was real, and if it wasn't for the grace of God we would be dragging the river for my son tonight. I won't be sleeping much tonight, but Thank God it's not because of that.
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