# Man killed in Steinhatchee while scalloping



## Parker Phoenix (Jul 20, 2009)

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,533874,00.html

If anyone has ever been scalloping in Steinhatchee you know how crowded it gets, then  to top it off anyone can drive a boat, and a lot of drinking goes on, you gotta be careful. Prayers sent to family.


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## saltlife addicts (Jul 20, 2009)

what an awful tragedy! There are laws that clearly state that you have to remain at idle speed within so many feet of a boat with a dive flag. you can never be careful enough.   Prayers sent.


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## 20ReevesCC (Jul 20, 2009)

We were down there this weekend not a good weekend really scalloping was nearly impossible cause the water was almost black and with a very heavy chop in the flats it was almost impossible to see people in the water im surprised there was only one as outta control as some folks are down there. I cant wait for the fall that's the best time to go imo.


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## FishingAddict (Jul 20, 2009)

I've never seen an out of control pontoon boat. Plus this one stopped and rendered aid. I wonder if the snorkeler was not marked and if the water had a lot of chop on it.

Prayers sent to the family.


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## shortround1 (Jul 20, 2009)

i always had a rope tied to the boat with me at all times. it get dangerous out their, prayers sent!


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## 20ReevesCC (Jul 20, 2009)

The diver did have flags according to the people at sea hag


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## Shine Runner (Jul 20, 2009)

sad............prayers for the family sent.......we always keep one person on the boat to help be a look out for other boats to try and wave them off if getting too close


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## volguy (Jul 20, 2009)

*scalloping*

i too am very curious as to what folks were doing out scalloping with the conditions on friday and saturday.  i canceled a trip down with some folks i was taking this past weekend b/c of the weather.  the seas on saturday were brutal down there.  man, there are just too many folks that make too many bad decisions in saltwater.  that has been very evident this year with all of the accidents on the water.


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## 20ReevesCC (Jul 20, 2009)

We only scalloped about 30 mins cause of the weather ended up fishin the whole time did fairly well despite the weather.


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## pottydoc (Jul 20, 2009)

FishingAddict said:


> I've never seen an out of control pontoon boat. Plus this one stopped and rendered aid. I wonder if the snorkeler was not marked and if the water had a lot of chop on it.
> 
> Prayers sent to the family.



What he said.

According to a post on FS, the guy was a long way from his boat. The report said 300 yards or so. I was there on Friday, the weather was great, the water clear. Both our boats limited in about an hour. On the way back in to Rocky Creek, we were idling dead slow past the 100 or so boats all over , on either side and in the channel. We had a woman swim to within about 20' of our boat, (from well over 100' away) before she heard us yelling at her and stuck her head up. Her husband swam about 25' behind us, and never looked at us at all. Point being, let's not be  quick to blame the boat operator. 

There's plenty of folks that pay no attention to how far they are from the boat, or other boats in the area.


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## grim (Jul 21, 2009)

From what i read, the scalloper was 300 feet from the dive flag/boat, which is the distance a boater is required to give.  That is a long way to be from the boat.  Its a tragedy for all involved.  Everyone should be more aware out there.


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## BANDT (Jul 21, 2009)

I've done that several times before but never got far from the boat. I wonder who was at fault? obviously theres more to the story that that.


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## 20ReevesCC (Jul 21, 2009)

pottydoc said:


> What he said.
> 
> According to a post on FS, the guy was a long way from his boat. The report said 300 yards or so. I was there on Friday, the weather was great, the water clear. Both our boats limited in about an hour. On the way back in to Rocky Creek, we were idling dead slow past the 100 or so boats all over , on either side and in the channel. We had a woman swim to within about 20' of our boat, (from well over 100' away) before she heard us yelling at her and stuck her head up. Her husband swam about 25' behind us, and never looked at us at all. Point being, let's not be  quick to blame the boat operator.
> 
> There's plenty of folks that pay no attention to how far they are from the boat, or other boats in the area.



YOU MUST HAVE BEEN SOME WHERE DIFFERENT THAN US CAUSE WHERE WE WERE THERE WERE 15+ MPH WINDS AND THE WATER WAS SO STAINED YOU COULDN'T SEE BOTTOM IN 6' OF WATER. WE WENT NORTH ON FRIDAY. BUT WHEN WE WENT SOUTH ON SAT AND SUN THE WATER WAS THE SAME DOWN THERE. LUCKY YOU


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## volguy (Jul 21, 2009)

*weather*

i didn't want to say anything b/c i never want to make anyone feel bad, but this past friday (July 17) 15 miles to the west of steinhatchee, a friend of mine came out of a river mouth and turned around and went back b/c it was 4-6 footers rolling in, a 25 mph wind with cloudy and misty conditions.  i canceled a trip down b/c of this.  saturday was even worse and they never left the house.  again, not trying to make anyone look bad, but there is no way anyone should have been out scalloping with weather like that.  really shouldn't have been out fishing with it that rough.


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## shaftslinger24 (Jul 22, 2009)

Friday and saturday, consider yourself fortunate if you could see the bottom very well at all. And even more so if you didn't choke from the 2-3 ft waves spilling in your snorkel in the flats.  You guys that said the weather was nice, I have no idea which Steinhatchee Florida you're referring to. In order for the weather to be considered "great", you must be either a windsurfer, or a sailboat junkie. Other than the unfortunate accident, and the weather, the fishing was pretty good.


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## pottydoc (Jul 27, 2009)

20ReevesCC said:


> YOU MUST HAVE BEEN SOME WHERE DIFFERENT THAN US CAUSE WHERE WE WERE THERE WERE 15+ MPH WINDS AND THE WATER WAS SO STAINED YOU COULDN'T SEE BOTTOM IN 6' OF WATER. WE WENT NORTH ON FRIDAY. BUT WHEN WE WENT SOUTH ON SAT AND SUN THE WATER WAS THE SAME DOWN THERE. LUCKY YOU



We launched at the ramp next to Gulfstream. Ran down to Pepper Fish. Got towed back in after motor problems to Rocky Creek.The conditions were exactly as I said. There were some storms around, but none of them came near us. My cousin stayed through Sunday, fished/scalloped in his Micro Draft both days. He said it was choppy both days, but not bad enough to keep them on shore. The water close to the river was dirty, but cleared up as we ran South. I don't know where you guys were at (except for the guy who wasn't in Steinhattchee at all), but I know what the conditions were at Pepperfish on Friday, July 17, 2009.


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## 20ReevesCC (Jul 27, 2009)

pottydoc said:


> we launched at the ramp next to gulfstream. Ran down to pepper fish. Got towed back in after motor problems to rocky creek.the conditions were exactly as i said. There were some storms around, but none of them came near us. My cousin stayed through sunday, fished/scalloped in his micro draft both days. He said it was choppy both days, but not bad enough to keep them on shore. The water close to the river was dirty, but cleared up as we ran south. I don't know where you guys were at (except for the guy who wasn't in steinhattchee at all), but i know what the conditions were at pepperfish on friday, july 17, 2009.



i really really hope that one day you make it down there when the weather is awesome low winds and clear water. If yall thought that was even a little bit nice your mind will be blown. shaftslinger24's avatar pic was taken 20-25 miles offshore last winter. look at the water and that will give you some idea of what a good weather day looks like.


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## pottydoc (Jul 27, 2009)

20ReevesCC said:


> i really really hope that one day you make it down there when the weather is awesome low winds and clear water. If yall thought that was even a little bit nice your mind will be blown. shaftslinger24's avatar pic was taken 20-25 miles offshore last winter. look at the water and that will give you some idea of what a good weather day looks like.



Bro, I been fishing offshore and inshore from Steinhattchee for about twenty years or so. I believe I've seen at least a "couple" of nice days. I've been fishing and diving the Atlantic and Gulf since I was a little kid. Worked a bandit boat out of Key West after I graduated from high school. Deckhand/mate on a bunch of private sportfish in the SE Fl area for a pile of years. Spent more hours than I can remember on everything from flats skiffs to big CC's to the commercial boats and sports. The weather on that day was exactly like I said it was. Some big storms moved onshore North of us, around the river, so it could have easily been nasty up there and at Keaton (which I guess is what 15 miles "West" of Steinhatchee comment by someone was refering to), but it was dang nice down where we were. Why the heck would I lie about it? The only reason I posted is because some of the guys were already laying 100% of the fault on the driver, when the reports so far show that the snorkler shared at least a big part of the blame.


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## swamp hunter (Jul 27, 2009)

I went hog huntin. Got a Cabin 10 miles down the road. I,ll go in a couple weeks. Too busy right now.


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## 4HAND (Aug 1, 2009)

This was a tragedy. I've known "Coach" Sheppard most of my life. He was employed by our school system for 35+ years. He was teaching at one of our elementary schools when I attended in the early 70's. My wife worked at the same school he did for the last 12 years. Shep was a fine man & will be sorely missed by his community.................
Please continue to keep his elderly mother & his family in your prayers.
Although scalloping is a very fun sport, it can also be very dangerous with so many boats in an area & so many people in the water.


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## WaterfowlFreak (Aug 11, 2009)

We were down.....oh i say 5 er 6 years ago when that woman got life flighted out of there, probably up to Perry.  Or over to Tallahasee. Resulting from a scalloping accident, the boater ran over her thigh and buttox! HAHA Its not funy but you know!  As you come out of the mouth of the Steinhatchee, that lil pennisula on the left is where the chopper landed!

Only thing that saved her was that she was a bigger woman, I heard rumor that the boat operator had been drinking, but you know rumors get spread about!  

Had to be several years ago bc Westwind Marina was still there and thats where all the Game Wardens pilled up after it had happend....!

Any of yall remember ole Henry and Cooter from Westwind? Oh yea....and them fat darn cats that hung around that place eating every scrap of fish they could get their paws on! I hated to see that place go but I didn't balme ole Henry for getting rid of that place from them build the Estuary, $2.3 million is a good retirment in my book!

Wasn't too long after that Ideal got leveled also!  Sure has changed alot in the past 20 years.  I remember running up and down that river wide open, nobody said a word! After a long day of fishing, go down to Roy's for some fresh seafood!

Its never good when someone gets ran over, but boaters should realize alot of ppl, cant judge the distance of how far they are from their vessel.....I always look up everyfew mins just incase, and especially if I hear a prop getting close,  sound carries pretty good under water!


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## MudDucker (Aug 11, 2009)

Changed in the last 20 years .... what do you think about the changes for the last 50 years.  Best days were back in the day of Mrs. Cooey frying fresh seafood in a cast iron skillet the size of a small car.  Roys' opened many years later by an old greek fella who was left over from the sponge fleet that used to operate out of the.  Pace's marina and cabins owned and operated by a couple of out of Georgia.  8 lb trout caught every winter in the river in front of Pace's after the first freeze.  Them were the days my friend!


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## Parker Phoenix (Aug 11, 2009)

I've heard of the old times back when Steinhatchee was just a fish camp. I would have loved to have seen it. Now I keep my boat and camper there year round but go maybe once or wicw during scallop season just to check on and wash my stuff. I know a lot of people like to scallop but I hate to go during scallop season.


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## 4HAND (Aug 12, 2009)

Hey WaterfowlFreak, are you referring to Cooter Reed? If so, his youngest son is my captain at the Dixie Co. Sheriff's Office. I know Mr Cooter & Mr. Henry. Steinhatchee is practically in my back yard...........small world.


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