Always Be On the Lookout for Crocodiles

Log hazards on the water aka Crocodile logs

Crocodiles log hazards

BY Jeremy Wortham

First off, this is not something to panic about, but something to be aware and cautious of.
You’re probably thinking, “here we go again. It’s another one of those gator stories”.

We’ve all heard the stories about alligators on Lake Wedowee, but whether you believe those stories or not is a discussion to be had for another day. But let me tell you about the crocodiles.
Yes, you read right… crocodiles!

Lake Wedowee is full of them. They cover miles of the lake, from the shorelines to the depths. At some point you may have spotted one or even several on the lake but may have never gave it much thought or attention. You may have spotted one floating down the river. You also probably crossed one or drove over one in the bends. And every once in a while you may see a good Samaritan wrestling to rope one so that it could be towed and tied off at the waters
edge.

While you’re enjoying your time at the lake, you need to be looking for these crocodiles ( or hazards ) that may exist. They come in all shapes and sizes and will show no mercy. Crocodiles are any potential water hazard. Some of the more common hazards are:

FLOATING DEBRIS; It’s common to see trees that may have blown over get washed down stream with other debris. Sometimes these bigger objects lurk just below the surface making them appear to be smaller than they are. So always scan the water ahead to ensure you don’t drive over a log or Crocodiles. Always be on the look out for Floating debris can be a hazard for boat motors and towables. Parts of Lake Wedowee have tree tops also known as stickups. Many are below the waters surface when the water is at full pool.

As the water level drops this fall, pay particular attention for stickups…pull a towable over something that could puncture your tube or even rider.

SHALLOW POINTS; there’s shallow points on the lake with some being marked by hazard buoys. You can find these shallow points in the bends of the lake but fair warning they can make their presence known in a split second on the depth finder.

OTHER BOATERS; Alabama requires state residents to take and pass a boating test prior to being able to operate a vessel or watercraft but doesn’t require out of state residents to have a boaters license to navigate a vessel on the water. I’m not saying that non licensed drivers are unsafer but it could raise the question on boating knowledge. Boats not using navigation lights while driving or anchored, boats using docking lights for running lights, boats crossing the wrong direction when meeting head on, among other things. Over the last year and a half there’s been 3 boating accidents on Lake Wedowee with 1 being alcohol related. That’s 3 boating accidents that were reported.

NO PFD’s; I was swimming at the lake one day this summer and I was swimming no more than 20 feet away from the boat when I had found myself exhausted in that short distance. This was unusual because I’ve been swimming regularly for the last 21 years and never had this problem. We tend to forget that at any given moment we can exceed our physical abilities such as how far we can swim or tread water, the possibilities of our bodies becoming fatigued and shutting down from exhaustion, cramping, black outs, heart attacks, and any other medical condition or natural event that could leave us vulnerable to a potential drowning. Over the last year and a half there’s been 7 drownings on Lake Wedowee. I encourage everyone to consider wearing a floatation device when entering the water. It’s better to have it on and not need it than need it and not have it on.

Remember, crocodiles are out there, some easily noticeable while others are lurking in disguise. Think safety! Look for what’s out of place or has changed since you have last been on the lake because things are always constantly changing. Currents may flow faster at certain times of the day, water levels may be higher or lower, holiday traffic brings more boat traffic which results in over populated areas and increased size in waves, a child may not be properly wearing their life jacket, an oncoming boater may be driving carelessly or not paying attention, or maybe there’s an issue with your boat or equipment that’s not working properly that could have been brought to your attention if you did a walk through.

Hopefully you’ve had a wonderful year thus far and thanks for being apart of our home that we call Lake Wedowee.

I wonder if there’s a boat behind him. Use common sense when operating in unexpected weather conditions, such as using your navigation lights and slower speeds when its foggy.
Life Jackets must be zipped and buckled to be worn.

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