Recently, some left-coaster sarcastically suggested that some politician was my "hero." I don't count many politicians among my heroes, perhaps for obvious reasons.

Jesse, your actions were heroic. Your quick action and sober thinking clearly saved Dave's life (not just his ass). Your buddy, Ryan, is also a hero in this story, and your other buds' efforts are to be commended.

I also applaud you for tactfully and firmly criticizing the decisions that led to this scary close call. By mentioning a couple of lessons which Dave had not noted in his report, you may have contributed to saving the lives of boaters that you'll never meet.

Justin Case nobody else has already sent a note to Charlie Walbridge about this near-miss, I'm firing off an email to him. He needs to know about those, not just the fatalities. And I'm sure he'll find this one instructive.