Andrew was seven, when we bought a large 5-foot, whale inflatable. We were vacationing on Lake Huron, and couldn’t wait to play with Fudgie the Whale. Andrew had hours of fun riding Fudgie, until one day it decided to migrate to Canada. Suddenly, a beautiful beach day turned into a scary experience and a real-life lesson on the dangers of inflatables. We discovered the hard truth about inflatables.
Our Inflatable Whale
Fudgie was well mannered and stable. My favorite part was that fudgie’s two flippers were positioned just right so that it wouldn’t tip sideways. One morning, the lake was calm and gentle ripples pushed against the shoreline. It was a beautiful, Michigan summer day as I pulled Andrew and his whale up and down the lake. I was happily clueless to the truth about inflatables and the dangers that lurked.
One Small Breeze
Normally the wind blows from east to west, making the waves push against the shoreline. On this particular day, a puff of breeze came from the shoreline and it pushed Fudgie just out of my reach. I tried to grab the handles but couldn’t get close enough. Each time I inched closer to the escaping whale, my own movement in the water propelled the whale and Andrew further away. Andrew was clueless, but my fear intensified. No matter what I did, I couldn’t get ahold of Fudgie. When I reached waist deep water that was over Andrew’s head, I knew we were in trouble.
A Desperate Plea to Andrew and to God
I was trying not to scare Andrew and in a low demanding voice, I kept repeating, “Andrew, get off the whale.” and then finally with more intensity “Andrew! Get off the whale, NOW!” He wasn’t letting go and the water was now up to my chest. I turned my plea heavenly and cried out to God for help. I am not making up the next part. Almost immediately, a wave came from nowhere. I don’t remember how big it was or any other details, but I do know that it was enough to wash Andrew off. Without Andrew’s weight, Fudgie leapt out of the water, shot out from underneath him, and was a small fleck on the horizon before we got back to shore.
What about Fudgie?
Fudgie was just a dot by the time my daughter ran a half mile down the beach to find the beach-goers who had jet skis. Fudgie’s attempt at migration was thwarted, as the jet ski owners rescued our whale and brought him back to shore. We were blessed and a whole lot smarter after that beautiful, sunny day on the shores of Lake Huron. Water floaties are fun, but the dangers of inflatables turned a beautiful day at the beach into a real life learning experience.
The Truth about Inflatables in Open Waters
Fudgie’s attempted migration to Canada was short lived, and thankfully without Andrew. I still feel fear when I think of this incident. Andrew couldn’t swim, nor did he have on a life vest. The whole situation wasn’t dramatic. It just happened very slowly, and very calmly. Inflatables are fun, but the dangers of inflatables are real. Please think twice before using inflatables in open waters. In the great outdoors, winds take on erratic patterns and can change quickly.
All turned out well, but I no longer allow inflatables unless contained in a swimming pool. (Pool floaties come with their own set of dangers, by the way.) While recounting our story to a local, we discovered that the previous day a 60-year old woman fell asleep on a swim raft and woke up a mile off shore in the turbulent wake of the channel’s entrance to a marina. The Great Lakes Coast Guard rescued her. This was an unknowing adult who did not know how to swim and still got caught unaware. Thankfully all turned out well for her too!
All Floaties are Dangerous on Open Water
If you must use a floaty choose it wisely. Think about a sailboat. The sails are high and configured to ‘catch’ the wind. Now compare a sailboat to an inflatable Unicorn or Swan. The taller the floaty the more it can be turned into a sailboat. Yet that still isn’t foolproof, is it? Fudgie sat low to the water, or so I thought. Unfortunately, his flipper stabilizers made him sit up high allowing a reaction to an erratic puff of summer breeze. Floaties are not created equal in size and shape, but are very ‘equal’ when it comes to creating dangerous situations.
Related Stories about the Dangers of Inflatables
It seems our story is not uncommon. Other stories also represent the truth about inflatables.
Mother Shares her Story of her Daughter Stranded on an inflatable Unicorn
Police had to Rescue Three Women on a Unicorn Pool Float
My original thought was that perhaps a rope would make an inflatable safer. Until I read this:
5-Year-Old Girls Carried Nearly a Half-Mile From Shore on Inflatable Swan
Fudgie Replaced
I think we will stick with sand play and forget the inflatables!
Check out our post on Swimmer’s Itch Prevention
Here’s how I saved a lake-side vacation from a miserable case of swimmer’s itch:
