I do remember a Hugh Falkus programme back in the 70’s where (aged 70+ I might add) he demonstrated how to survive by jumping fully clothed into a salmon river wearing waders. The secret is to be get your legs up as quickly possible trapping air in the boots and floating on your back with your arms spread until you can paddle into known shallow water or grasp on to something to pull yourself out by. I had cause to be grateful for seeing it a few years later on the Warks Avon. With chesties I think neoprenes react slightly differently to the normal bucket types, I’ve seen people swim in them quite comfortably on working parties on the Pats in the old days.

Unusual title, i thought you were saying an angler had drowned!

I was in the lake last week with chest waders on to retrieve a brolly, and the water went over my chest, and i got wet! No problem, but in flowing water is a big problem if you get swept away in the flow.
Also the one recently was an older guy on his own at Wilinghurst, who got into trouble, and there was no one there to assist, and he sadly lost his life.
There was another close one at the Glebe the other week when a guy swam out to retrieve a top kit.

The water won’t pull you under – its the same density as that surrounding it. The probelm comes as said by being caught by currents or the weight of the water when trying to get out. residual air in the waders will give you some buoyancy which you can use to float horizontal and get to the side.

Unfortunatley the overiding factor that causes fatalities in water is panic. I’ve spent many years scuba diving and a long period instructing in my early days and you would be amazed how fast situations can go badly wrong when water is involved and the panic reflex takes over. Ive seen it several times and all thankfully resolved themselves safely. We once had a demonstration of panic by my instructor on my instructor training assessment – he swam up behind me and suddenly pulled out my regulator and held it behind me. I was fairly experienced at the time and I went pretty much bezerk within 30 seconds, even though I cwas confident in water and had done over 200 dives. It was a combination of the shock factor and the panic reflex taking over – the two main factors which tend happen when you have an incident in water. I still don’t remember it fully but it taught us all a valuable lesson about how quickly bad situations in water can develop out of control.

Yorkshire.
A stupid title considering what has recently happened,my heart sank when i thought not again.
colboro.

If you are going into the water and it has any depth when wearing chest waders, a belt or rope around your waist is a must, seals it off, only the top part can then fill if you have a problem.

I remember my mate getting in a rowing boat with me to cross Crom estate a very deep part of the lower lough erne in Northern Ireland he sat there with a pair of chest waders on ! I threw him out of the boat I made him take em off some people just dont think.