water moccasin scare

Handsome Transom

Handsome Transom

Active Member
Jan 26, 2018
563
Penetanguishene Ontario Canada
Boat Info
1989 SeaRay Sundancer 268 454 Bravo
Engines
454 Mercruiser bravo drive
Had a friend out on the boat who wanted to go for a swim in Georgian Bay so I set an anchor in 45 ft of water 400 meters from shore and in she went. I was shooting a video for her to remember it but I doubt she'll need the reminder. She was bsck stroking snd then went on to her front then back again and said she needed help.
Tossed the life ring put my pad on and went and got her.
Getting her onto the platform she said she was suddenly paralysed in her arm . Then I noticed the bleeding .
In total the wound is about 6 inches by 2 culminating at the punctures.
I'll have to trim the vid still and send it to her , its long as I didn't stop it , just put it down and went after her lol. Good reminder to always be ready for everything , Happily all ended well and first aid was the only needed treatment
 
Handsome Transom said:
Had a friend out on the boat who wanted to go for a swim in Georgian Bay so I set an anchor in 45 ft of water 400 meters from shore and in she went. I was shooting a video for her to remember it but I doubt she'll need the reminder. She was bsck stroking snd then went on to her front then back again and said she needed help.
Tossed the life ring put my pad on and went and got her.
Getting her onto the platform she said she was suddenly paralysed in her arm . Then I noticed the bleeding .
In total the wound is about 6 inches by 2 culminating at the punctures.
I'll have to trim the vid still and send it to her , its long as I didn't stop it , just put it down and went after her lol. Good reminder to always be ready for everything , Happily all ended well and first aid was the only needed treatment
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Wow, scary. Hope she has a full recovery
 
Chris-380 said:
Wow, scary. Hope she has a full recovery
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Thanks I hope so too, im not one to swim for leisure with injuries that make it misery to be cold , i remember when i hit the water thinking hey its actually pretty warm this year, snake was likely thinking the same and basking until my friend hit it
 
Not sure what bit your friend, but it wasn’t a water moccasin. There is a venomous snake, the massasauga rattle snake, which inhabits the Georgian Bay Area, primarily on land. There is also the northern water snake, but I would be surprised that this snake would be so far from shore. They also flee from humans in the water.
 
Moccasins are a aggresive snakes and will come after you especially if you splash in the water, did a lot of canoeing in Virginia and the snakes would hang out in the trees and drop into the canoe, had to be on look out for then all the time.Started carrying my 357 with bird shot just for the snakes!
 
Gofirstclass said:
Good job on the rescue. I would never have thought of encountering a snake while swimming. Wow.
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When swimming in the area of the Lake Erie islands, I can’t imagine swimming without encountering one.
Well maybe a little exaggeration, but there’s a lot of them. They’ve never bothered us. Keeps most of the ladies on the boats so the guys can hang out in the water and work on solving world problems.
 
Timeflys said:
Not sure what bit your friend, but it wasn’t a water moccasin. There is a venomous snake, the massasauga rattle snake, which inhabits the Georgian Bay Area, primarily on land. There is also the northern water snake, but I would be surprised that this snake would be so far from shore. They also flee from humans in the water.
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Not a water moccasin. They are not in Ontario. Massassauga Rattlers don't like the water. It would have been a Northern Water snake. On Georgian Bay they get VERY large. I have seen them 4 to 5 ft long regularly. They are very good swimmers and will swim from island to island. They are very aggressive too. More than once I have had to keep a close eye on one while at anchor as they swam by the boat without letting my wife see it. She is terrified of snakes and if she ever thought there was a chance a 5ft water snake could be in the water near the boat, we may never overnight again.
 
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my3sons said:
When swimming in the area of the Lake Erie islands, I can’t imagine swimming without encountering one.
Well maybe a little exaggeration, but there’s a lot of them. They’ve never bothered us. Keeps most of the ladies on the boats so the guys can hang out in the water and work on solving world problems.
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I second that... every trip we meet a few. They like to lay between the boards on the dock at crews nest.... so you don’t see them until the last second.... freaks my wife out :) ...Last weekend we were on the golf cart going past the monument and saw a lady sitting in the grass by shore holding and petting a 3 footer :eek: .. some of these girls are not like the others
 
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Timeflys said:
Not sure what bit your friend, but it wasn’t a water moccasin. There is a venomous snake, the massasauga rattle snake, which inhabits the Georgian Bay Area, primarily on land. There is also the northern water snake, but I would be surprised that this snake would be so far from shore. They also flee from humans in the water.
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My mom just sent me a pic of a northern on their swim platform anchored 200 ft from shore. I didnt think initially the moccasin but with warming things are making their way into more areas. So never know i suppose. , most likely though the northern
 
Creekwood said:
Not a water moccasin. They are not in Ontario. Massassauga Rattlers don't like the water. It would have been a Northern Water snake. On Georgian Bay they get VERY large. I have seen them 4 to 5 ft long regularly. They are very good swimmers and will swim from island to island. They are very aggressive too. More than once I have had to keep a close eye on one while at anchor as they swam by the boat without letting my wife see it. She is terrified of snakes and if she ever thought there was a chance a 5ft water snake could be in the water near the boat, we may never overnight again.
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Me too!
 
moccasins aren't much further north than tennesse and virginia, they like the warmer weather. When we were racing in tennesse the kids would go to the swimming hole in the morning they threw rocks in the creek first thing to draw out the snakes then throw rocks at them to drive them down stream then they could go swimming.
 
atrick said:
moccasins aren't much further north than tennesse and virginia, they like the warmer weather. When we were racing in tennesse the kids would go to the swimming hole in the morning they threw rocks in the creek first thing to draw out the snakes then throw rocks at them to drive them down stream then they could go swimming.
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Yikes....what if you got a stupid snake that day...still sleeping?... After all half of them are below average :)
 
Creekwood said:
Not a water moccasin. They are not in Ontario. Massassauga Rattlers don't like the water. It would have been a Northern Water snake. On Georgian Bay they get VERY large. I have seen them 4 to 5 ft long regularly. They are very good swimmers and will swim from island to island. They are very aggressive too. More than once I have had to keep a close eye on one while at anchor as they swam by the boat without letting my wife see it. She is terrified of snakes and if she ever thought there was a chance a 5ft water snake could be in the water near the boat, we may never overnight again.
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Thanks for the local Intel
Do uou know anyone in need if a slip this year I've ended up with 2 and only one boat darn it
 
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