Editor, Gazette-Journal:

July 2nd a strong thunderstorm came through the area. Although the storm was predicted, a boat with two aboard had not returned to port before the storm stuck. This happened at the mouth of the Great Wicomico River.

As a result of heavy rain and rough seas, the boat took on enough water to fill 2/3 of the boat and kill the outboard. The 10-year-old child had her life jacket on. The older man had exited the boat in an effort to keep it off of a sand bar. He did not have a life jacket on. If he had lost his footing the boat could well have run over him, leaving the grandchild alone in a very difficult situation.

Even strong swimmers should wear life jackets in bad weather, when trying to "protect" a grounded boat, or as an example to the younger generation.

In this instance if things had gone wrong, without a life jacket they could have gotten much worse.

Andrew Kauders

Burgess, Va.
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