So i was working all last week running the airboat in a 2000 acre area of Laguna Atascosa NWR. Incredible magical place that always intrigued me. The number of people that have had airboat access in that area is in the single digits so I was very excited. We are doing environmental survey work for the Ducks Unlimited Engineers in a "lake" there that has been dry forever. Well in advance of the recent rains they patched up an old containment structure. With the recent rains and flood event they were able to hold water in there. The wildlife has flourished. Alligators and nesting birds everywhere. Saw a dozen momma mottled ducks doing the broken wing act away from their ducklings. Makes me laugh every time. Saw nilgai and whitetails and hogs and rabbits everywhere etc. Well it is more water than they have ever had so it was all systems go to get down there for the survey work.
First day first hour i see an ocelot! Holy moly. There are only like 60-80 there and the only breeding colony of ocelots in North America. Way cool.
Back to the fun fail story....
So this area having and holding water is a huge deal. Biologists coming from everywhere. Special wildlife officers. Aaaaaand a national news crew from CBS I think.
So the news crew hears the airboat and asks the refuge manager about it. He explains what we are doing so the news crew asks if we can come over to where they are so they can get some footage of the airboat and interview the D.U. engineer. I work for them so i do what they tell me to. So we stop and run over to where they are. They interview the refuge manager, the special agent wildlife officer, and the D.U. engineer.....get some shots of the airboat etc. Then the man I am working for tells me hey they have never been in an airboat can I take them thru the grass a little and around this containment area and back....like a three minute ride. He's the boss so they load up.
So now I have the news crew, special wildlife agent, and camera man on board. Except For the officer, none of them have been in an airboat and they are giddy excited. I get everyone outfitted with ear protection and a Lil speech about safety and communication when that fire breathing dragon is loud as can be etc. Everyone set and ready. News guy and officer pointing to stuff for the camera man who is on the front deck.
So I start to RPM up, check with everyone for a thumbs up sign and swivel the machine away from the road where I picked them up. Little bit of thigh high grass till we hit marshy water....
.....we go thirty feet and smash into a huge rock that the airboat points to the sky trying to climb. Throws the camera man into the deck of the boat. All are safe and uninjured but holy moly....ive been hundreds of miles back and forth taking many tens of thousands of data points and never even saw a big stick to avoid.... and we manage to find the only rock on the place with the camera rolling. At least they got the full meal deal airboat experience. We get out and push the nose off the rock and make our Lil tour circle without incident. Glad we can laugh at ourselves with noone getting hurt.
First day first hour i see an ocelot! Holy moly. There are only like 60-80 there and the only breeding colony of ocelots in North America. Way cool.
Back to the fun fail story....
So this area having and holding water is a huge deal. Biologists coming from everywhere. Special wildlife officers. Aaaaaand a national news crew from CBS I think.
So the news crew hears the airboat and asks the refuge manager about it. He explains what we are doing so the news crew asks if we can come over to where they are so they can get some footage of the airboat and interview the D.U. engineer. I work for them so i do what they tell me to. So we stop and run over to where they are. They interview the refuge manager, the special agent wildlife officer, and the D.U. engineer.....get some shots of the airboat etc. Then the man I am working for tells me hey they have never been in an airboat can I take them thru the grass a little and around this containment area and back....like a three minute ride. He's the boss so they load up.
So now I have the news crew, special wildlife agent, and camera man on board. Except For the officer, none of them have been in an airboat and they are giddy excited. I get everyone outfitted with ear protection and a Lil speech about safety and communication when that fire breathing dragon is loud as can be etc. Everyone set and ready. News guy and officer pointing to stuff for the camera man who is on the front deck.
So I start to RPM up, check with everyone for a thumbs up sign and swivel the machine away from the road where I picked them up. Little bit of thigh high grass till we hit marshy water....
.....we go thirty feet and smash into a huge rock that the airboat points to the sky trying to climb. Throws the camera man into the deck of the boat. All are safe and uninjured but holy moly....ive been hundreds of miles back and forth taking many tens of thousands of data points and never even saw a big stick to avoid.... and we manage to find the only rock on the place with the camera rolling. At least they got the full meal deal airboat experience. We get out and push the nose off the rock and make our Lil tour circle without incident. Glad we can laugh at ourselves with noone getting hurt.
