does he have ecoli yet!!!!??

Wow, 48 years old and still not any smarter than to do something like this? I agree with the thinking that he should be financially spanked, one way or another.

chem6- i dont agree this time- a trained canoeist cant fit under a bridge that is flooded with river water. Also EVERYONE WARNED TO STAY OUT OF RIVER!!!!

SK, only residents who live outside the city are billed for fire service. City residents pay for the service through their taxes.
I'm not certain if city residents get free (I know it's not technically "free.") fire service when they respond to an auto accident or not but if you are from out of town you are billed.

Last words of an idiot before he dies: "Hey, guys, watch this!"

The problem is not the media, or rather it does not start with the media. If you have been around kids lately (and by that I mean anyone under 21), it does seem that in some cases (certainly not all, and not the majority, but some) there is a fundamental lack of personal responsibility. The parental unit(s) in these cases have failed to instill upon their lovely young progeny the basic understanding of right and wrong, of action and consequence, and even of basic common courtesy (a.k.a. manners and respect for others). Spend a day volunteering in the schools and you’ll see. I know we caused some trouble in our day, but it was not like today. If I screwed up in school or in the neighborhood, there were consequences when Dad got home. Now everyone's a winner, we can't reprimand anybody for fear of crushing their fragile self esteem, and we have raised a generation of narcissistic borderline sociopaths. Kids who assault teachers in school are coddled, fingers are pointed at everyone but the kid and/or parent, and the kid goes back to the classroom. Did you know that teachers are trained in how to safely physically restrain violent kids? Does anybody remember seeing anyone “restrained” on the playground when they were in grade school? I’ll bet not – as we were told to mind our parents and teachers – and we did it.

Okay, I’m off my soapbox. Glad I could get that off my chest!

Back to the canoeist at hand – the law enforcement agencies had previously said that if anyone is in the river, they would not risk the lives of rescuers. If this guy wanted to be the next contestant on The Darwin Awards, so be it. One less idiot to go forth and multiply. I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt, though. Charge him for the rescue response, and maybe, just maybe, he’ll think about the consequences of his actions before he acts on his impulses!

here's your sign

(to the person who tried to go UP the river)

Is he being evaluated by a doctor, a mental one?

Mikki...did any of us say we were perfect??? I just can't believe how people perceive things.. It's called common sense and adhering to the SEVERAL warnings given to STAY AWAY!!

'No tickets were issued in Monday’s incident."
-
It doesn't say he won't get a bill. Tickets are diferent and come from a diferent agency than bills for services.

Up the Rock... without a paddle? It should read: Up the Rock... without a brain!

Mikki ~ yes, you are billed if the fire dept. comes to your property. And yes, you are charged for an ambulance to come.
If it would have been an accident where this guy needed help it would have been one thing. However, he knew exactly what he was doing and created a lot of expense for the city. If you don't mind paying for it out of your tax dollars good for you. Me, on the other hand...I mind.

Wow, so Chemical was playing devils' advocate and you all attack him? How nice.

So let me get this straight. Are you billed by the fire department if a fire is accidently started in your home? Or if you cause a car accident? Perhaps that should be the case.

Everyone has made stupid decisions at one time or another, and to assume that Chemical was that person on the river, wow. Must be nice to be so perfect and mistake free.

Jasonth
So what your saying is if you have children then you need to take them along with you to prpoerly end your genetic line.

lakennedy, you think they miss us in the smoking area???

Seabee,
I agree that lifesavers would be a ridiculous idea, they would definitley melt upon hitting the water...
I enjoy your posts much more now that I know who is writing them:)

Nowind - you can't earn a darwin award if you've already spawned children. The whole idea of the darwin award is that stupid people end their life BEFORE they breed.

Hahaha i agree w seabee!

Hey no wind- AMEN!!!

I believe he was a member of the Olympic committee ...verifying whitewater rapid conditions in preparation for the 2016 games in Janesville. Dope!

It was a copy cat incident
From Channel 300.com
"Ten people, including six children, are lucky to be alive after a frightening rescue on the Milwaukee river this weekend.
Two canoes capsized on a swollen river on Sunday, sending those people into swift-moving water near Newburg in Ozaukee County.
The victims were clinging to trees waiting for help. The youngest canoe rider was 7 years old."

At least the guy in the rock river wasn't so dumb as to take kids along.
If you are going to try for a Darwin award please be kind and don't take your kids with you. or at least go for the award before you reproduce.

I would like to thank the canoeist fortaking it upon himself to test the emergency response to his actions. He should be lauded for putting himself in harms way to ensure that the tax dollars spent on training our emergency responders was spent wisely. I for one will sleep better at night now that I know that these guys are up to the task. Thank you Mr. canoeist, you deserve a medal for your bravery and civic duty.

Chemical, he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. The wrong place is the river and the wrong time is anytime. Like yourself I don't really care if he apologizes or not but I do think he should be billed for the rescue costs. The Sheriff's Department posted the river off limits for everyone. That's been published and is generally known among the citizenrey. There's absolutely no good reason for him to violate the Sheriff's order even if he is an Olympic level canoeist. Actually I suspect if he had any kind of canoe experience whatsoever even the smallest amount of common sense would have been enough for him to realize getting in the river was a death wish. He dodged a bullet, this time his stupidity tried but was unsuccessfull in killing him.

start issueing tickets already! there are kids playing in monterey as I write this. 1 jpd said on the scanner that he's been wet once today already and wasn't going any further in to get them out.make it a city ordinance and make the fine similiar to fireworks which is $753.00 (been there). more people would think twice before endangering themselves and rescuers!!!

Or maybe chemical IS the canoeist.

chemical must be related to this IDIOT! why else would anyone defend this moron. It doesnt matter if he was the worlds greates conoeist, hes obviously one of the worlds biggest idiots to.

SK, better yet, we should all take our hard earned tax dollars and lobby to the govt. it's really not people's own fault for their actions. We saw it on TV. We heard it on the radio. We saw it at the movies. We played it on XBox. We read it in the paper. It's the media's fault. Afterall, they entice us to go out and act unresponsibly and educate us to teach our kids the same garbage! Don't blame "ME" I only subscribe to the TV, I only turn on the knob and listen to the radio, I only pay to see the movies and the media sources send me the "stinkin" magazines and newspapers that makes me do these things! It can't possibly the fault of the individual..... What do you think?? Oh, I almost forgot, there are groups already lobbying to the govt. for junk like this. We're just footin' the bill for it! Great system we have isn't it??

Chemical: Being in the wrong place in the wrong time & needing help would be if the mall caught on fire while you were there & needed help.
This guy completely went against orders to not only stay away from the water but that the river is closed.
You can stick up for him all you want & I don't care if he's a trained canoist or not...the guy is still an idiot & should pay some kind of ticket and what it cost you & I as taxpayers to send all those people to his rescue.

Chemical...C'mon, it's been warned over and over to stay away from the water! The guy deserves a ticket and should pay the bill. I know for a fact that when businesses have a false alarm and the police come, the business has to pay for the call. (Maybe not all, but some do anyways). What's the difference?

Heaven forbid this person would have to pay for the consequences of his own actions! It wouldn't be politically correct to do that. He's probably got one of those fabricated medical conditions like A D D or something so it doesn't really have to be his own fault for his actions......

In this guy's defense, it doesn't say that HE called the rescue efforts. Although what he was doing was probably not a good idea, he MAY have been a trained canoeist. We don't know the WHOLE story, we never do. For all we know, the guy was just in the wrong place of the river at the wrong time. Who knows.
.
Another thing... people on the fire department and police department are trained to handle situations just like this, no matter how lacking in intelligence the person is that they are "saving". We pay our taxes to cover these peoples training no matter what. And I don't personally feel like a letter of apology is necessary... as I might make a bad decision that I need to be saved from someday, and I want them to be there to help me too.

Welcome to America! This man is just fitting into this society we've now become. No accountability. You all act so surprised that someone would do something like this. Why? We're all products of what we've been taught and are continuing to learn from our garbage education system.......THE MEDIA! Wake up!

If I burn some brush on my rural land without calling the county's non emergency number, and some joker with a cell phone driving by calls 911, I will get a bill from the fire department.

How is this any different except the response was 20 times more than if I was burrning brush.
Bill the idiot for the Fuel, and time of all the responders.

lifesavers would melt when they hit the water and would therefore be useless.

I am tired of all these people around southern wisconsin risking the lives of rescue workers. We aren't here to save you from stupidity. There are people that truly need help and aren't putting themselves into danger. Stay out of the water. And if you go in, bring your own lifesaver. None of us should have to come in and save you!!!!

I agree that this person should have to pay for all the assistance that was called out for him. When a person calls an ambulance you are charged for it. It should be no different for him. And his picture should be put on the front page of the paper with the word "IDIOT" right underneath.
He took a lot of men & women away from other things and to risk their lives for his ignorance.
I don't agree that they did not give him a ticket.

It makes me think of Red in "That Seventies Show"....DUMBASS!

what an IDIOT !!!

Tickets for "Being stupid"??? Our court systems would be able to handle the volumn!!!

This guy should pay for all the manpower used to come to his "rescue". Now, generally if someone needs saving from the river they all should go. But in this case, the guy should have known not to go in the river. What a complete idiot. I wonder why they are not publishing his name?? (sarcasm)

Okay, I'll give you that being "stupid" isn't worthy of a ticket. An itemized bill for this rescue should be sent to this individual.

Besides the obvious monetary costs like fuel for the fire trucks and ambulances, what would the costs look like if one rescue person lost their life attempting to save this person?

A letter of apology to the tax payers and a letter of appreciation to the fire department wouldn't be out of line.

there should be a ticket for "being stupid"!