On Tue, 4 Sep 2007 12:27:23 -0400, "D-unit" cof42_AT_embarqmail.com
wrote:

Afterwards, I starting thinking about what my obligations are in similar
situations.

I think Im only legally obligated to lend assistance only if it is a dire
situation or
someone is hurt. Maybe someone could clear this up.

It's a judgement call in my opinion, with a lot depending on
circumstances. In this particular instance with no ones safety at
stake I think you would have been well within your obligationss to
just call SeaTow or TowBoatUS on the radio or cell phone. On the
other hand if you did not put yourself at risk, and were not overly
inconvenienced, you did the right thing by helping him out. A boat in
that situation is unprepared in some way, almost by definition.

We rescued a boat several weeks ago under much different
circumstances. I put my own boat at some risk to rescue folks that
were drifting into the rocks and breaking surf, but in my judgement
there was much greater risk if I did nothing, and there was no time to
wait for USCG or anyone else. It could easily be argued that they
were totally unprepared but that's how they got into trouble to begin
with. If we had done nothing however, the memory of watching these
two families getting capsized in the surf would have stayed with us
for a long time.