Tasmanian boy drowns riding bike off jetty

[thebofh]

http://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/boy-drowns-riding-bike-off-jetty/story-e6frfku0-1225822895125

[mike]

Probably smashed himself over the head with it when he landed or something.

All the times I've been jetty jumping we just strapped heaps of milk cartons and coke bottles to the bike so it would float.

[captain666]

I remember watching this kid in Busso jumping his bike off the jetty but he had his bike tethered to the jetty with a bit of rope that wasn't long enough. Lucky for the kid there were a few adults around to fish him out after he had untangled himself from the handlebars.

I still cringe just thinking about it.

[cryline]

On the news tonight they said he was tied to the bike. The bike got stuck in the riverbed and and the current washed him under.

[Jagman]

That's Darwin award stuff. Terrible way to go.

[zoom]

Is it even possible to swim whilst supporting the weight of a BMX bike? I imagine a BMX bike would be about 10kg or so. For the Avon Descent they test buoyancy vests by putting them individually into a metal cage, which I think weighs 8kg. They then immerse the whole lot in a big container of water, (a wheelie bin). If it doesn't float then the buoyancy vest isn't allowed. They test all of them, and each has a tag attached to it if it's passed scrutiny.