Larry Cotlar

[Hawknigh]

Google "should you get out of your car in a flood" and the first match is:

Do not stay in a flooded car. If your vehicle is surrounded by floodwater, abandon the vehicle and move immediately to higher ground.

Sounds like Cotlar was trying to do the right thing. It worked for the others in the van.

 

[SteveGarvey1]

RIP Cot-man. He did always seem like a positive guy. Judging by a few on this board and the world in general, we need more Cot-man kind of guys.

 

[lightning1]

I hope this tragedy, and the comment, do save one or more lives in the future. I wonder if the person who made that comment would have known what to do if that were his family in that van and he had seconds to make a life or death choice. The only book I'm going to publish is that I hope an incident like that never happens to my family, your family, or any one else's family. What would I have done in that situation? I don't have any idea. But I wouldn't have speculated less than 24 hours after the tragedy what should have been done on any forum. I would have given it more time. Speculating what should have been done isn't going to comfort the grievers now. If you see the ESPN comment as proper as long as it wasn't intended at family I could certainly buy that. It does send a strong public service message. If you see me as the pot meeting the kettle I will own that, too. I posted it. And I responded quickly and angrily to what I read.

The other comments fit your argument. I found that particular comment didn't fit what you were saying.

 

[tweeterhawk]

Met Cotlar once and spoke with him several times on the phone in our respective businesses. Seemed like a decent guy, upbeat. Always enjoyed his radio banter on football Saturdays. RIP Larry.

 

[Northside Hawk]

Google "should you get out of your car in a flood" and the first match is:

Do not stay in a flooded car. If your vehicle is surrounded by floodwater, abandon the vehicle and move immediately to higher ground.

Sounds like Cotlar was trying to do the right thing. It worked for the others in the van.

In a couple weeks the proper authorities will have completed the autopsy and will be able to piece together a reasonable synopsis of what happened. If he was in the water that long hypothermia is a distinct possibility. Head trauma from striking something in the water or cardiac arrest are other possibilities.

 

[1hawkeye1]

That would be an absolutely terrifying situation to be in. That water was roaring down the street, possibly carrying the car along with it. Do you try to get out and risk being swept under or stay in your car and end up in an even worse position? Ugh, can't even imagine how awful that must have been for him.

 

[hawkeyebob62]

Dang, what is wrong with society? A sad reflection on the human race. I think on the internet, with zero accountability for what you write, you find out what is really in people's hearts. In too many cases, it ain't good. Have people really become this mean?

Anyway, horrible tragedy. It's really shocking when something like this happens. No one ever sees it coming.

I'm from Iowa originally of course, but live in Tampa, FL now and can tell you that in hurricane country, it's always the water/flooding that can be the deadliest, regardless of wind speeds hitting 100+ (sometimes 130-150+ with the nastiest storms). Just look at Hurricane Katrina. Water was the issue. Or the tsunamis that hit Indonesia on Christmas some years ago. Water is nature's most powerful force IMO. Definitely no joke.

I still can't get over how part of Tampa Bay "emptied" before Irma arrived!