This is in deed a tragedy. There should be more corses taught to fishermen on just what to do if you trip or are swept off your feet. Most perish because of panic. If they would just keep their heads they will hit the bottom of the stream and be able to push off and jump to the surface and take a breath of air till they hit shallow water. I once saw a film of Lee Wulff jumping off a bridge in chest high waders and then hopping off the bottom till he was safe. Of course this does not take into account if the person is knocked unconscious during their fall or are swept under a rock or dead fall. The last instances have taken the lives of even the best of waders, but I don?t think that a PFD would have helped them in these instances either.