All it took was one mistake, an oversight, which cost Roger Bradney his life.
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It was almost a year ago when the Lavington grandfather was swept away by the Murray River's fast currents at Bungowannah.
He had an oar on board and a whistle, he'd done everything right – except for wearing a lifejacket.
His daughter Sharon Bradney, through tears, reflected on just how quickly the time had passed.
She had one message for water users as the heat of summer began to set in.
“It doesn't matter how old you are, or how much you've been on the water, if you make a mistake the river is very unforgiving,” she said.
Mr Bradney was fishing with his mate, Mark Kendrick, on December 3 when a fishing line became tangled around the boat's propeller.
Ms Bradney said the river was high and the current was fast that day.
“I'm not sure exactly what happened, but they were swept in under some trees and the boat flipped,” she said.
“Mark had dislocated his shoulder so dad tried to help him.
“Mark eventually got himself out, but dad was gone.”
At 65, Mr Bradney had a lifelong love for the river.
He grew up fishing with his father, a past time he enjoyed so much he'd stay out on the water until the last hour of daylight.
His admiration for the river was passed on to his family, who he taught first-hand about water safety.
Before his death, he told his granddaughter Shelbi, 8, just how proud he was she'd been attending swimming lessons.
“Because he was so big on safety, he would want people to know,” Ms Bradney said.
“It was all such a shock – the water was a huge part of our lives.
“He was always wary of trees and would use a stick to measure the water levels.
“We were never allowed to be silly on the water – there was no time for error.
“Where the river is concerned, alcohol is a no-go.
“And please, for those who use the water, just wear a lifejacket.”
