We’ve only lived on the river for almost a decade now, but even before that we always had a boat tied up at the marina.  If we wanted to get away, we always went somewhere that we could plausibly drown.  There’s nothing like relaxation without a little perilous adventure.  When you’re cruising around lakeside you’ll often see people wading about and it’s courtesy to make sure they aren’t out there stranded.  This guy probably just paddled out there all day to use this line on someone.