Last week, Nick Schuyler, the NFL player who nearly escaped drowning like his three NFL buddies who were with him, painfully relived his experience on the Oprah show. It was evident that Mr. Schuyler was still feeling the angst for surviving against all odds, while his three boating friends did not. And now he faces another challenge: being ridiculed by the wife of one of the fatalities. In her personal pain she’s criticizing the publication of Schuyler’s book, Not without Hope. Mathias’ wife claims that Mr. Schuyler published the story without first disclosing the details of her husband’s death to her. “Why didn’t you tell the story me  before publishing it?”

Oprah, in her wisdom turned to the audience and advised, “this is a lesson for all of us. “Share, personal stories with the family before publishing them.”

She then relayed four boating safety rules from the Coast Guard:

1. Always wear a life jacket

2. Always bring a flair or flashing lights

3. Always tell people when you expect to return

4. Never tie an anchor to the back of your boat

You can read an excerpt of Nick Schuyler’s new book Not Without Hope at http://www.oprah.com/oprahshow/Book-Excerpt-Not-Without-Hope