wow Jim, nice story! You should've tried to reel her in though, but I guess if the plane was drifting, dinner doesn't take priority!!!

If that's what you meant, putting a motor on the back of the plane facing back is hilariously ridiculous!! You could just buy a car ESC which has reverse ($5 more, but weighs ~1oz more - better than another ESC and motor, esc, etc!))...then you'd have much much much more powerful back power, and still, if you're in the middle of the lake, forward is enough, as long as 'yer rudders work.

Rescue methods:
RC boat : very manuevarable, zero trouble, small, powerful, cheap, all-in-one package (like the firebirds of the plane hobby)...the HobbyZone R/C Zig Zag Racer:
http://www.ehobbies.com/rc-hbz-3310.html
a human-oar powered regular pontoon boat (that's what I have)
fishing rod (I don't like that idea...don't think it works as well as others)
a water rudder on the plane!!??

-aeroP