My Swim(s) at GMS III

For more information and background, please see http://www.norcalkayakanglers.com/index.php/topic,17965.0.html for the Gimme Shelter III fishing report thread!!!

As I'm paddling back from the red buoy its getting a bit rough for me out there.  Swell and wind were making it hard to make any traction.  I radio that I'm heading closer in cause I am getting beating up out there.  Swells were getting pretty large, some of them breaking next to me.  I've still been in worse conditions, but not on this boat before. Heading with the waves seemed fine, but they weren't pointing twards the launch.

I'm at the point where I decide I need to get to some calmer water as fast as possible, and wait for a swell to pass and aim left to point the yak at the cove.  A wave flushes right over the side of the yak and I roll right out of it and am now in the water.    From here, my details are a lil' fuzzy, cause it all seemed to happen so fast.

After the initial shock and catching a few breaths I saw that I could still reach my rod that was in the holder and my net was floating near me.  Grabbed those and then was able to push the kayak back over with my free hand and get it upright again.  Toss the stuff up inside, and then started hailing that I need some help.  I remembered seeing Bob not too far back as I was paddling and I heard him call out too me.  He pulled up along side and checked to see that I was ok. 

He instructed me on what I should be doing to get back in, and I gave it a shot, but lost my balance and felt like I was going to pull Bob down with me.  Others were on their way so decided to wait for more assistance.  I was reaching for my radio to stuff back in the pocket and felt my camera...  I for some reason couldn't resist, and took a little video of me in the water and the guys helping me. 

With another person helping to balance Bob, and someone giving directions to me from behind (NB?) we gave it another go, and this time it was successful except for when I was trying to bring my knee up in the boat with me instead of laying flat on my stomach.  I got rolled over and just held onto Bob and his Hobie while I caught my breath and let my nerves calm down a bit.  Once I was ready, and tried to thank everyone I set myself on my way back to shore and the others I think went back to fishing.

Coming back in, I felt like I had no balance and ended up having my feet over the side of the boat to help balance me.  I was being cautious, moving slow in the water and only with the waves figuring I'm going to have to head twoards the shore however possible and hope to hit calmer water to turn the bow into and paddle to the launch.   Every time a wave came from behind me it felt like I was having to counter balance it 3-4 times.  But I kept moving, my legs were really cold, but I was determined to get back in under my own power. 

Stoggie came up on me and I told him how the yack was feeling to me, and explained that for some reason I have no balance.  Keeping up the balancing act was getting hard, and for the first time I started to feel a bit afraid of dumping over again.  He looked at me and didn't see anything that looked wrong.  I was still sitting high in the water, and he didn't know what was wrong but stuck it with me all the way back to shore. 

Eventually I came back in without tipping, using my legs to balance, and when I hit the shore I couldn't pull my yak 5ft out of the water, it was heavy as hell!  Tad and Matt were there and some others we opened up the hatch and saw 3-4 inches of water inside.  We flipped it over and it took a WHILE to drain it out, even with most of it flushing out the front hatch. 

Matt gave me some warm clothes to put on, that I was really thankful for and grabbed a smoke from Tad and just kept going over the whole episode in my head trying to figure out what I did wrong.  I really should have expected water in the hull after being flipped, but I was too worried to check it out there on the water, and just wanted to head back in. 

I'm still looking to figure out what went wrong with that scenario ( and the second one...) but I am not sure, but will be doing some testing to find out what I can.  I'm not going to point fingers at problems before having some answers.  Will be posting more on this later...


My Donations made to the "Lost Coast" for Saturday (yeap!) were:

Gaff
Fish smacker
Trevala Med Rod w/ Shimano 301a Cardiff
Scupper plugs (recoverd by AK)
Lip Gripper (Recovered by AK)
Pat's Hawg Trough
Stringer, with a few fish on it
Bait, bottles, etc stuff in pockets
10AA rechargeable battery setup for FF
ICOM Remote Floating Mic (died after the dunk)

SUNDAY:

Sunday: Stoggie and I planned on hitting the water again, this time to get our catch to bring home. Plan going around the camp was to head out around to the hotel and fishing near shore down the coast. We get our gear together (but forgot the camera, so no pics of this day from me ) and wheel our kayaks down to the water and meet up with some folks. 

Launch the kayaks and head out past the boiler rocks. Tried dropping down right around 15-25 FOW and pickup a few small kelp greenlings and cabbies.  It was a bit mixy out there, but seemed nothing like the day before.  Drift was a bit fast, making it hard to fish the smaller stuff. 

So after I put  verm on the stringer and break my lipgripper (yeah, the one that AK retrieved after the fall) trying to send this fish to sleep (tried my Gatorade bottle too, no effect) Stoggie comes by and lets me use his gaff to smack them around a bit.  Decide that I wanna take one more pass before heading in, and see if I can get a legal ling to bring home too boot and tell Stoggie I'm heading back to the hotel for another drift.

On the way in another kayaker (forgot his name.. in a Red Hobie Revo?) comes up to check out my catch, we chat for a bit while paddling in.  Its getting a bit rougher for me now, but we keep chatting and paddling and I'm thinking about how I wished I had my outback with me.  He heads on over to another group of kayakers and I'm feeling a bit nervous about the conditions so I look back and don't see stoggie behind me. 

Try to reach him on the radio, but I find out later that his radio quit on him, so I send out a general hail saying that if you run into Stoggie tell him I'm heading back in. Some water was coming over the sides and filled my foot wells a bit, so I stopped and reached forward and pulled out my scupper plugs and tossed them in my cup holder. 

I'm close to the hotel and heading back to the cove.  I'm a bit nervous and kind of re-living the day before in my head.  But I convince myself that I wont flip, the conditions are much better yesterday and hell I paddled in with a kayak full of water then! I'm very close to the launch, it shouldn't be a problem getting past the light house and around the boiler rocks and back into the cove.  I know I should take a minute and stow my gear, but I'm frankly too afraid to open the rodpod now at all.  Decide that its better to push on and not loose my cool over it, just head back in...

I'm starting to round the point, but I'm a bit close to the rocks.  I decide to do an arch to come in around the rocks and try and clear my path around the far rock and head in.  I am paddling, but see that I'm not making much progress.  My plugs are out, but still retaining a lot of water in the foot wells. I am moving closer to the rocks and paddling feels less productive.  A quick set of waves come wash over the right side of the yack and I see more water in the boat than ever before! 

I steady the boat with my legs in the water and pull out my radio and try to give out my position as fast as possible.  As I'm trying to say that I'm too close to the rocks, over by the light house another wave comes over the side and this time the boat just sinks out from under me and I roll out of the boat on the right side.

Reaching for my radio, its dead.  My ICOM speaker MIC failed on me after yesterdays dunk so I pulled it out after doing some radio checks and people could hear me without the MIC plugged in.  I didn't have the cap to plug in the hole, so it wasn't water tight.   

I see the boat is filled with water, but give it a shot and on the second attempt was able to flip it back over. Rod and net are nowhere to be seen.  I try to swim the boat away from the rocks, yet consider letting go of it entirely and just start swimming to shore. 

I get far enough that I think I can wait for help, I know the message went out in time and received!  Help was on its way (again ).  I then remember that a paddle makes a good signal for help and lift it up high as I can.

Dominic arrives on scene and gets me to hold on to his hull while he tows me away from the rocks. In no time at all I'm surrounded by NCKA'ers and hearing the reports going out on the radio about my condition. 

They take the boat off my hands and let me just hang on to Dom's yak (very, sturdy feeling yak  ).  Ariel says he is going to tow it back to shore for me even though it was completely swamped! Man, (I owe you one man) I'm told a boat is on its way for me and everything's going to be just fine. 

I'm in good spirits and notice I'm being filmed (yet again! LOL  ) in the water.  Dom paddles me over to the boat when it arrives and I'm helped up into the boat by these two guys.  They don't have a ladder, so I step up on the prop and get pulled into the boat, slamming my knee on the deck and my radio ripped off, along with my fishing license... (eh, at this point who cares!)  The step up on it and get me back to shore in no time.  They even offered me a beer   I roll out of the boat and walk back up on to shore, take off my life vest and lay down on on my back with the vest as a pillow for a bit...

So, my total loss for Sunday was:

Another Trevala Med Light w/ Daiawa Luna (ouch)
Promar Rubber Net
Broken Lip Gripper (tried to knock out some fish with it)
ICOM M34
Fishing License

Yeah, Al, that was quite the excitement. The wind definitely kicked up for a while there on Saturday and Lisa and I were about to start heading in when we heard some garbled transmissions on the radio which I guess were you? Then someone radioed there was a man in and we all headed as fast as we could to the drifting yak. You held it together like a trooper man. A few of the guys made a makeshift raft to support the yak and Al as he attempted to get back in, while someone else gave him a push. I have a couple of bits of video. They're not as dramatic as Mondays, which Eric has some footage of I think.

On a side note to that, once we were done getting Al back in the yak, I start hearing someone yelling "HELP, HELP". I scan the water and see it's someone in a yak about a quarter mile away. Right next to them is all sorts of commotion in the water and gulls circling and feasting on whatevers happening. It looks like a textbook shark attack. Now I'm really, really scared. I start paddling like a madman towards the guy shouting help. Abking is on the radio telling us he's watching a seal destroy a salmon. As I get closer to the guy shouting help I finally put 2+2 together and realise it's Abking, and he's not shouting "help" he's doing seal impressions to try and frighten the seal off the salmon so he can grab the carcass to enter in the tourney!! Man, you gave me a fright!

Here's the video of Al.

Thanks For Sharing Al...

It really helps to hear personal experiences and these words, will be remembered by those that may find themselves in such a situation ...

 Very Useful and a Great reminder that we are engaged in an Extream Sport, and part of the excitement is the fact that we may have to Adapt, Improvise and Overcome.....

 Again, everything went by the numbers and everyone did a Great Job and it was a Great experience to see how well something like this can run...

 The Key Again is Communication,  Al Gave the Early Warning that He may need assistance...

 We asked for his position, Northern Boy, told him to put up a Paddle... Al Did, we confirmed his spot,

 This is when I came up, I saw that No one was near his position and he was very near the Rocks...

 I radio the fleet of his position and that no one is close to Him.... Next look...

Yak overturned heading towards the rocks, and I could not see Al

 " Man in the Water.... "   AbKing comes up and states " This is a Mayday "  Agreed....

 THIS, is where one person needs to take comand, I told everyone I would contact the Coast Guard...

 Switched to 16 " Mayday, Mayday, Mayday... " 

 " Coast Guard Humbolt Station... What is your Emergency.... "  This was immediate...

 "We have a Kayak er in the water at Shelter Cove, in the surf near the rocks, we have other kayaks enroute to assist, but I believe we will need a power boat to assist, can you Contact Shelter Cove Fire department............ "

 " Contacting Shelter Cove Fire Department, do have a description on the kayak and the victim.... "

 and so on,,,,    I had my wife throw down another VHF radio to me from the Hotel 3rd floor..

 " You will Drop it... "  "No I Won't... "  " Yes you will....    I have another if I do, if I drop this one, you can walk the other down to me, but Please... Drop the Radio.....

 Easy Catch.......

 I put that radio on 69 and gave the update to the Fleet who had by now made it to Al and were dragging him away from the rocks and giving me a update of Al's condition which seemed good....

 I now relayed back to the Coast Guard of the updates, and also to ease communications, gave them my username as Danglin and that they could also monitor ch.69 to hear our " Attack/Rescue Channel" ...

I also advised that we would be trying to get a private Vessel to help...

 This is when ewb came up stating that a private Vessel was en-route to help...

 Coast Guard advised and Coast Guard ask if we could get the private Vessel to switch to 16, I radioed ewb to pass this message to the private vessel,

 Back to the rescue crew.... " How is the our person in the water doing..."  report comes back that he is doing well and that they could use a power boat to get him back to shore...

I relay that a power boat has been advised and should be on scene shortly...

Could not have been 15 seconds after that, the boat shows up and had Al back at the launch with in a minute...

 ewb gives the OK that Al is doing fine and has no injuries or need for further medical assistance...

 Radio back to the Coast Guard that our victim is out o the water and doing fine with no injuries...

 we are now in process of towing his kayak back to the launch...

 " Coast Guard Humbolt... Message received... thank you for all of your help, call back on 16 if you need further assistance...

 Coast Guard Humblot Station Out......... "   

 There was much more communications that went on, constantly, but that was the gist of it....

 Pretty Kool how this all went down....

I wrote this out as to see the need for Incident Command,     One person,

 Making contact for resources, deciphering information, and making updates of progress...

Having 2 radio's was also very helpful for speed and monitoring...

 This went well, easy location, it had the potential to go bad, but everyone acted professional and were quick to respond.... 

If in another situation where the situation was not as favorable, a system of communication like this is even more important as to not confuse information to incoming resources.

 Anyway... I don't want to turn this into long drawn out thing like what happened after the

" Bean Incident.. ".... 

 I just wanted to break this down how it went from a comand perspective to show that anyone can do it...

 just stay calm... keep your eyes and mind open,  and don't be afraid to call in professional help....

 It's why they are there ....... 

 

I would like to add a positive critique. Everyone knows that staying calm is essential. Part of staying calm is staying off the radio if you don't NEED to be talking. This incident went very smoothly because we didn't have a bunch of excited or self important people talking needlessly on the radio. As an emergency responder I can tell you that can be a challenge even for the pros sometimes and you guys did great.

Danglin said communication is essential and he is right.

1. If you must get on the radio speak up and speak clearly. Make sure you aren't panicking or screaming or you won't be heard/understood/helped.

2. If you are in a group like the on water rescue team then desiganate a radio person.

3. When a group goes out together it wouldn't hurt to know who is first aid/cpr/paramedic etc and make sure everyone is on the same page with channels and where any first aid supplies may be kept.

We all love kayak fishing and we all know there are certain dangers involved. Let's be prepared as possible.

And always bring a rope in case you need Ariel to tow your yak in.
 

Nice followup, Don.  Great info here, and we're lucky to have safety/emergency professionals among us consulting on our MO.

What's also really cool is the level of respect here.  People waited for Al to have the time to report on this incident himself before adding their perspective, and that's all about being respectful and patient.  Nice one, Folks. 

I do have a couple of corrections for Don's storyline, and maybe the video will make it all clear.     Northern Boy may have called a mayday, but I did too (or maybe it was just me?  was I copying his accent, again?   ) - either way, it was the real deal.  My main concern was that a set could come through there and about 8-10 of us would've been in jeopardy.  I think I may have been the only one on the radio at the scene, and that was due to an unspoken understanding at that point - the group could hear me, and everyone knew without saying anything that we didn't need more than one guy on there.  Besides, it's best for the video if the radio traffic is right there too   .  All kidding aside, each move I made was calculated, and the video camera only came on after I knew that others were well in front of me in getting to Al (WTG, Super-Dom   ), and I only adjusted my camera for a better angle if my hands weren't needed for radioing or manuevering around the response unit.

Once Al was motoring off to safety with the powerboat assist crew (we owe those guys a case of good beer) Ariel was heading in with his boat in tow and Dom, Shannon and I brought up the rear - we were intending to catch him and relieve him, but, honest truth, he was in control of the situation and his abilities proved to be superior to any of ours.  We caught up to him right around Pilot Rock and he didn't need any help.  Ariel - you're probably getting tired of hearing this, but you are a STUD!   

There's a gift that we've all been presented with.  It's the opportunity to associate with each other.  It's been pre-qualified by something as whimsical as a fishing kayak, but the underlying qualities of most of us who participate in these activities have proven to go way beyond fishing or kayaking.  I'm extremely proud to be part of this group.  Thank You.   

al did you ever figure out why it happened?

Howdy all,

great posts on the trip and of Al's adventures in the water. Have been in the police/rescue business for 21 years and have been involved in and handled literally hundreds of these types of incidents.  Have seen the tragic aftermath of a bad outcome as well as the good ones.

All involved performed like polished professionals. No panic, just a common sense,  poised, and organized response to an event that was serious and could have gone really bad in a flash. Outstanding work on the communications, notification, rallying of help, etc. Great  job to all, Danglin/Eric/Ariel special Kudos to you.

Al, you were poised and calm in the water and I can't say the word "victim" to describe your predicament. Just wasn't the case. Loved all the time on and off the water with you all. Many, many colorful, passionate, and genuine characters in attendance. Look forward to hanging with you all again at the next event.

Eric, brother you took care of all of us by setting this up. Thanks a million for being  a great guide, friend and fellow kayak fishing nut bag.

Shannon

Shannon

Here's the rescue vid.  NCKA at its finest, and I only had to edit some scenes and cut others due to saying " F#*&in' " about 10 times.     I need rehab for potty mouth.   

I've been reading the thread and paying particular close attention to the capsize and ensuing rescue. I have mixed feelings on it because I'm looking at it through the lens of a professional guide who has been right there in this same scenario many times now in my career. As well as being a guide/outfitter, I represent recreational boating on the Humboldt Harbor Safety commission. Our jurisdiction as I found out in our monthly meeting this week includes Shelter cove and the number of incidents NCKA had over the weekend did not go unnoticed by the Safety commission or Coast Guard.I've been tasked with going back down to Shelter cove and training their fire department on kayak rescue procedure and incident response. There is already enough back slapping and Kudos done so I'll refrain and just be the downer with a critical look at what happened. Al I have to say that it wasn't the best judgment to be out there Sunday after Saturdays incident. What happened is your boat failed you, your radio failed you, your personal rescue knowledge failed you and your NCKA brothers were not able to rescue you without aid of a powerboat. I'm watching Abkings video ad trying to tell myself "it's no big deal, everything worked out, no one died. Had you been alone Al this story would be a more tragic one. Rule #1- Never ever fish alone on any body of water but most especially the Ocean without rock solid redundant safety precautions and a wealth in Knowledge of Self Rescue/recovery. Al's boat was taking on water but did not appear to be totally swamped. I was near shouting at my computer screen as I watched Al's boat being towed away from him while he was still neck deep in the water clutching an albeit super stable X-factor. Rule #2 Get the swimmer out of the water asap. I don't care how much immersion wear or natural insulation they have, get them out of the water! Rule #3-Be sure your kayak has redundant flotation on the inside be it either rigid foam, pool noddles, or inflatable air bags (my choice), and know how to pump out your kayak. It can be easier said then done to climb back or assist someone back into a sit-on-top after a few minutes of being in the water. We are not cold water creatures and when we find ourselves all the sudden immersed into it our brains go into survival mode and limit our movement capabilities. It's common that a swimmer in cold water even insulted will need assistance getting back onto a kayak. Watching the video you can see Al struggled even getting into the PB with help. Rule#4-"personal responsibility", know how to rescue yourself and no how to assist someone else back into their  kayak. I was not there Sunday and am just armchair analysis here but I would have done one of two rescues, 1) scoop-n-slide- after removing a majority of water from the yak tilt it on it's side and and have the swimmer bear hug with hand and feet then tilt it right side up and tow em in like that. 2) Stirrup rescue sling- You take a 12-15 ft piece of webbing tied in a loop and fix it to the swimmers paddle(not yours). Lay the paddle across the most stable part of the yak and run the free end underneath the kayak to the other side where you wrap it several times around the paddle shaft.This will leave you with a loop a foot or two long that that the tired/cold swimmer can slip a foot in and stand up giving greater leverage for climbing back aboard a kayak. I have used this rescue effectively for big guys many times, it works and should be in your repertoire and part of your kit.
I'm hearing a lot of talk about radios but none on taking some kayaking lessons from certified professionals. As you can see from this thread radios fail. Stoggie radio went out, Als radio crapped out and most were not even tuned to the emergency channel 16 used by rescue services. What you all don't know is that once the mayday call was sent out to the coast guard a button was pushed and every swinging coastie around was mobilized. Choppers were fueled and in the air,two 47 foot motorlife boats were manned and on their way The cutter Baracuda was recalled from training on on standby. This was a big deal for the coast guard and it's what they exist for. I'm good good friends with the masterchief in charge of operations and he let me know in the nicest way that kayak fisherman are a new and constant source of worry for them because most kayak fisherman consider themselves fishermen and not kayakers so they forgo the training and learning that that the rest of the kayak world undergoes to enjoy their sport safely. Your radio is essential but it is at best unreliable. It is not your answer to safe kayaking. We had a great weekend and in the big picture view there was  no serious danger but it should serve as a wake up call to kayak fisherman that the ocean especially north of Pt Arena is no joke and requires a higher skillset to be totally safe. We have wives, children, and loved ones who depend on us to be conservative and not risk takers. I've seen the lifeless corpse of a kayaker and am haunted by many experiences where I've witnessed things escalate beyond control. I strongly urge all of you in the NCKA to work on rescues and recorvery. I will volunteer my time if need be and put on a safety class this summer (organized by ABKING). I run classes at my shop on Humboldt Bay come up for a one on one if you have the time or seek out professionals in your area and get dialed in. The life you save may be your own or that of a dear fishing buddy. I wasn't there during these incidents at shelter cove and I apologize if I got it wrong but I sincerely love my NCKA brothers and recognize that we fish in some of the most treacherous waters on the planet, please be safe and come home everytime   

Thanks for giving the pro perspective, Hawk.  Good points.  Regarding the bilge pump, I know it was considered, and I think it was determined that the WX was such that it would've been risky to start pumping out there.  So with Al in the powerboat it was easier to just tow his boat to shore.  Now, if the bilge pump were handy earlier in the incident maybe it would've gotten Al back on his boat and helped us avoid a mayday, but I think the WX issue was a valid roadblock to the pumping.

I'm not opposed to helping you out with a safety seminar, Hawk.  If our friends at Malibu come through with that Pro Staff endorsement I'll be all over it.

Domenic is pysched to put an electric bilge pump in his boat.  I'm pretty content with my dozen noodles at this point (and bilge pump), and I'm considering another dozen.

As for getting the victim out of the water ASAP, there was no way to do that without putting someone else in the water since his boat was nearly capsized and it was unknown whether we could just pump it out (didn't know if it had a hole in it).  Since he had a wetsuit on and was in direct contact with someone on a very stable ride I felt that he was safe even if we had to paddle in like that.  It was definitely good that the powerboat came out, but we would've gotten him to shore without it long before a motor life boat could've arrived.  The mayday call was made because it would've been irresponsible not to make it.  I saw us getting Al to shore with only kayak resources if necessary.

I think a big point to make here is that we ended up paddling too close to breaker areas and the nearshore reef.  With a partner and staying out away from the reef and breakers there is more time to deal with a problem.  Paddling with a partner and a radio is, IMO, very safe in a place like Shelter Cove.  To call the radio's unreliable at best is not accurate.  If the proper care is taken you should be in possession of a working radio even in a bad situation.  I like my choice to have my waterproof radio in a waterproof bag.

Also a huge point here, the boat apparently has a major defect that allowed it to fill with water.  Finding this out at GS3 was unfortunate.  Hopefully we won't see such a defect again, but we need to be ready for it.

My first reaction was the same as Swellrider's and his points are largely spot on, however I try not to second guess decisions on the water when I wasn't there, particularly when professional first reponders were present. All that said, these incidents ARE largely preventable and when they do occur they are costly with regard to public services and the reputation of our sport. As most folks know I am a fanatic about safety on the water and here are some lessons from the incident...

1. Take a paddling class AND practice self-rescue every year on a fully rigged kayak in real swells. I have seen many experienced paddlers struggle to re-enter a fully rigged kayak with a heavy stringer of fish. I made this point in the GS3 hookup thread and will say it again.

2. Many VHF radios fail when submersed. I have used many over the years and have not found one yet that is fully functional right after submersion. This is the reason why I carry an EPIRB. The SPOT is a less costly option. Keeping your VHF in a dry bag is another consideration, but I find them cumbersome.

3. New kayaks need to be fully water tested before going on the ocean or SF bay/delta. This is the 3rd incident of a kayak sinking resulting in coast guard assisted rescue in our group. Water testing should include: paddling upright and yak upside down in water as a minimum. Internal floatation and a bilge pump are also good. I hate carrying a lot of extra stuff but I always carry and extra paddle, bilge pump and tow rope on the ocean.

4. Paddle with experienced paddlers on the ocean. If you are less experienced, it is your responsibility to get your skill level up, otherwise you become a liability to the group. Being unprepared on the ocean not only endangers yourself but the people you are paddling with. I often paddle miles offshore in remote locations and I only paddle with people I know can handle themselves in a really bad situation.

I think organizing some safety/fishing events is a good idea and will try to put one together at MBK this summer. Sean did one last summer and it was very popular. This event however would be for people who already have taken a basic paddling class and would focus on practicing skills on rigged yaks.

Scott

I was several hundred yards away when I heard the incident break out on the radio (somebody elses - I wasn't carrying one   ). 

Since there were already at least a dozen kayaks in the vicinity or on the way I decided that all was well and to just hang back.  No sense in crowding the rescue, right?

One question that has been in my mind since that Sunday was "should we have called the Coast Guard in with so many kayaks right there"?  I assumed with all those boats that Al was as good as rescued and I was a little surprise when I learned that the Coast Guard was called.  Knowing that the very worst thing you can do is NOT call for help when you need it, I didn't really want to ask the question.  But since we're taking another look at this incident - I thought I'd ask.

If you're in a rescue situation and you're already being helped and the likelyhood is that you are safe - should you still call the Coast Guard? 

Abking made the comment above that it would have been irresponsible not to make the call (to the CG) - and when I first read it I just kind of agreed without thinking about it . . but why would it not have been better just to tow Al in to shore with kayaks?  I was far away so my view could've been innacurate - but it looked do-able to me. 

I am asking these questions in order to learn more - not to criticize anybody or anything that was done on Sunday.  The most important thing is that Al made it back to shore safely. 

I agree with most of what Swellrider says. As I understand it Al's radio did fail and if he hadn't have got that msg out before he did, this could have been a whole lot worse.

To clarify a couple of points about the timeline; attempts were made to drain Al's yak, but we were very close to the rocks and the swells were reasonably large (not huge) but unpredictable. As I remember it, the decision to tow Als yak was made once the powerboat was in sight. We were all conscious of the need to get Al out of the water ASAP and his own yak was not the way to do it in those conditions at that location. 

Also a huge point here, the boat apparently has a major defect that allowed it to fill with water.  Finding this out at GS3 was unfortunate. 

To turn this point on it's head, if he was going to find this out anywhere, GS3 was a great place to do it with scores of other yaks close by and Don on shore with a pair of binoculars and a couple of radios. Finding out your yak has a hole in it when you're out by yourself or even in a small group would be a lot worse. Al had a buddy with him on Saturday but it didn't do a whole lot of good; it wasn't until a bunch of us arrived that we were able to battle to conditions and get him back in the yak. On Sunday we would have been in more trouble without the powerboat since the yak was no good to anybody.

but why would it not have been better just to tow Al in to shore with kayaks?  I was far away so my view could've been innacurate - but it looked do-able to me. 

Not a chance. Even if this had been physically possible for those doing the towing it would have taken a very long time to get Al into a safe shore landing location; too long.


I learned a lot from this. I figure the most important thing is to minimise the chances of anything like this ever happening; I'm gonna stuff my hull with noodles, be sensible about when to go out be be certain my yak is seaworthy when I do. Second, make sure I'm in the best possible shape to help myself; self rescue, have a working, waterproof floating radio, a decent PFD, a decent wetsuit with no hole, a flare, a whistle, a light. Third, make sure there are other people around. After Al's incidents at GS3 Lisa kept saying to me over and over; "If that happens to you, I can't help you". Three is the magic number for me now.

Good discussion going here.  I've been thinking more about calling the Coast Guard.  There is a distinction that needs to be made between kayaking and other boating.  The fact is, you're more likely to find yourself in the water if you're kayaking, and getting back in your boat isn't anywhere near as potentially hazardous as getting back in a powerboat would be. 

I have to hit the road right now for Memorial Day family festivities, but I have more I'd like to say about this.  My thinking is running along the lines of this:  we need some kind of level of certification inside our group - it would identify those who have assembled the agreed upon safety equipment and taken the time to show that they have all of the skills and knowledge to handle a situation without calling in assistance from outside sources.  I'm now feeling that we SHOULD have been able to handle the situation without any assistance from "outsiders".  Just the kayakers should have been able to fix this particular problem, and we also need to identify exactly what criteria would elicit the REAL distress call to the Coast Guard.

This discussion is about all of us - you're not being picked on, Al.