Drowning while Kayaking in Lake Superior

This is such a bummer but if you read it you can see it happening.  The yak had to be overloaded especially for windy and choppy conditions- was that a surprise for Lake Superior? Apparently no VHF and not prepared for the temp of the water. It was crazy - who would puts their kids in this kind of danger???

https://www.cnn.com/2018/09/02/us/wisconsin-family-kayaking-trnd/index.html


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So sad.  Can't comment on what actually happened but 3 young children in 60deg water, wind and chop, would still get hypothermia even with wetsuits.  Even if they survived the cold, at that young age, panic and exhaustion would set in from being separated from their parents. 

My son is one now, and I've taken him on my Hobie a few times.  But only when conditions are perfectly flat, sunshine, 0 wind, and I'm not planning to fish.  Even one kid is a handful on a yak, can't imagine 3. 

What a bummer bc I chauffeured my kids around tomales the same way when they were around the same age. I was lucky enough to be introduced by an experienced person. Such sad news...

Wow, that's horrible. I feel so sorry for the mother! My first tghought is what kind of boat they had. I've done Tomales Bay crossings with 4 people on the TI plus camping gear, and never felt any fear of capsizing or swamping. My guess is this was not a Hobie.

Very unfortunate. Loading 5 into a 13.5" kayak is already asking for trouble...

Some people seem to underestimate the conditions of a lake.

Very sad.

On Friday, as I was sailing my AI into the Santa Cruz harbor amid white caps, a family of 4 (with 2 small kids) was paddling a canoe (yes, a canoe) out of the harbor. They did have PFDs, but no wetsuits or any other gear that I could see. There is plenty of boat traffic there and I figured they would be unlikely to drown, but still, that did not seem smart...

Very sad. I can't imagine the guilt the mother must feel.

I was at Nick's cove yesterday and I saw families with little kids launching in all sorts of less than seaworthy craft including inflatable boats that didn't look particularly durable and one foldable boat. That looked neat but I think it would be more at home floating in a pond. With all the traffic I guess it wouldn't be too long to get help if someone capsized, but it seems like a good way to get into trouble.

I'm familiar with that area....Every visit I see folks who vastly underestimate mother nature....Lake Superior is an inland freshwater sea. There are occasional rogue waves. Dramatic weather changes can be localized and unpredictable.


It was a tragedy

https://kstp.com/news/coast-guard-family-was-well-prepared-before-kayak-capsized-in-apostle-islands/5054086/

Well prepared?  Great Lakes CG must have lacks regulations.  At least the family had PFD's.  Makes the CG's recovery efforts simple.

And yes it's tragic, but it should be a reminder; don't rely on cell coverage, don't overload, leave a float plan with someone on shore before setting off on your paddle.   

That’s sad. My 12 year old daughter has been wanting to go fishing in the ocean. I’m going to start her in the kelp forest and have been gathering better gear for her. I worry about her panicking if something happens. Want to make sure she’s 100% ready.