Another tragedy

None of us should take what the media reports as factual but this sounds like it may have been preventable with the right gear.
http://www.marinij.com/ci_11712078?source=rss

Bummer but a Canoe on Tamale Bay not a great idea at anytime but during a storm you are just asking for trouble.

I was sturgeon fishing on a PB (well, attempting to fish in the wind) and heard the call go out on the radio, bummer that someone lost their life.  On the radio they said it was a kayak though, not a canoe, but it was in tomales bay.  I was crossing my fingers that it wasn't one of us.

Dress for immersion...

Dress for immersion...

And use an appropriate vessel for the waterway and conditions. I have seen people taking canoes in the salt before and could not believe it.

Something doesn't sound right though. It wouldn't take 30 minutes to swim to shore from where they were. Unless they just clung to the overturned whatever they were in. Obviously a radio would have been good plus a full wetsuit and booties. I wonder if they were from not around here, say the midwest and knew nothing of the water here. Conditions were shite on Saturday everywhere.

Something doesn't sound right though. It wouldn't take 30 minutes to swim to shore from where they were. Unless they just clung to the overturned whatever they were in. Obviously a radio would have been good plus a full wetsuit and booties. I wonder if they were from not around here, say the midwest and knew nothing of the water here. Conditions were shite on Saturday everywhere.

Moving tide, wet heavy clothes, cold and out of shape; I can easily see why they might not be able to make it to shore.

Tote, you are right.

don't forget the fear factor, if they are not from here or the midwest over confidence.  But a canoe? Unless it is one of those enclosed white water ones, why would anyone go out in one of those? That almost sounds like suicde than ignorance.  From What I saw of the bay Saturday it didn't look inviting.

I have seen a number of canoes on Tomales...I don't get it.  Sad. 

I never cease to be amazed at the continuing string of water related tragedies that stem from what most of would call a lack of common sense.

But it still is a tragedy for their loved ones if not for themselves,

Further proof that out there, it isn't the BIG SCARY MONSTERS that are the threat .

Sad. Sorry to hear. I recall last year a buddy and I were out for halis of Berkeley pier in my 16 alum. We motored past two guys in a canoe at the end of the pier. What is that 1 mile plus? We just rolled past real slow (expecting them to ask for help) they just gave us a 'hi' and smiled and kept fishing. Even in the 16 footer with all the safety gear I feel real exposed sometimes.

People really make poor decisions. Sorry for the family.

They were from SF, not the midwest...   

A lot of us wear paddle pants, ect, which aren't really meant for immersion either.  Having buddies on the water in separate craft that can help in a pinch makes us much safer than most of our gear...

man something that unstable in the ocean...