Another tragedy

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article/comments/view?f=/n/a/2009/02/18/state/n055052S15.DTL

reading through some of the comments...

I don't think I would personally go out to sea on a canoe unless it was equipped with an amass for stability and tipping prevention. Has anyone ever seen inshore fisherman in third world countries like Africa? These guys brave the sea in some rickety looking contraptions, but then again this is probably out of survival rather than recreation.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article/comments/view?f=/n/a/2009/02/18/state/n055052S15.DTL

reading through some of the comments...

He died what he loved doing: Trapped underwater and drowning helplessly.

Maddox?

reading through some of the comments...

This caught my eye.

"Austin was a very humble yet extraordinary man who inspired those around him to push further than where they thought was possible. He had over 12 years of competitive paddling experience and his story extends far beyond the 5 brief paragraphs in this story."

I *KNOW* I'm inexperienced, so I'm very cautious. Not knowing how much I don't know makes me just nervous enough to step back when I'm in doubt. I think the first time I find myself feeling like I know what I'm doing I'll have to re-visit some of these stories.

Ben

More like smurf blue in cold @$$ water.  Folks aren't even learning the right lesson.  *sigh*

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article/comments/view?f=/n/a/2009/02/18/state/n055052S15.DTL

reading through some of the comments...

He died what he loved doing: Trapped underwater and drowning helplessly.

Maddox?

Maddox?

what's/who's maddox?

Maddox?

what's/who's maddox?

Yeah, I suppose that reference was a little too esoteric for a lot of people.  Maddox is an internet personality with little in the way of remorse, subtlety or kindness for that which he deems stupid.  The comment I quoted could have come directly from his lips (but most assuredly did not).  Just read a few excerpts from The Best Page in the Universe http://maddox.xmission.com/ and you'll know what I mean.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maddox_(writer)

Without a wetsuit the water here is simply too cold.
 Without a wetsuit and just a legally required PFD ?

PFD means Properly Freezing to Death...
Even a light suit or a shorty will double or triple the time needed to get to shore.

We have sadly had this discussion 3X in the past 3-4 weeks.
Steve

According to the commentors, these guys were wearing wetsuits.

"......were not wearing wetsuits or gear designed to keep them warm in cold water.."

Sin,
 Have a cup of non de-caf coffee and read it again.
 Steve

Oops! I was going by what the commentors stated in the original article that hydro linked on pg 1.
Here's a copy+paste job below. I wonder who was wrong: the on-scene commentor or the journalist?
PK



Steve Sacramento, CA
Reply »|Report Abuse|#8Tuesday
I was there and saw it happen. Although I agree that this is a heartbreaking story, they should NOT have been on the water that day. The wind was strong, and whitecaps were clearly visible. Both men had wetsuits on, but they weren't wearing anything on their hands, feet or heads. As the Fire Department guy said, they were not prepared.
They were lucky that anyone even spotted them. There weren't many people on the beach that day, and it was hard to see the men in the water that far offshore (200 yards or more). The quick response by emergency crews is only reason they both didn't die.
What the news article doesn't say is that at least eight EMT's worked on the dying man for a very long time -- 45 minutes or more. I heard one say that he had a pulse and "he's not dead yet." Eight emergency vehicles, two boats and the helicopter came to the scene.
I wondered all weekend if he died on the scene or not. It was very sad to hear he didn't make it.

... There weren't many people on the beach that day, and it was hard to see the men in the water that far offshore (200 yards or more)...

200 yards?  Damn.

That can't be much more than a ten minute swim even at a slow pace. Treacherous currents in Tomales?

That's some cold water for sure. Still, it does seem odd that an experienced canoe paddler, wearing a wetsuit, couldn't swim the 200 yards. That might be a long way in tough conditions though. I recall one morning about 10 years ago, standing at Nick's with a half dozen SIK sea kayak students on their second day of OTW work and watching the whitecap sheep just stampeding down the bay. We paddled Estero Americano that day instead.

Does anyone else think it's strange that they mentioned  that the two weren't wearing gloves, booties, or even hats???  I've worn all three even when there were no whitecaps out. Brrrr.

It is a weird and sad story.

Warnings......just don't reach people who cannot even begin to visualize a capsize.

It's like bleeding a fresh-caught fish aboard your SOT.

A guy who can't imagine how his boat would look & smell to a Bull Sea Lion or 20-foot 2,000-pound Great White Shark......????.....

You can't reach that guy.
He will be talking to you about how a bled fish will taste better.
You just can't reach that guy.

He will have to find out, if God wills it, for himself.

Judd

fish
especially salmon
taste way better
when thoroughly bled
on sharky waters


today's haiku from one of the unreachables

  Bravo!