Near Tragedy at Point-No-Point 1/31/11

Posted on NWKA today.

-Allen

   I and "X", my buddy, went to Point-no-Point yesterday to catch the last day for salmon in area 10.  We got there around 8am, air temp 38, water mid-forties.  We geared up and launched into 10mph north wind, about 1 foot chop, pedaled out -- I in my Hobie Adventure, X in his revolution.  Got about 1/2 mile offshore to the north of PNP, 110 feet of water.  We were in VHF contact, maybe 1-200 yards apart.  I started marking fish after an hour or so and heard X holler "TER!!"---thought he hooked something, then heard "I'm in the water!!"

   I turned and sprinted over to him, he was beside his boat, hanging on.  I was bow-to-stern with his boat, he was between the boats.  He was wearing NRS farmer john wetsuit bottom, sweatshirt over cotton long-john top, and a winter jacket, under his life vest.   Tried to get him onto his deck, he was unable to kick up----only 10 minutes in the water and he was getting immobile, his wet clothing was weighing him down (he weighs >200 lbs).  He had tried to kneel on his seat and reach his tackle box on the rear deck, and got too close to the gunwale and went overboard.  The wind took his boat about 10 yards away, and he had to swim for it. That took what energy he had.  He got one hand under my stern bungees, and held onto his boat with the other, and got one leg up on my stern.  I got a good grip on his lifejacket with my right hand and pedaled for shore.  It took me about 20 minutes to get us into the shallows, he was able to stand on his own, but was pretty blue and hypothermic.  Got his wet clothes off, dry ones on, and into his truck with the heater going while I retrieved the boats.

   I am rethinking my choice of Kokatat Goretex bibs and Koke semi-dry top with folding Velcro neck seal!  The waist overlap-folding seal seems to be tight, but I intend a pool test this week, including going in head first with the neck folded over.  Any leakage, and it's full dry suit for me.  I didn't blink an eye at spending $1800 on a new Hobie, but thought $500 for the Meridian Angler drysuit was too much!!  I have a different opinion today.  X and I had talked in the past about clothing for winter paddling, and he was content with the wet suit Farmer John, but is now of a different mind.  And---his VHF was in the boat, not in his life-vest.  He could not have made an SOS call if I had been out of earshot.  "Be prepared" has taken on new meaning, no longer theoretical.

   X is OK today, relatively speaking, but pretty shaken.  I didn't sleep well last night, kept seeing him in the water between the boats, my knuckles white from my death-grip on his life jacket, and trying not to think of more sorrowful outcome.  There were no other boats within sight.  The only loss was his paddle, it came off sometime during the rescue.  My quads and ass are sore today, I was grateful that I have spent a lot of time this year on the exercise bike and elliptical stepper. It was incredibly strenuous pedaling 2 boats and a guy hanging in the water in between!  But today, the sky is bluer, and the sun so sweet, for we both made it home OK.

   The Mirage drive saved his life----I could not have paddled to shore and held him with one hand.  God bless the guy who invented the Mirage drive!!  I intend to have a throw line, and equip my boat with pad-eyes and lifelines.  My SINK sea kayaks all had lifelines along the gunnels, now I see how useful they can be.
And some exit and re-entry practice can really pay off.

Glad everyone is OK. 20 min. in that cold of water? Lucky

All that cotton says a lot, scary. Glad He made it out ok

3mm wetsuit bottom, the water was 47 degrees

-Allen

Very moving and enlightening. Wow.

3mm wetsuit bottom, the water was 47 degrees

-Allen

That is what saved his life.

Cotton could be the real culprit here. Cold , soggy and GD heavy when wet. I want a kokatat dry suit.

Thank you so much for sharing this Allen. I'm glad everything went well and no
one got hurt or worst. Taking that safety class with Aaron at the MBK gave me
much more confident being on the water.

Jedmo

Yikes! that could have turned really ugly.. Lucky

Real glad a lesson learned the easy way , could have been much worse ! Think I may hang onto my 7mm suit , just in case I get brave enough to enter the ocean , especially with mid 40 degree water .

Thank God all is OK .

I've been contemplating using the dry suit more. Seems like a no brainer after stories like this. I just need to get a insulating layer that doesn't get me over heated.

Buddies / teamwork keeps each other safe and alive   Great job!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Buddies / teamwork keeps each other safe and alive   Great job!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

+1

And some exit and re-entry practice can really pay off.

Oh, yeah, and that...

I mean, come on!  This is a great story of teamwork and having done enough to stay alive, but wouldn't he have been fine if he could've gotten back on his boat?   

Wow! I get the chills just reading the story and thinking about that happening to me or one of my buddies. It sure makes me think.