A dire event

Glad you're alive to tell us about it...  Now time for the juicy details.     

   Tell us about the plane crash,, is the head dead yet,, ya know the boys in the news room got a running bet.

 
 trying to take my time on this report . I feel there are a lot of helpful things that may be helpful for old and new members to bring back to the forefront . Especially for me being a Marine and feeling invincible when I am on the water. Other than me going out by myself.

Sup Alex!

Anyone here would have done the same! Thanks for the kind letter you left on the SWS railing. Hope that shoulder heals fast so you can get back out there! Take care, Aloha

Kris , you are the Man. In the process of pecking away on the report now. Dude, you were like a tug boat  pulling in a barge. Thanks from the bottom of my heart Bro. Guess it all about me boating for about 6 months I am guessing ? Matt, nice job giving Kris a break and Matt doing an excellent job swimming me in the rest of the way. It is very heart warming with all the positive responses. I haven't told my wife exactly what happened because I don't want her to worry when I go out. Family really went through my mind deeply during this experience. Glad I didn't lose them and gained a few more with you guys.

Alex

Alex, you were in good hands with Kris being there to help out...

He's not real active online (as you can tell by his whopping 5 posts  ) but he's one of the best guys I can think of to have there to help out in an emergency on the water.

http://www.redtrianglespearfishing.com/blogs/news/17807633-team-member-kris-cortez

Thanks again Kris for helping out!!

 

 

Sincerely,

Jim

Sup Alex!

Anyone here would have done the same! Thanks for the kind letter you left on the SWS railing. Hope that shoulder heals fast so you can get back out there! Take care, Aloha

Kris , you are the Man. In the process of pecking away on the report now. Dude, you were like a tug boat  pulling in a barge. Thanks from the bottom of my heart Bro. Guess it all about me boating for about 6 months I am guessing ? Matt, nice job giving Kris a break and Matt doing an excellent job swimming me in the rest of the way. It is very heart warming with all the positive responses. I haven't told my wife exactly what happened because I don't want her to worry when I go out. Family really went through my mind deeply during this experience. Glad I didn't lose them and gained a few more with you guys.

Alex

Alex, you were in good hands with Kris being there to help out...

He's not real active online (as you can tell by his whopping 5 posts  ) but he's one of the best guys I can think of to have there to help out in an emergency on the water.

http://www.redtrianglespearfishing.com/blogs/news/17807633-team-member-kris-cortez

Thanks again Kris for helping out!!

 

 

Sincerely,

Jim

Know wonder I liked the guy. He's a fellow jar head. 

Big Dummie. Wanna fish Stilwwater tommorow

Big Dummie. Wanna fish Stilwwater tommorow

Yes ! if we go tandem. Or we launch my boat Cabron. 

F No. My shoulder is done. 

I lost my phone and car key. that another story. 

So where to begin…Will try to add some levity to the report, but believe me this was definitely a life threatening situation. Really didn’t want to report in detail. But I hope this helps newer members and brings to light some helpfulness and rechecking of gear and most importantly positive input.
Had my usual thur/fri off. So wed night I am thinking Sws. Talk to one member and he is headed out to MBK launch with a few other ncka’ers. He can’t talk me into because I had a huge fish on line a few weeks back that had my name on it. As well as my favorite swimbait I needed to retrieve.
Wake up Thursday morning and not feeling it. But figure by the time I see the water the enthusiasm will rise. Sure enough, ankle slappers when I arrive at 5:4am. I am stoked. So decide I am going for a longer pedal.  I have all my safety gear. Life jacket, radio, gps, semi-dry kayak pants, wetsuit boots, nylon with rubber gloves (did lose one on fall) ,   tight fitting  long sleeve sport with tight short sleeve sport over that.

I did introduce something new to my gear that I believe contributed to me falling in but at the same time aided in my long time exposure to water.( I am guessing close to 2.5 to 3 hrs. ) That was a padded throw devise. I had tried sitting on it quite some time ago and it aided in fatigue from long period of sitting and made it somewhat easier to exit my kayak on beach landings.
So off i go. Begin trolling a small sardine colored swimbait for bonito. Almost to my destination, stop and begin setting up for the big day.

There is a small swell with an opposing wind swell early on. I have my paddle on my left side banded parallel to my yak. So what I gather is my paddle had dipped down in the front of my yak to catch the swell and my higher center of gravity due to me sitting on the throw devise resulted in me taking a dip
So I’m in the water. Not panicking. I have practiced self rescue in the ocean. Upon reflection it has been a long time.( Definite note to self to practice more often, maybe every six months) Right my kayak with no problem. Position myself to mount kayak, propel myself upward reaching over to opposing side. Keeping myself close to kayak, as I pull myself up everything is going good and then I feel a pop. I fall back in. Bad thoughts now, I try again and I now have no strength in my left shoulder and pain is starting to mount. Attempt again, and no go. So I try and rest for a minute and regain my composure. Another attempt and come to realize it’s not going to happen. So now I am going to try and improvise with some type of aid from something in my kayak. I search for my paddle and find that it is bent from the pressure of being under water and sudden up lift from capsize. Position good part of paddle perpendicular to kayak and under my rear seat straps in hope that trying to re-enter kayak that it will give me just enough resistance to help me get aboard. No go. Then scramble around looking for strapping that I can attach to opposite side of kayak to pull underneath and attach to my foot as a stirrup and have some opposing egual resistance to get me aboard. No such luck, No strapping.
So I now go to emergency response. My handheld radio has now been in the water with me for at least 10/15 minutes. I first try 69. No responses, then try emergency 16. No response. Not good. I then survey my position and figure the drift. Not good again. It is outgoing and I think I will use too much energy fighting the current as I have now moved to far from land. So I decide to go with the current hanging on to my kayak as support.( keep in mind I have very little strength in my predominant left arm ) Everything now being done by my right hand ) Seeing that the drift is pulling out to somewhat near the point north of Stillwater. I am hoping that I can apply enough swimming guidance and the use of the current that I can guide myself and kayak close to shore and beach myself. I have now drifted about half way to the point and what seems like eternity, I am starting to feel fatigued and hypothermia. Getting very worried now but try and keep my composure. So I decide I need to try and mount my kayak or I am not going to make it with land still so far, no one in site and handheld not seeming to work. So with all the strength I can muster I propel myself up with unbearable pain in my shoulder, I am almost up and teetering on falling back in, I am screaming in my mind I have to do this.( shoulder had already popped out at this time ) Kicking, kicking and I am able to pull my torso up . I have now expended all my energy and my shoulder is completely done. Thank God I have now at least got my torso above water .( And yes it is a big one ! ) I now focus on breathing and trying to absorb some of the suns warmth because my journey is far from over. ( All the time that I was in the water swimming, I focused on not making to much turbulence in fear of attracting predators. LANDLORD ) My chin is actually sore as well from resting on my yak. As you know, hobies do take on some water. Really made me think I had pool noodles . So I am now three quarters away to the point and my hobie is really starting to lean from water now in the cockpit and reality sets in that I am going to have to re-enter the water.( Is this a really long story or what ? Believe me, it was ten times longer being out there not knowing what the outcome is going to be. ) So kayak flips and I am back in the water. I am still clinging to it and trying to guide it to shore. Well ,guess what ? The tide is slack and I know it will turn and I definitely won’t make it to shore. So I say my good bye to my friend and let her go (kayak). Thought about you Won and how maybe someone in Hawaii would return it if I made it safely back. Lol.
So I am at the last point on my pic and still have a ways to go. Tired and very cold. I am swimming. Well what I call swimming. Scissor kicks, some kinda frog stroke I used because cramps were setting in, one handed paddle, floating on my back to save energy. Not to long because tide was starting to shift. I could see cars on the hill at the point, so I started yelling for help. Forgot to mention I would periodically place my throw device under my torso while in the water to bring me a little closer to the surface for warmth and had removed my life jacket and positioned it to improve my flotation and ease for swimming.

So it was really looking grim. Cramps, hypothermia and tide change. FUDGE ! I think of my own personal  Marine Corp Motto.  Forge forward or die trying!
I really wasn’t gaining much ground. I see what seems like coast guard guys either looking for me or training as they are hugging the coast and heading north. Yelling and yelling. No luck. Continue and I see two kayakers still a ways out hugging the shore.  Yelling like I’ve never yelled before. I have caught their attention and they are headed my way. I am almost start crying from joy and trying to hide it. In the distance I  can see this Giant Sombrero , And yes, it is  my Homie Jesse and his Dad !!! Never been so Happy to see this Guy !!!
Ok I am tired of reporting at this time. Time for pain pills for the shoulder and all my joints are aching , my right knee is kinda numb from laying on it. Wanted to get something out there. More to come. Especially to recognize the second half of the rescue team. So grateful.

A quick mention. I believe besides my somewhat proper attire. Wetsuit would have been ideal. I have a light breakfast and always drink a bottle water before shoving off and of course water in the yak.

So if you find a floating water bottle phone or keys floating. They are mine !!!!!   

Glad you made it back in one piece. Rest up Alex!

Wow!

I got a PLB recently, just in case I ever find myself in such a situation...

Attached map. First spot is launch. 2nd spot is the incident. Then drifted halfway to third spot before being able to pull torso out for small drift to third spot when excessive water put  me back in. Said good bye to kayak and swam to 4th spot before being found by Jesse and his dad. Then had to hang on from back of kayak and be pulled to shore. Took a few minutes before shakes began. . But was I as happy as F@@k

Easier this way...

Get your yak back?

Ho-lee Sh*ttt!

Heal up and thanks for putting this out there - lots of lessons to be learned from this.

Get your yak back?

Jesse retrieved it and his dad helped half way. I know he had a heck of a time with it. He and his dad pulled over to a beach area part way back and drained the water and had a beer.

Holy crap man!   Way to survive!