Kayak tragedy off Campobello

[Nancy Hill]

On Sunday, August 6, five of us launched out of Herring Cove to paddle up along the coast of Campobello, around the northern tip, up into the Fundy Isles. About 10 minutes after we left the beach, a small, private fishing boat rapidly approached us with a plastic, yellow kayak across its back deck. Wayne was the only one that spoke to the boater and learned that the kayak was found off of Liberty Point on the SE tip of Campobello with no kayaker in sight (he looked extensively), but filled with camping gear, cell phone, passport, and car keys. A map of Grand Manan was found in a hatch. When he spoke to Wayne, he had already called the Canadian Coast Guard. We continued on our way north and expected an immediate response and search from US and Canadian SAR/Coast Guard. About an hour into our trip a Pan-pan was issued by the Canadian Coast Guard in Halifax, NS asking if anyone had seen the kayak in the past 72 hours. Another hour passed before we heard a Mayday relay from the Canadian Coast Guard for a possible person in the water in the area of Liberty Point.  Four hours later, we saw the first helicopter in the area of Lubec Narrows and it appeared to be flying a grid. The delayed response was surprising. The body of Martin Spahn, from Augusta, Maine was found 24 hours later on Monday morning just off Raccoon Pt, a little over a mile from where we had launched the previous day. Had we known that the response from SAR would be so slow, we would have turned around and helped in the search. With heavy hearts, we regret our decision to continue north. Yesterday, I found the F/B page of the man who found the kayak. He had a picture of the overturned kayak in the water, off his stern. It was covered in bird droppings which makes me think that this accident did not happen immediately prior to the discovery of the kayak, but much earlier. I assume that Martin had perished before his kayak was found. Our hearts go out to his family and friends. From all accounts, he was a wonderful man.

https://original.newsbreak.com/@rachel-perkins-1593055/3115570787443-tragic-discovery-body-of-missing-maine-kayaker-martin-spahn-recovered-by-fishing-vessel-off-canadian-shoreline

[prudenceb]

Such a sad story.

[Pintail]

Yes, this may be a very tragic and sad story; but...

<The presence of his personal effects in the kayak, along with the charts of the local area, suggest that he had prepared carefully for his journey but met with an unfortunate accident>

Evidently he was not well-enough prepared, was he?  Self-rescue capability?

[rfolster]

9 hours ago, Pintail said:

Evidently he was not well-enough prepared, was he?  Self-rescue capability?

Without knowing the particular circumstances, I find this to be INCREDIBLY disgraceful and uncalled for!  What if the cause was a heart attack or some other unforeseen medical event?  These kind of comments do an injustice to who we are as a club by further portraying us as elitist snobs, which the vast majority of us are not. 

My condolences go to the family and friends of Martin, and I sincerely hope that they are not subjected to this kind of disrespect. 

[prudenceb]

36 minutes ago, rfolster said:

Without knowing the particular circumstances, I find this to be INCREDIBLY disgraceful and uncalled for!  What if the cause was a heart attack or some other unforeseen medical event?  These kind of comments do an injustice to who we are as a club by further portraying us as elitist snobs, which the vast majority of us are not. 

My condolences go to the family and friends of Martin, and I sincerely hope that they are not subjected to this kind of disrespect. 

Thank you for writing this, Rob.  My sentiments exactly.  

[EEL]

If there is an informative after action report there will, no doubt, be topics for discussion and debate.  Until then, my comment is "There but for the Grace of God, go I."

Ed Lawson

 

[kate]

On 8/11/2023 at 9:50 AM, prudenceb said:

Thank you for writing this, Rob.  My sentiments exactly.  

I think there is a very human desire to convince ourselves that it couldn't happen to us because we are so well-prepared/have better judgment/have the right equipment, etc. I have seen this again and again, how people try to believe that the victim died in a way from which they are shielded. The truth, of course, is more along the lines of Ed's comment. We are participating in a sport that carries risks, and we all take chances and make mistakes, and sometimes we are just in the wrong place at the wrong time. My heart goes out to this man's family.

[pitt16]

Pintail posed a question, not a definitive statement, and some here criticize her inquiry. Thinking I’d be reluctant to ask a question in the future. Perhaps Pintail’ asking the question was fodder for debate and not an attack that the question was disgraceful.

Edited August 13, 2023 by pitt16

[Nancy Hill]

1 hour ago, pitt16 said:

Pintail posed a question, not a definitive statement, and some here criticize her inquiry. 

Pintail's sentence started with the word "Evidently". Look up the definition of that word and tell me if you still think it is a question, rather than a statement. 

[EEL]

pitt16:

I do not believe the responses to Sir Christopher's rhetorical question should dissuade you or anyone else from asking questions.  My memory is questions on any number of topics related to kayaking asked here are always responded to positively and informatively.  Which is not to say those responding all have the same answer/opinion nor that responders will not debate the merits of answers/opinions.

As an aside, in climbing there is an annual publication which provides details and analysis of representative accidents.  Much to be gleaned and hopefully judgement to be gained by its study.  I am unaware of anything similar in kayaking, except occasionally in the defunct SeaKayaker magazine, which means we often have no useful information on what happened and why.  Perhaps this is why there is often second guessing on whether or not the person followed the best practices as taught by the ACA, BCU, and NSPN. This in turn may cause the tendency to believe,  as Kate indicated, if they had the accident would not have happened.  Maybe, maybe not.  That said, I believe it is valid to point out following such best practices can reduce risks and can reduce the consequences of misfortune.

Ed Lawson

 

[Jim Snyder]

Reluctantly wading into this.

Pintail was out of line and should acknowledge as much. His question might have been appropriate regarding someone who did something foolish and survived, not someone with skills we know nothing about who succumbed to events we know nothing about and ended up dead. I doubt Christopher's intentions were bad but I expect anyone reading his post felt a little queasy. 

[pitt16]

Ms. Hill I do know what the word evidently means. Do not have to look it up. I also see a question(?) mark after each statement. The statement is posed as a question. My point is no one on this site should be chastised in the manner that Pintail was for posing a question. Evidently you didn’t perceive it that way? 

[rfolster]

13 hours ago, pitt16 said:

The statement is posed as a question.

You are absolutely correct that there is a question mark at the end, so it is therefore a question, but your are also correct that it was a statement phrased as a question. This is called rhetorical, and therefore not fodder for debate, but means of making a point that Martin was not well enough prepared, and Pintail doubled down on this point by following up with another question regarding his self-rescue capabilities. 

If you review the beginning of Pintail’s post: “Yes, this may be a very tragic and sad story; but...”, the word “may” indicates that there is a possibility that the story might actually not be sad, and then the “but” with everything that follows CLEARLY INDICATE that his intent was to call into question Martin’s skills to support the idea that perhaps this story isn’t so sad. It is that train of logic that I have called him out for, and not because he simply “asked a question”.