Wood Island Accident

[donperry]

Surely a radio or a cell phone would have been useful in this unfortunate situation. You have to wonder how the paddle was broken.

http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/news/loc...510kayaker.html

[jonsprag1]

who knows whether a vhf radio or cell phone would have saved him or not---I always carry a vhf(cell phone sometimes but it is no subsitute for a vhf---I carry it in case I have to call my office or wife not for emergancies) and it might have enabled the CG or Marine Patrol to get to him quicker--- or not---but this could have been anyone of us--and saying that it couldn't happen to you because you have vhf, pfd, drysuit, am well trained(5* or ACA level 4) or whatever is whistling in the dark--the fact of the matter is, the more experienced, skilled and better equipped you are, the more chances you are likely to take---these two guys were out in early May around dusk, in conditions where the winds where 22 knots(and gusting higher), 5 foot waves, some distance off shore with small craft warnings posted and in water less than 50 degrees---I'm tempted to chide them for lack of judgement but then I've been there myself and I suspect many of you have as well--either you weren't planning a long paddle in those conditions or the conditions were calmer when you started and later detiorated---the fact of the matter is the only sure way you can prevent dying in a sea kayaking accident is to never paddle a kayak---that doesn't mean you shouldn't take all the precuations that you can, (right equipment, good training and paddling at skill level etc) but in the end we all run the risk of ending up like Prof Guttman. My sympathies to his friends and family. My consolation to them is this thought--that he died doing something he loved.

[Gcosloy]

I think it is unfortunate situations like this that reinforces the need for active clubs like NSPN which because they stress safety continuously and skill building opportunities probably saves more lives than any other suggestion. I think someone once reported that no-one has ever been lost in the history of the club. I know I would't be any where as safety concious if it wasn't for NSPN.

What's the most precious safety possession that I've learned to cherish through the examples of NSPN members? Personal judgement.

[Suz]

Here is the coast guard report:

http://coastguardnews.com/index.php?tag=timothy-gutmann

Contradictions between the two reports.

Regardless, reinforces the need for good judgement and preparedness.

My condolences go out to his family and to the other paddler.

Suz

[jonsprag1]

The Press Herald report said that the survivor was wearing a dry suit and the victim was wearing a shorty wetsuit---that seems to be the major inconsistancy---given the level of detail in the Press Herald version, I'm reasonably sure its the most accurate one.

[Kevin B (RPS Coach)]

They also seem to differ with respect to the day that is happened, CG state Mon/Tues and the other Tues./ Wed. Actually, after reading it again, the CG report seems to be more inaccurate for what it's worth.

[leong]

It's easy to break a paddle during a poorly executed paddle float reentry, especially with a two piece wood paddle.

[Suz]

Here is an update from the surviving paddler in a letter he wrote to the press.

http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/story.php?id=106073

Suz

[EEL]

>Here is an update from the surviving paddler in a letter he

>wrote to the press.

>

Do not mean to be the typical hindsight pundit, but his story does point out some things that all the skills sessions on lakes will never address nor prepare a paddler for in terms of developing judgment. In fact, I suspect the judgment needed is obtained only by experience which is why it is often said, "There but for the grace of

God go I" when hearing of these incidents.

Just how fast things can change, just how different things can be in a matter of yards, just how important understanding the impact of tide currents and wind can be, and, perhaps, just how important it can be to be able to stay close to the belly of the beast as opposed to trying to avoid it by going wide into the teeth of an offshore wind. If you should not/cannot do so, maybe you should not be there and it is time to get to shore and wait for another day.

Ed Lawson

[Gcosloy]

Wow, I read his letter and had tears in my eyes as I read it. Would a VHF radio on one or both have made a difference? This is, next to a dry suit, possibly the most expensive item to purchase outside of the initial kayak and paddle. How many NSPN members go on occassional S&G's with one or more companions and no radio among them? It could happen to anyone I guess! My judgement is aided by my known limitations. I know beforehand that I don't want to paddle in wind more than 10k and waves more than 2-4'. These guys were younger and probably stronger and therefore didn't have that built in barometer to tell them not to go forward. They could have been me 30 years earlier. Many days, after what for me becomes a long and arduous paddle, I bitterly complain that I should have started this sport many years earlier when I was young and strong and maybe more adventurous. Not today, not after reading this poor guy's letter.

[jonsprag1]

Both of these men were in their early 40s. Both were experienced paddlers---the one who died had been sea kayaking over a dozen years and had not only done a lot of paddling locally here in Maine, but had done expedition type paddling in Alaska and elsewhere. If it happened to them, it could happen to any of us. You can never be too careful.

[bob budd]

I am reminded of Touching the Void, especially with the palpable survivor's guilt expressed.

I don't mean to trivialize the tragedy, as someone has obviously lost a dear friend and a family has lost a beloved member.

I will reiterate (others have said so, more or less) that there were a few warning signs that were not heeded here; no radio, (only) two paddlers, near dark, unfamiliar territory, etc. Yes, we all might dismiss those signs. I read, perhaps misread, a message in this thread that "it can happen to you". If I misread anyone's intentions I apologize. To me the lesson is not "it can happen to you" but "you need to be appropriately cautious".

[EEL]

*

[Pintail]

Bob is absolutely right -- and ultimately it is about good judgement than having every conceivable back-up in place. Yes, VHF radios are nice; but I admit I often paddle without. I also paddle alone much of the time; but I do not generally go out to sea alone (Chris Duff I am not). If one never pushes one's self, one will never learn about those limits or learn to cope with real "conditions".

Gene and others (with all due respect): don't get overly sentimental about it: I agree that this was tragic; but so is the situation in Dafur (do you cry over every death there?) You see what I'm getting at? They have been "kayakers" for a dozen years, (who knows --even twenty years? That on its own does not (necessarily) mean they have taken classes or have pushed themselves...and that they have (or had) therefore learned good judgement) SEAMANSHIP is what it is all about, not the number of years one has been kayaking.

No one has mentioned whether or not these guys were members of SMSKC or another organisation -- that might have had some bearing on matters, for instance (nurturing environment for learning). Maybe they thought they knew it all -- or enough? Turning around when wind and waves started to affect them would certainly have been more sensible than sticking it out, wouldn't it?

I am certain there will be responses to this like "there goes Christopher again -- cold and unsympathetic, as usual". I am NOT like that; but I have tried to extend myself to my limits sometimes in this wonderful pastime (thanks, B, for the pushing, all those years ago -- does Sr. stand for "senior citizen"?) Whatever we undertake should be done with conscientiousness and some degree of wisdom (especially when there is potential danger involved) -- even driving a car, dammit! If one wants to achieve some finesse in one arena, why not in all? If you see what I mean? (Suz: two hands on the wheel, please dear!) We need collectively to learn from this sad incident.

[Deb Millar]

I join Christopher in the Cold and Heartless Club on this one.

There will be times when we all,"bite the pooch". Hopefully the biting will only involve ourselves, not others, and the outcome will result (worse case scenerio) in a rescue and not a recovery. However, venturing out into bumpy waters not long before dusk, in 48 degree water, with one person wearing only a shorty wetsuit makes me wonder "what were they thinking?" Surely they, like any other paddler, knew what resources they could use for predicting conditions. Surely, with the experience they had, they knew how to use those resources.

One would think, once they saw the sea state, that they would have turned around immediately. If it was a matter of "pride" and a warped sense of what is challenging and what is plain dangerous that kept them out in Small Craft Warning conditions, no one would have been the wiser and one of them would be around to paddle another day if they'd returned to shore.

Yes, it's a tragic loss. It's also a tragic example of a bit of arrogance and more than a lack of planning.

Deb M

[rick stoehrer]

not presuming to judge the gentlemen and just making an inventory of the "things" that could have hastened rescue efforts....

#1. float plan - no one has mentioned this...had anyone known they were out, where they were going and when to expect them back, the alarm would have been raised quite a bit sooner. that's a precaution you can take before you even leave shore.

#2. radio's - if you do get yourself into trouble, how are you going to contact someone to get you out? channel 16

#3. cell phones - see above. *CG

#4. epirb - the alarm would have gone up hours earlier.

#5. flares, light, smoke - assuming you are able to contact rescuers, how are they going to pinpoint your position?

#6. hypo kit/igloo - could have been worse.

not presuming anything other than gear inventory. nothing trumps judgement, skills and experience but often those are the result of less demanding trips gone south...you get the test and then learn the lesson, right? it's only after the fact of your experience do you modify, tweak or make alteration, only then do you look at something differently. this is just some of the gear that may have been helpful given the situation.

we've all paddled without this stuff and for the very same reasons, right? "...we weren't going to be out that long...".

the man was a teacher...in no way making light of a death, it's the last lesson any of us can learn from the gentleman.

[donperry]

Regardless of bad judgment, none of us should forget how quickly things can get out of hand, even for experienced paddlers. To me this is more about individuals being unable to summon help. They were each alone soon after things went bad.

Flares might have caught someone’s eye but most of the homes there are still empty. Using the VHF while swimming in those conditions may have been difficult and possibly ineffective with big waves like that.

If things are going that badly I should be using a GPS PLB.

[Paul Sylvester]

Always seemed to me that most of the camps around there have been updated and are year round residences. From Wood Is. there is vast visibility up to OOB and down Biddeford Pool.

[jgeada]

Once in a previous life my hobby used to be hang-gliding.

The group I used to fly with was unusually safety conscious but even then there we had some accidents and a friend died. At the time we blamed him for making some bad decisions, and, to some extent that was true, but not useful. Some time later there was a very good article in the "HangGlide" magazine re "creeping risks and safety" that fundamentally changed how I perceived risks in that sport and in all other activities (and yes, I did quit hang-gliding). The summary: it wasn't just him, it was all of us that were pushing the odds.

The basic premise is that:

1- human beings in general understand relative risk better than absolute risks

2- most of us tend to push our limits but just to a particular point where we still feel safe and in control (our personal risk tolerance)

The catch is that those two interplay: say you do an activity that statistically has 20% accident rate. But you're careful, etc and you do

this activity 20 times with no problem. *Your* perception of relative risk changes. Not the activity itself, but your perception of its risk!

And because you now perceive that as safe (say 0% risk) you can easily find yourself pushing the risk boundary to activities with 40% risk (providing you again with a perceived relative 20% risk level). But the *absolute* risks have not changed, just your relative perception.

- accept 20% risk -> undertake 20% risk activities

- over time (and by taking due care) nothing harmful happens

- -> *perceived* relative risk drops to 0%

- since you still accept 20% risk -> you start accepting 40% conditions (as to your perception the risk level for these is now 20%)

- Repeat until accident happens

I have observed this same dynamic in many other sports. Sure, the baseline risk with kayaking starts much lower and we are inherently a safer sport. But this fundamental dynamic is still at play. If you enjoy taking some risks you have to be particularly careful to make sure that you are making decisions based on *absolute* risk, rather than your perception of *relative* risk.

[Guest _rick]

* CG has been discontinued this year for all carriers.

_rick

[jason]

Rick why did they get rid of *CG?

Assuming that VHF isn't an option. How will someone get a hold of the CG, if they don't know the number of the local CG should they call the state police instead *SP (*77)?

Thanks -Jason

[ccarlson]

CG now recommends dialing 911 for any emergency. There is an article in the most recent ACK re. the elimination of *CG. Mostly, it had not been universally implemented and calls were often misrouted causing delays.

[Guest _rick]

Jason,

Carl explained it well. Not picking any particular vendor but it seems to me that a decent vhf and a personal epirb is always the safer. Interestingly my Ppirb says do not immerse in water...???

[scamlin]

The CG's rationale is that the various carriers do not implement *CG consistently and can get confused which CG station to route the call to. It adds time to sort it all out. The exception is Alaska where the CG stations do have a coordinated system and are maintaining *CG cell phone service.

The CG suggests boaters who use cell phones dial 911, which is better organized to route the call to the appropriate CG.

Of course, the best way to contact the CG is via VHF radio on Channel 16. Radio also has the advantage over cell phones: distress calls are heard by any other boaters in the area, who also may be able to come to your aid.

Scott