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

Allen---3mm wetsuit bottom, the water was 47 degrees.  He was unable to kick his way back onto the boat, and I was unable to lift him---my boat would slide away. We had no perimeter lines to hold paddles.  Having all that heavy wet clothing up top was bad news.

Thanks for sharing and glad to hear everything turned out alright.  Hopefully this story will prevent someone getting into a worse situation. 

Sorry to hear your friend was so I'll prepared but very happy that you were there KT and you did all the right things.

Z

Super work Kalli!

I'm not trying to Monday morning quarterback, but did you guys do a radio check at the put in?

Giving "X" a spare scotty clip and 6" of para-cord might have spared the big fella from spending those first few moments in the water trying to get your attention.

VHFs belong tethered securely on your vest above the water line, where you can get the mic close to your mouth to blow the water out so you can get off a clear call. Not tucked in a pocket, not stowed on the kayak. My hx850s is a chunk, and it's frequently in my way, but it has to be where it has to be.

Somebody (with more skill/creativity than I) should fashion a heroism/close call award, maybe a wooden life ring or something that gets passed like the wooden shampoo award?

These posts are way more valuable than the big fish stories, but it still gives me the creeps reading about people turning blue.

Again you rock KT! 

 

Thanks LB---we did a radio check as we left, and made a couple calls when we were separated, but he had his radio on the boat, as his vest---a Stearns ---does not have pockets.  Point well taken!!!  My Kokatat vest has radio pocket, it's possible to use the VHF while it's in the pocket.  Wonder if there's a VHF with GPS that will do an SOS with location?

Thanks LB---we did a radio check as we left, and made a couple calls when we were separated, but he had his radio on the boat, as his vest---a Stearns ---does not have pockets.  Point well taken!!!  My Kokatat vest has radio pocket, it's possible to use the VHF while it's in the pocket.  Wonder if there's a VHF with GPS that will do an SOS with location?

I'm pretty sure a few people have mentioned those before.  Demonick I think?

Thanks LB---we did a radio check as we left, and made a couple calls when we were separated, but he had his radio on the boat, as his vest---a Stearns ---does not have pockets.  Point well taken!!!  My Kokatat vest has radio pocket, it's possible to use the VHF while it's in the pocket.  Wonder if there's a VHF with GPS that will do an SOS with location?

I'm pretty sure a few people have mentioned those before.  Demonick I think?

Yes, they have them now where you just hit the red button and it sends your coordinates and an alert directly to CG channels. You just have to make sure you're not sending out false alerts, and not to discourage a CG rescue, but calling the CG is not to be taken lightly. I probably wouldn't have alerted them in Kally's situation, maybe a Pan Pan or call to the fire department for hypo treatment. I'm not sure because I wasn't there. Although I'm sure it was scary, from my end it doesn't seem a Mayday call or on water rescue was necessary. Deciding when things go from scary, to potential risk to life and property, to imminent risk of life is always the hard part. I've been in a lot of scary situations where swimmers were caught in rips for over an hour, but I kept with the swimmer, kept tabs on their status, and managed to rectify the situation without CG.....ever. The only way I'm calling the CG is if I know if I don't, some one is going to die. I was pretty close in that situation to calling Pan Pan, but even though I couldn't get them back in their boat, things were relatively safe and under control and I knew once they calmed down and we drifted to a little calmer water, I'd get them back in the boat. Had we separated, or the swimmers condition deteriorated, i would've made that CG call.

The kokatat outfit tour, msfit tour, guide, profit tour, and bahia tour all have a pocket specifically designed to hold a VHF....it's the long skinny one, and it has a D-ring inside to lash the strap through to tether it on. antenna sticks out of the top.

I have no problems with a VHF inside my pocket.  You need to be as calm as possible when you enter the water.  If you're not calm enough to take your VHF out of your pocket, you're likely not calm enough to use it anyways.

-Allen

There is a huge difference between calling a mayday to the Coasties and calling for assistance.  The Coasties have a much more powerful transmitter/reciever set-up and can help coordinate ship to ship assistance.  I like to eaves drop on the CH 16 traffic.  Most of the calls to the CG end in a local boat coming to the assistance of the vessel in trouble.


-Spot-

I am very, very glad it all worked out.  Imagine if someone equipped like 'X' had been fishing solo ...

I LOVE the stirrup idea.  Secure the end in a deck cleat on the opposite side of the boat and use it as a step up to a routine kick reentry.  I imagine one could have two stirrups (one above the other) on a single line. 

Wonder if there's a VHF with GPS that will do an SOS with location?

Yes there are.  Here's a link to the NWKA thread about MMSI:
http://www.northwestkayakanglers.com/index.php/topic,5146.0.html

Reviews of two VHF/GPS/MMSI radios:
http://www.northwestkayakanglers.com/index.php/topic,3809.msg55006.html#msg55006
http://www.northwestkayakanglers.com/index.php/topic,5292.msg57540.html#msg57540

I LOVE the stirrup idea.  Secure the end in a deck cleat on the opposite side of the boat and use it as a step up to a routine kick reentry.  I imagine one could have two stirrups (one above the other) on a single line. 

Careful with the stirrups.  It's not all that.  Imagine someone trying to get up and their legs swing under the kayak causing them to lean back away from the kayak.  You still need a certain amount of coordination.

-Allen

There is a huge difference between calling a mayday to the Coasties and calling for assistance.  The Coasties have a much more powerful transmitter/reciever set-up and can help coordinate ship to ship assistance.  I like to eaves drop on the CH 16 traffic.  Most of the calls to the CG end in a local boat coming to the assistance of the vessel in trouble.

-Spot-

yup. Pan Pan on the VHF-16 will notify CG of potential threat to life & property and they'll alert other nearby vessels, FD and emergency services as well as coordinate assistance if the situation doesn't resolve or deteriorates to a mayday.

Obviously call the CG if sh*t hits the fan and you can't resolve the problem quickly or safely. Just don't take a call for CG rescue/assistance lightly. Better to learn, practice, & use your safety/rescue/1st aide/emergency mgmnt. skills, or better yet use your superior knowledge and judgment that would keep sh*t from hitting the fan 99% of the time and never have to use your skills in a life & death situation.

Stirrups sound like one more thing that could add to your problems.  End up on the wrong side of your yak with your foot stuck in the rope with your yak upside down.

To me the only good idea is be fully prepared for immersion, and practice re-entry until you're comfortable doing it solo.

Also - hit the gym.

Stirrups sound like one more thing that could add to your problems.  End up on the wrong side of your yak with your foot stuck in the rope with your yak upside down.

Yeah, I hear ya.  Note that I stopped short of endorsing them.  But in a situation like this, when you're already with someone that can't reboard and you can't physically reboard them ... I think I can rig up a stirrup pretty quickly to give it a try.

-Allen

Stirrups sound like one more thing that could add to your problems.  End up on the wrong side of your yak with your foot stuck in the rope with your yak upside down.

To me the only good idea is be fully prepared for immersion, and practice re-entry until you're comfortable doing it solo.

Also - hit the gym.

being fit is a big part of it. easier said than done. I'm good for about 20-30 minutes of hard, wet boating in the surf zone after a long cold winter of low-activity. at that point my dry suit booties are filled with sweat and my heart and lungs feel like they're going to explode. when you're spent, things get dangerous.

When I think about it, 20-30 minutes of energy before totally bonking is not much to work with should things go wrong. would be even shorter if totally immersed in a dry suit on a cold day. I don't even want to think how short that energy window is if I didn't have a dry suit.