Pitt Passage Drowning

Sad news today.  There don't really seem to be a lot of details in the news reports, but given that both of the individuals involved were wearing life jackets, hypothermia seems to be the likely culprit.  I'm not sure what they're suggesting by saying that waders counteracted his PFD.  Maybe they slowed him down trying to reach shore, but I wouldn't expect them to sink him.

http://blog.thenewstribune.com/crime/2013/03/18/crews-performing-cpr-on-kayaker-pulled-from-water-off-mcneil-island/

Sad tale, I'm guessing he either couldn't remount his yak due to the waders or they were in SINKs and left the boats and tried to swim to shore in which care the waders full of water made swimming very slow leading to hypothermia. These stories seem to take time for details to fully come to light.

This is a heartbreaker of a story.  Waders filled with water don't help in swimming or re-entry attempts, and exposure is ruthless.  It sounds like they had two kayaks or maybe could have been in a tandem.  I guess it really doesn't matter but that everyone gets how important it is to be as safe and prepared as possible.
Condolences to his family and friends.

This is really sad. It's a reminder that as much fun as this sport is, it is dangersous.
I hope everyone keeps that in mind every time we go out.

Does anyone know if someone died or if one of them just had to go to the hospital?

The top comment states RIP, but the article only mentions the hospital. I really hope no one died.

The article was updated, and one of them died.  29 year old.

I've kayaked in that area a lot.  Not particularly dangerous area, but seems like the danger came from exposure (hypothermia) after simply falling in the water.

Too sad.
Unfortunately I can imagine that the community is going to rehash the waders aspect of all this.

Too sad.
Unfortunately I can imagine that the community is going to rehash the waders aspect of all this.

No doubt.  Though I am going to fall  into the camp of "Waders suck in Cold water".  I know people who seem to successfully do it.  For me I think there is a reason they call them drysuits and not warm suits.  Their primary function for me is to keep the water weight off of me so I can function in the water & out after getting wet and not to keep warm though it does serve that purpose.

Thoughts go out to their families.  I just hope there isn't some crazy knee jerk reaction in terms of further restrictions or such in that area.     

I don't think he implemented the waders the way that people suggest using them in the kayak fishing community.  It does not seem that he had a wading belt, dry top, and possible could have been lacking proper insulation and fitted PFD.

I don't think he implemented the waders the way that people suggest using them in the kayak fishing community.  It does not seem that he had a wading belt, dry top, and possible could have been lacking proper insulation and fitted PFD.

It's really impossible to say at this point.  There are only a handful of blogs or articles about the accident, and the one that mentioned waders was the one with the "most" information.  The impression I get it is that the two guys were out in a tandem that flipped.  It's not clear to me if the man ever surfaced or was attempting to swim back to shore, although the fact that they tried to revive him at a hospital suggests hypothermia to me.

I don't think he implemented the waders the way that people suggest using them in the kayak fishing community.  It does not seem that he had a wading belt, dry top, and possible could have been lacking proper insulation and fitted PFD.

It's really impossible to say at this point.  There are only a handful of blogs or articles about the accident, and the one that mentioned waders was the one with the "most" information.  The impression I get it is that the two guys were out in a tandem that flipped.  It's not clear to me if the man ever surfaced or was attempting to swim back to shore, although the fact that they tried to revive him at a hospital suggests hypothermia to me.

The article makes it very clear that he surfaced.  It says he was in the water for an hour and taken to the hospital in grave condition.  Then the Sherrif's spokesman indicated that waders may have counteracted the life jacket - something they wouldn't say if they didn't suspect it to be true. So no, we can't be sure of anything, but this incident is no cause to second guess the waders+drytop combo, which was where the topic was going.

UPDATE: The kayaker has died. He is a 29-year-old from Lakebay

Monday night post: A kayaker is in grave condition tonight after his boat overturned and crews pulled him from the water between the Key Peninsula and McNeil Island, according to Key Peninsula Fire.
 
Two men in their late 20s were kayaking in the area known as Pitt Passage when their boat overturned, fire chief Tom Lique said.
 
One man made it to shore and was able to call 911 about 7:30 p.m. from a home in the 3700 block of 140th Avenue KP South, when residents there let him use their phone.
 
Multiple agencies responded with vessels to search for the missing kayaker.
 
The crew of a nearby Coast Guard vessel pulled him from the water, and he was taken to St. Anthony Hospital in Gig Harbor in grave condition, Pierce County Sheriff’s spokesman Ed Troyer said.
 
The man was in the water for about an hour, and detectives are working to determine what caused the kayak to overturn, Troyer said. Both men were wearing life jackets, he said.
 
The stranded kayaker was wearing waders, which may have counteracted the life vest, Troyer said.

My impression was that he was dressed for launching and landing, but immersion was not what he was otherwise guarding against.  I've falled into rivers while wearing hip boots and that made it hard enough to get back out.  Fill up a set of waders and it seems like it would be a Herculean task to get out, even if you make it to shore, nevermind re-entering a kayak.

Every time I see a story like this I'm that much happier with my choice to buy a drysuit.  Even with little insulation underneath I bet that guy would have survived had he been wearing one.  Even a wetsuit might have saved his life.  If for no other reason than he'd have been capable of re-entering his kayak, or at least swimming effectively to get to shore.

Just to be clear.  For me a wader +dry-top is a two piece drysuit system.  That's ok.

It's when people wear just waders with a belt, put on a winter jacket and life vest and call it good.  DAMHIK or actually I've told it but I am willing to tell it again if it helps anyone else avoid it!

I'm curious about your story kard. I just bought a dry suit and it makes me feel a lot safer. I admit I was using chest waders for the first few trips out in my outback.

I'm curious about your story kard. I just bought a dry suit and it makes me feel a lot safer. I admit I was using chest waders for the first few trips out in my outback.

Ok...embarassing but true.  I was in my mini-x on the Ocean fairly close to a rockwall.  A wake comes, I go to brace and jam the paddle into the handle speeding up the flip.  The problem was I was wearing waders with a belt.  Then I had three layers of fleece and a medium jacket over the top.  I hit the water and was pleasantly surprised that it was not that cold.  So I take my time and gather all the floaters.  Well, my belt wasn't tight enough and water got in but no big deal, my PFD kept me a float.  So I try to reach over to re-enter my kayak and I cannot kick or do anything above the water line. 

I could have easily swam to shore but a landing craft was coming out of the harbor and they just lowered the gate and scooped me up.  As I lay on the deck, I realize I couldn't move due to all the weight of the water in my clothes.  There was not gallons of water in my waders, just two layers of wet fleece.  Two big guys come out to help me and both of them just about separate their shoulders when they tried to lift me.  I could barely get my wet jacket off.  In hindsight, its a good thing they got me.  Had I made it to shore, i would have had to strip down to my thermal underwear to shed enough weight to climb up the rip rap in front of dozens of onlookers.  Not sure how I would have gotten the yak up.

Yes cold kills but it takes time for it to kill you. But if you physicallly are unable to renter with the gear and conditions at hand, then you are done. 

So if I was on the open ocean far from shore, I would have had to make a decision to remove my life jacket, strip off enough clothes so I could reenter my kayak, then deal with me freezing once I got back on top. Sounds scary to me. 

So while I agree we should dress for immersion, you also must dress in such a way that once you are in the water, you aren't burdened by additional weight.  I would challenge you to go find a winter jacket, clothes and pants you might wear under cold conditions.  Jump in the shower and get it soaked.  Now go try doing something....like a pull up.  Maybe some could.  I can't.   I had a hard time getting the jacket off.     

If you do insist on waders and just regular jacket, if possible, I would recommend wearing the coats over your life vest so you can shed those layers if you hit the water.