Dead paddler :-(

Details are still missing, hope it wasn't a dual occupied tandem. I hope you truly loved what you were doing when you met your demise, yet unnamed Asian lady in her 50's.

http://www.katu.com/news/Womans-body-discovered-in-Columbia-River-185071771.html

I don't know if carrying a VHF would have helped, but for certain it wouldn't have made things any worse.

horrible news. RIP unidentified sister.

So saddening this continues to happen so often in our community. Strange, too, that there is no sign of the possibly 2nd occupant. 

Sucky.

http://www.oregonlive.com/clark-county/index.ssf/2012/12/vancouver_police_say_two_kayak.html#incart_river_default

It looks like 2 more are missing.

http://www.kgw.com/news/local/2-unaccounted-for--185175622.html

Photo of the kayak.

Not trying to MMQB, but I think another lesson illustrated in this is the importance of a float plan. Maybe with the water temps it wouldn't have made a difference in the outcome, but it might have gotten searchers otw quicker, they would have known who and how many, and possibly narrowed the search area had they known people were missing.

Report said the woman was dressed in "outdoor clothing and a flotation device". It doesn't say if she had immersion gear or not, but I'm assuming she didn't. With a her PFD and some decent immersion gear she would have probably survived.

Guess its a wait and see...

Collision or capsize or foul play. Only time or the M.E. will tell.

With her PFD and some decent immersion gear she would have probably survived.

Even with decent immersion gear, if you aren't wearing at least one good base layer for insulation you would likely be in trouble if exposed to 40 degree water for very long. I was chatting up a CG guy at DB a while back, and he said their protocol requires triple base layer thermal protection. I wish I would have had asked him to elaborate on specifically what they use.

I've always considered my base layer as a part of my immersion gear.  I would encourage others to do the same.  Even if it's 60 degrees out and not windy, you're going to get cold after 30+ minutes sitting on your kayak dry.  You fall in the water and it's going to happen in seconds.  Not as fast as falling in with no dry suit, but fast enough that your life will be in danger.

Not trying to MMQB, but I think another lesson illustrated in this is the importance of a float plan.

I always let somebody know where I'm kayaking and report back when I'm home safe.  I'd recommend this to anybody going out, especially going out solo.

Not trying to MMQB, but I think another lesson illustrated in this is the importance of a float plan.

I always let somebody know where I'm kayaking and report back when I'm home safe.  I'd recommend this to anybody going out, especially going out solo.

x2


Sturgeon Rod

Lets be realistic.  Is it a good idea to file a float plan.. you bet.  Will it save your life in an emergency?  probably not. It will give searchers a place to start looking for you but lets be realistic about Search and Rescue response times.  If you fall in cold water either in a tiny lake or river or the ocean and you're are not prepared to deal with with conditions, yourself at that moment, or you are damn lucky you will most likely become a statistic float plan or not.  I use one but its more to keep my wife happy than anything else

Lets be realistic.  Is it a good idea to file a float plan.. you bet.  Will it save your life in an emergency?  probably not. It will give searchers a place to start looking for you but lets be realistic about Search and Rescue response times.  If you fall in cold water either in a tiny lake or river or the ocean and you're are not prepared to deal with with conditions, yourself at that moment, or you are damn lucky you will most likely become a statistic float plan or not.  I use one but its more to keep my wife happy than anything else

+1

Float plans just make it easier to find the body.