http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2017/06/11/missing-kayaker-long-island-sound/
Five water related deaths in Michigan this weekend - no kayaks, but one canoe taken out on West Bay of Lake Michigan by two teenage boys. Water temp 52F. Of course they weren’t wearing PFDs or dressed for the water temperature. One rescued, the body of the other found by search and rescue teams.
Others incidents involved swimmers, high air temperatures, cold water, and high winds.
Water here is 60* still cold if you’re in a while. Search was called off they found the kayak.
Well, the local news reported that (finally) the DNR and marine law enforcement are getting proactive by going out of their way to do a visual check of every paddler they see on the water and issuing tickets to those who aren’t carrying a life jacket. No warnings. Tickets ($150). Of course, just carrying one means squat if you’re out of your boat and it’s drifting away, but at least it’s a start.
Is the Michigan law the same stupid one we have in Pennsylvania, that you only need to have a PFD on board but not wear it if you are older than 14? To me that is as dumb as saying you are “safe” if you have seatbelts in your car but don’t wear them, or carry a motorcycle helmet on the back of your bike when you ride.
I didn’t realize there were any places where the law is to wear the PFD. Do you know of any?
Floriduh. Only children under six years old are required to wear PFDs.
Michigan law is lax. Only requirement for a child to wear a PFD is if they’re less than six years old and riding in the open deck of a boat. Anyone waterskiing or riding on or being towed by lake lice (jet ski) is required to wear one. A life jacket for each person is required to be carried on every boat on the water.
In the incident involving the 17 and 18 year old boys offshore on Lake Michigan in a canoe, the latest report is that alcohol was involved. The legal drinking age in Michigan is 21.
A kayaker rescued the 17-year-old; other kid died. I hope they find who supplied the booze to the minors and file criminal charges.
Currently in Fla the water temp is in the 80s. With air temps climbing we have heat stress problems. Which makes people want to go without wearing a PFD, shirts, etc. Over the years living in Florida we get used to news of a person drowning in a rip at the beach. Often it is a tourist that had no idea. I’m thinking that most kayak, canoe, paddle boarders lost are those that also have no idea it could be dangerous. Sadly you will see more of these incidents.
@Sparky961 said:
I didn’t realize there were any places where the law is to wear the PFD. Do you know of any?
In Florida if you are water skiing, or riding a PWC.
@Sparky961 said:
I didn’t realize there were any places where the law is to wear the PFD. Do you know of any?
In Massachusetts, even adults are required except in Summer. From the summary at: http://www.mass.gov/eea/grants-and-tech-assistance/enforcement/environmental-police/boat-and-recreation-vehicle-safety-bureau/massachusetts-boating-law-summary.html
“In Massachusetts, life preservers are required to be worn by: (1) youth less than 12 years of age (2) personal watercraft users (3) waterskiers (4) canoeists/kayakers from September 15 - May 15.”
In Maine one stretch of the Saco River near the ocean… Why I have no idea… Why not everywhere. In CT PFD wearage required in winter and spring months.
PWC users in Maine are required to wear PFD’s.
Talk about screwed up laws
I don’t think they should require PFDs at all unless you are on a commercial vessel.
Too many people and you can’t fix stupid.
I catch your drift, but the problem with those would-be Darwin Award winners is that they often jeopardize the safety and even lives of rescue personnel who are obligated to search for and extract their sorry hides.
And the more unprepared idiots blunder into trouble, the more likely the authorities are to eventually crack down on wilderness access. We dealt with that for years in the climbing community, when jerks playing “commando” and getting hurt trying to rappel on local cliffs using binder twine and ski tow rope caused restrictions on access to legitimately skilled and properly equipped climbers.
He was on the north shore of Long Island and I live om the south shore. It was very windy that day.
@grayhawk said:
I don’t think they should require PFDs at all unless you are on a commercial vessel.
Too many people and you can’t fix stupid.
people on most commercial boats are safer with professional operates than out by themselves.