-sing
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Great work by the USCG. Maybe the paddler will invest in a PFD and wear it. 
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Conditions were not even bad. It’s ironic that he was praying, but his judgement and physical condition had deteriorated to the point that he worried more about his backpack than getting into the boat. His hat was adrift in the area, but his paddle and PFD were not visible. If for no other reason, wearing the PFD would mean one less thing to chase.
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Not wearing a PFD and the wrong boat for the water he was paddling. Lucky he was spotted from the bridge.
The video brought back the memory of when I rescued a sheriff’s deputy who was thrown out of his boat and didn’t have the kill switch attached. That runaway boat put me on my sailboat and a friend with his daughter sailing on his boat in real danger of a highspeed collision as it circled our boats. Once we broke out of the circle I spotted the bright yellow inflatable PFD the officer was wearing. I sailed over and let the sails luff into the wind and grabbed his hand. He tried to come up over the high sides of my boat which he failed to do. I told him I would lead him to the back of the boat and he could come up the swim ladder. The wind blew his boat toward the Island we were sailing to that day. Each circle brought it closer to the island where it ran completely up on land. The still running wide open motors seized up as they couldn’t pump water to cool the engines. I don’t have video of that but it is still vivid in my minds eye.
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Good video. Calm conditions and warm water and the guy is panicked and praying to God.
Try a life jacket is right.
I have hit people in the face with a rescue line, and they did not grab it. Inexperienced people are traumatized by being in the water. You to tell them multiple times to grab the rope, grab my hand, etc.
The remedy for this is practice. Practice wet exits. Practice self rescues and rescuing other people. Dress for immersion, wear a life jacket, carry rescue lines. Practice all the time.
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The only time I had to deal with a capsize in my group was with three other paddlers. One guy rolled a 140 Pungo in calm water. I didn’t see it happen, and he had no clue how he managed to do it. He was wearing a PFD (that’s a personal decision, but I won’t take anyone out in my boats unless they’re wearing a PFD - if not for their safety, then for mine, in case I need rescue). Fortunately, I know how to assist recovery of an overturned kayak.
The problem was stubborn resistance, and his apparent embarrassment because he overturned. The water was warm, and we were near the shore, so there was mimimal danger. However, he refused to follow my instructions or to relax, and he insisted on making unsuccessful attempts to lift his entire body up out of the water and into the boat. Rather than hugging the deck and rolling over the side, his efforts kept capsizing the kayak.
I finally told him to tread water and listen, or I would leave him and tow the boat back to the launch. That got his attention. Once he got back into the kayak. I left the residual water in his kayak to give him the experience of paddling a water laden kayak.
That made me realize the hazards of offering to take people out in a kayak because they think it would be fun. I now only offer if a person wants to learn proper techniques. Most only want to piddle around rather than learn anything. Even if your recovery skill is great and conditions are favorable, dealing with a victim who panics, or just can’t get over the embarrassment, is more than a handful.
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Many kayakers seem to think they don’t need to know much. I have run into less resistance from would be canoeists.
Camping now in the summer I see people all the time on the water with no life jackets and no skill. Parents with little kids Groups of kids, older people. The whole thing makes me queasy.
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Yes, wear a PFD, but frankly you should be able to easily swim/tread/float in warm water for 20 minutes without being that physically wiped out. I don’t understand people who in go into water like that without that knowledge or ability.
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Agree and understand your perspective. Based on our off-line conversations, I’m confident that you would approach adverse situations confidently and emerge successfully. My first experience with rolling a tight fitting WW kayak was hanging upside down and not being able to get out. Simply twisting to get my head out of the water showed that I could easily catch my breath then go back under and relax while contemplating the solution. Unfortunstely, everyone doesn’t react the same for different reasons. Thus the shotgun approach toward what everyone should do. Well, that ends up with strong resistance from those who rehearsed, experienced, and survived hazardous circumstance with cool resolve. I appreciate their resistance about wearing a PFD because they’ve learned to hone and understand personal abilities and limitations, to which I say, more power to ya!
It was shocking to see how exhausted and disoriented that rescued kayaker was after 20 minutes (by his recollection). Unfortunately, we really don’t know for certain how we will react until faced by the challenge, and we aren’t always fortunate enough to pick the challenge.
In the 1970s, we rarely wore a PFD while canoeing until we approached white water and never wore one in a power boat; we were young, strong, and fearless. Now I wear one at all times, partially because I’m less strong and more fearful. The compelling reason is a lifetime of experiences and hearing stories. I don’t fear going into the water, because I make it a point to be selective about conditions and the temperatures, but I appreciate the current. During any trip on the Chesapeake Bay, tidal current can be expected to change. That typically result in rapidly changing wave peaks that can double. A large power boat offers a heigh advantage to see objects that go overboard. I’ve been on a rocking boat while land a large fish, and it’s easy to slip with large waves beaking on the shoals or when hit by the wake of a passing charter boat. If you fall over the side, recovery will be difficult.
I’m more comfortable in the kayak on rough water, because a large boat snap rocks in rough conditions while the kayak rolls with it. However, I’ll not be conjoled into complacency - the conditions are equally hazardous whether hovering over the water or nestled in it. When waves start peaking above 18 inches and the tidal current is 3 mph, a paddle, PFD, or other gear will be out of reach within seconds, then the decision will likely be to grab the paddle or the PFD, NOT both. After the PFD gets further away from the kayak, your struggle begins when you have to claw your way back with an object in hand.
Then while overstressed, you need to put on the PFD. That might be considered an easy task by many, if you are fortunate enough to see and recover it, but I find it challenging enough to untangle the twisted segments while on solid ground.
There’s a different reaction to water incidents depending on an individual’s skill, physical conditioning, water and weather conditions, emotional state, and personal training. The typical range of emotions includes embarassment, disbelief, bewilderment, denial, and a mix of how the hell did this happen, what I should’ve done, or how do I recover from this. Regardless of the direction the thought process takes, it gets complicated by distracting and conflicting thoughts.
Without lobbing for either option, I realize that the PFD when worn is: 1) An instant benefit for your safety and your ability to render aid. 2) One less thing to chase. 3) If impacted by another boat, it’s possible the padding might mitigate the injury. 4) The peace of mind that wearing it was a the right move vs. thinking, I wish I had put on that PFD. 5) If rendered unconscious, you will at least float which makes recovery more viable.
I respect anyone who is confident enough to opt for not wearing a PFD, but the best appoach is to at least test your recovery skills under real world conditions first. Then encourage others to do the same before taking chances.
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Not disagreeing, he should have had his PFD on, AND have the ability and confidence in the water to handle the situation without it. That PFD will be even better if you’re comfortable and capable in the water.
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What a wimp. I dumped my 17’ skin on frame in rougher conditions than shown in that clip on Lake Erie about that far from shore a few years ago – the only time in my history I had stupidly not taken the time to install the flotation bags or wear a skirt. It was supposed to be a just a short intro paddle about 20 feet from shore with my two cousins (their first time in kayaks, which I had brought to their cottage so they could try it out) and I spent so much time getting them kitted, set up, instructed and launched that I just grabbed my boat and shoved off to catch up with them, even though I realized I’d left half MY kit in the car. My two companions took to kayaking like ducks to water and headed out farther than I expected (or had instructed) them to go, ignoring my instructions to stay close and stay together. As i was catching up to one I heard the other shout behind me and turned too abruptly to see if they were having trouble and “boom” I was upside down and out of the boat. I did (of course, as always) have my PFD on. Was definitely embarrassing but hardly panic-inducing. No point in trying to right and drain a 17’ boat when I was only about 200’ from shore (had not brought my bilge pump either). Shoved my GP inside the inverted hull (one advantage of kayaks with no bulkheads is there is space to shove the whole paddle inside) grabbed the bow cleat and managed a funky side stroke back to shore. There was enough trapped air in the kayak that I wasn’t hauling that much weight (the boat only weighs 32 pounds dry.) Dumped it out when I reached the beach, trekked to the parking lot to get my skirt and bags to set it up as I should have, stuffed my sodden ass back in and headed back out to round up the renegades before their newfound paddling enthusiasm sent them all the way to Ontario.
I’ve learned the hard way not to take people out unless they have demonstrated that they don’t and won’t panic when in water over their heads (and sworn they will listen to what I tell them what to do and not to do). it continues to amaze me that people ask if I will take them kayaking and when i ask them some basic “screening” questions it turns out that they don’t swim and are even “afraid” of getting their heads wet, let alone being actually in the water.
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He didn’t even retrieve his hat after 20 minutes, and I never caught a glimps of either the paddle or PFD. His dilemma was compounded because the kayak lacked floatation or bulkheads. That would’ve reduced his stressed condition from treading water rather than just floating. Lacking one, he should’ve at least had the other.
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I guess I don’t understand why someone would be in that situation and not comfortable in the water. I’m always surprised how many people kayak and canoe who can’t swim and are even afraid of the water. Being confident and relaxed in the water makes rescue and recovery easier, and less stressful and fatiguing.
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There’s a vast difference between knowing how to handle yourself and not recognizing danger. Confidence allows you to think more clearly to prevent your judgement being overloaded.
I’m a bit surprised that I believe a distant passing boat called in the mayday rather than stopping to render assistance. To show how judgement takes a strange turn when stressed, he could barely climb on the rescue boat but was preoccupied with the bagbsnd then the kayak. He could sink, while the kayak would continue to float. If he had a ckear head, he would have realized the kayak would have been towed back to shore because it represented a hazard to navigation.