Re: [Paddlewise] Drowning prevention

In a message dated 7/5/2000 8:23:28 AM Central Daylight Time, 
JCMARTIN43_at_aol.com writes:

>  Each year, there are approximately 1,000 boating deaths of which 90% 
result from 
> drowning.  Most of the drownings occur within 10' of safety or 50' from 
shore.
>   Most of these victims had PFDs but were not wearing them at the time of 
the 
> incident.  The majority of the drowning deaths in this country occur during 
> holidays and weekends.

To graphically emphasize Jack's message, my family was in the vicinity of 
just such an incident yesterday, a holiday. We were bicycling around our 
local Lake Nokomis- a favorite quick kayak spot- when a canoe capsized near a 
beach we were heading toward. We witnessed the futile rescue attempts as 
first the lifeguards, then the divers, then the sonar patrols searched the 
murky waters. The missing man, who could not swim it was reported, and two 
women had rented a canoe and had declined to wear the offered PFDs. When they 
capsized for some reason near the beach, the women made it to shore and there 
was apparently some initial confusion as they spoke only Spanish. The lone 
lifeguard on duty there cleared the beach then swam to the scene, followed by 
the safety row boat and some other canoeists and swimmers, but were too late.

Benign conditions: 80 degrees F (26 C) light winds, a small lake. There was a 
similar drowning there in 1998. How should the responsible paddlesports 
community get the message out?

-Andy Knapp
Minneapolis
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