There have been a rash of incidents around the Sechelt area according to the Search & Rescue officer I spoke with the evening of July 20, 2000. Before I describe the incident for review, I should point out that the other three items mentioned are considered noteworthy. In the first one, a canoe was out in windy conditions prevalent down one of the inlets in the area. The canoe capsized after blowing out of control, resulting in the loss of one life. In the other incident, which is especially annoying to rescue officials and becoming all too common place, a kayak with no identification was found adrift at sea, causing an unnecessary and expensive search, after dislodging off a dock. Please mark the inside of your personal kayak with your name and/or phone number. In the third incident recently, a father was teaching his nine year old son how to paddle a kayak, when the boy backed out into a tidal current and drifted away at a high rate of speed, necessitating a rescue. This was _not_ the boy's fault, if you know what I mean. ------------ Sechelt Kayak Incident - July19, 2000 An approximately 30 year old female kayaker rented a boat from a local rental/guiding outfit located in Tillicum Bay at about 2:00 PM. The lone female had no prior experience with paddlesports, other that some previous diving experience. She was an exchange student from Japan, and spoke English as a second language very well, but exhibited a poor ability to comprehend instructions (due to the language barrier, it is assumed). The paddler was pointed in the direction of taking a guided trip the next day from SKGABC certified guides/instructors, but declined due to time restrictions/other obligations. The renter was shown on land, how to perform a wet exit and a paddlefloat rescue. The renter was given explicit instructions to stay close to shore, and not paddle beyond the limit of the bay, clearly delineated by a large marina sign and log booming area visible on the shore. It is felt the paddler may not have understood what these particular landmarks were or meant, in retrospect. The renter nodded agreement to the instructions, and it was felt at the time that there was a clear understanding. The rental business owner repeated to the customer to keep close to shore, as that way she could swim to shore if there was a problem. The exchange student was wearing light lower clothing and a T-shirt, with no other gear or equipment, other than PFD. Conditions were flat calm and warm. The kayaker was due back at 5:30 PM, at the very latest. The person was given a small map of the area, and it was, as mentioned, heavily emphasized to her not to leave the bay -- which is fairly well populated with vacationers, boaters, and shoreline holiday'rs this time of year. Staff commenced searching for the missing paddler after 6:30 PM, and officials were called in by 9:30 PM -- which is sunset time. The rental agency scoured the shoreline of the bay, expecting to find the paddler, but did not. They then concentrated south of the bay, having presumed the paddler veered south somewhere near the opening of the bay. Unfortunately, the paddler had moved out of the bay and had headed north a further 3 or 4 miles, having become completely disoriented. The Half Moon Bay CG Auxiliary Unit 12 were on the scene within an hour, searching the area to the north. A CG Labrador helicopter was specifically tasked around 10:30 PM, and it was felt they would be able to locate the missing paddler if in the area within minutes with the use of night vision goggles by the pilots. As it turned out, the Auxiliary CG unit found the missing paddler close to shore at about 10:45 PM. The paddler was extremely agitated, nervous, wet, cold and shivering with the onset of the cooler evening wearing such light apparel. Though reported with very mild hypothermia, no medical attention was sought. The female paddler was returned to her host accommodation by RCMP transfer. I spoke with the owner/operator of the kayak rental agency. She stated that in retrospect, perhaps more gear should be given out. It was also felt that the paddler in question should have asked for help if disoriented at the opening of the bay, or prior to reaching it. There were enough people at various shore point locations to render assistance. It was also learned that the paddler exited the bay down the center of the bay's opening. It is unknown why the paddler did this, against explicit instructions not to. It was a very trying day for the staff of the rental shop, as well. I was grateful they shared information with me in such an open way, and are open to recommendations. They have had a very safe operation up until now. Recommendations: 1. Rental operators must take each paddler on a case-by-case basis. In the situation as presented at the beginning of the transaction, it would behoove the store to clearly enunciate all instructions. Even in the case of English speaking people, let alone in this case, it is a good idea to have the person verbalize back to you what was said if there is any doubt. Time should be allowed for orientation with the map, and a clear attempt to ascertain whether or not the individual really understands the limit, the route, boundaries, etc. 2. A full afternoon in the hot sun, proceeded by a cool evening is a prime induced of hypothermia. The paddlers damp cotton T-shirt and light lower clothing gave the paddler no chance to stay warm as evening approached, despite the fact that the client kept moving to generate heat. 3. The paddler was only going out for a short trip. Before this incident, the store never considered the possibility someone could go missing. It is always a possibility. New paddlers must be educated in the bare essentials of outdoor safety ethics, and either provided with some emergency extras, or denied rental, and certainly not to "jack-rabbit" if disoriented. 4. Thousands of kayaks are rented without incident, and the mindset is one of slackness until something like this happens. All it took was some language difficulty and a bit of disorientation to induce an incident of this nature. 5. It is unclear exactly how the search proceeded in the initial stage, but given the possibility a missing client could actually be in the water in acute distress, it is always best to contact rescue authorities as soon as logically and humanly possible. BC'in Ya Doug Lloyd *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced/forwarded outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
>>> She was an exchange student from Japan, and spoke English as a second language very well, but exhibited a poor ability to comprehend instructions (due to the language barrier, it is assumed). >>> The renter nodded agreement to the instructions, and it was felt at the time that there was a clear understanding. The rental business owner repeated to the customer to keep close to shore, as that way she could swim to shore if there was a problem. ------- I immigrated to the US from China, not Japan, but I can give some pointers concerning all Asians. Among Asians, it is impolite to say "No, I don't understand your instructions." Whether an Asian understands your instructions or not, nodding the head is the standard response, never a side-to-side movement of the head, as that is shockingly impolite. If you want to make sure the person understood your instructions, it is best to ask (in as polite a way as possible, helped with smiles and proper gestures) that person to repeat your instructions (in their own words, but enough to make the meaning clear). If, after this exercise, you feel that the person did not understand your instructions, then you'd better think of something other than renting the kayak to that person. *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced/forwarded outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Jack, Speaking for myself, thank you so much for this reminder that not all people or all peoples share the same communicative conventions. And even when communicators share a common background, I've learned from my students (I teach things far removed from paddling) that we can't assume that people learn things unless we test them in some way. Bob V *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced/forwarded outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
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