Chuck Holst wrote: > > >> > We've had a couple of canoe related fatalities this year here in the > Twin Cities. The downtown chain of lakes is a very popular with > rental canoeists. All the deaths I know of were drowning after a > dunking while not wearing a PFD. > > -Patrick > >> > > According to news reports, in one of these cases, a woman in a sea kayak > tried to rescue the canoeist by first throwing him her PFD, and then > extending her paddle to him, but the man drowned anyway. I don't know who > the woman was, but one TV viewer reported she was paddling a stitch and > glue kayak. It must have been traumatic watching a person die in front of > her despite her best efforts. > > Rather than throw my PFD (was she wearing it?) or extend my paddle, which > would almost certainly guarantee a capsize, I would have maneuvered my > kayak so the rescuee could grab the bow and hang on. In this case, even > that might not have worked; reportedly the victim was Spanish-speaking, he > might not have been able to follow directions in English very well. How > would other Paddlewisers have tried to rescue this victim? Offer your bow. You could use hand/arm gestures to convey the concept of hugging the bow and pointing to it. Make certain to smile, which is friendly and calming, and also to say "OK" and "Good", which are universally understood, when the person starts hanging on to the bow in a reasonably proper manner. BTW, don't use the word "bow" even with English speakers. You and I know what it is but lots of people don't. I got raked over the coals by some guy in a discussion group for using the term. I was using it among paddlers but I know well enough from places like The Downtown Boathouse with thousands of people pouring through that few can be counted on to know the term. Keep it simple...say "front." I agree that offering the end of a paddle is dangerous to you and actually may look lethal to the person in the water. Also its strange to throw a PFD unless the person is entangled in a strainer of some sort and you want to avoid getting snared yourself. But PFDs easily get blown along the surface of the water or are carried away by a current. A line on the PFD would help control that and allow several throw attempts. Remember, we had an extensive discussion on this listserve over a case that I mentioned about two guys falling into the water without PFDs and not knowing how to swim. I don't know if it got archived. ralph diaz -- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Ralph Diaz . . . Folding Kayaker newsletter PO Box 0754, New York, NY 10024 Tel: 212-724-5069; E-mail: rdiaz_at_ix.netcom.com "Where's your sea kayak?"----"It's in the bag." ----------------------------------------------------------------------- *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************Received on Fri Oct 06 2000 - 20:27:12 PDT
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