Re: [Paddlewise] Jetski incident

At 08:41 AM 4/13/01 -0400, John Fereira wrote:
>At 10:30 PM 4/12/01 +0000, Wes Boyd wrote:

>>The above statement was written at the request of the conservation officer,
>>and has been slightly edited for length. The operator of the jetski was
>>ticketed. We are considering civil action.
>
>Ticketed?  He should have been arrested for attempted murder, or assault
>at the very least.  I'd have a talk with the district attorney.

My feeling exactly, but I don't want to discuss the legal side of it at
this time.

>>Objectively, we were inadequately dressed for immersion, but were otherwise
>>well balanced for the day. I was wearing polarfleece, with a lightweight
>>paddling jacket, and it had been uncomfortably warm in the sun, even
>>heading into the wind. Heading downwind on the way back across the Otter
>>Lakes, in dry clothes -- again polarfleece with the same paddling jacket --
>>I became quite warm in the nearly 80 degree temperatures.
>
>It sounds like you were definitely underdressed and are lucky to come
>out of the incident unscathed.

No question that we wee udnerdressed for being in the water. But the
decision on how to dress sometimes has to take into account other factors,
including air temperature, which was quite warm, and the degree of
exposure. In fact, this was a very much inside trip, and this was at the
point where we were about as far offshore as we'd planned on the whole trip.

>>We were too far from shore in the conditions. Even a hundred yards closer
>>in might have meant many things could have gone differently. We were
>>probably a little too far spread out, but in retrospect it would have just
>>made it easier for the young punk, so that's six of one, half dozen of the
>>other. Macomber has since commented that had we been close enough together
>>to raft up we might have been able to avoid dumping.
>
>That's a good point.  Even if two of you could have rafted up it would
>have been a much more stable platform.  If the three of you rafted up
>I doubt that he could have dumped anyone without actually running into
>you.
>
>
>>We have got to spend more time in getting proficient with rescue techniques
>>and rolls. However, in this circumstance, I believe Berry and I were safer
>>in the water while the young punk was still around. Once he left, in the
>>circumstances we were in and considering our inadequate recovery skills, we
>>were probably better off going to shore than trying any sort of midwater
>>rescue.
>
>I definitely agree that you should work on both solo and assisted rescue
>techniques.  There are lots of different assisted rescues techniques that
>can be practiced.  You might want to try using a rope stirrup to help
>reentry.  

I have such a system permanently rigged in the boat.  

>I don't buy the idea that you were better off
>in the water. If you had done an assisted rescue you would have ended up
>in a rafted up position and been more stable.

While the young bozo was around, I believe I was safer in the water. I can
just imagine being halfway into the boat, precariously balancing, and him
taking another close pass. The time and energy expended in the setup would
have been wasted. Once he'd gone, had we been much farther from shore, I
think we might have tried an over-the boat rescue -- but there was a better
percentage in the way we did it, under the circumstances.

-- Wes
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