[Paddlewise] tragedy in Alaska

    At this point I only have scetchy details but Ken Schaffer the owner of
Biadarka Boats in Sitka died thrusday while paddling in Sitka. It appears that
Ken suffered a medical problem of some sort. 


    He was only a couple hundred feet outside of one of the boat harbors in
Sitka. He was with some others paddlers when he decided to practice some
rolls. He did a couple sucessfully but then on his last attempt stayed under
for a while. When he did roll up he was coughing up water and posibility
blood. He said he was o.k. and the group headed back to the harbor. Ken then
flipped over and did not roll up. The harbor master anwered the distress call
but Ken could not be revived. All this happened within a half mile radious of
the coast guard station, the boat harbor and the hospital.


    Ken bought Biadarka Boats about a year ago. He had been a diary farmer in
Vermont when he saw and add in a magazine (Sea Kayaker  I think) about the
Sitka kayak shop for sale. He said it was a dream come true to move to Alaska.
Though he was a novice at kayaking he was able to expand the boat shop and was
very liked amid the kayaking community of Sitka and southeast. He was single
but I believe did have family back east.


     


with sorrow


Bob





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