Re: [Paddlewise] tragedy in Alaska

Just picked up the weather for that day in Sitka.
Water temperature was about 46 degrees. Winds about 15mph and a light rain.
The accident happened inside the breakwater so waves were not a factor.
Bob
-----Original Message-----
From: skimmer_at_mail3.enter.net <skimmer_at_mail3.enter.net>
To: revkayak_at_mtaonline.net <revkayak_at_mtaonline.net>
Date: Saturday, November 10, 2001 6:49 AM
Subject: Re: [Paddlewise] tragedy in Alaska


Revrend Carter,

You may know that I study cold water kayaking accidents in the
eastern US, and have done so for about 20 years. We run cold water
paddling clinics. We ran one last Saturday.

I would greatly appreciate your finding out a couple of bits of
information about the death of Mr. Shaffer. What was the water
temperature. I assume he was wearing a wetsuit or a drysuit.

Key question!  My bet is that Mr. Shaffer was not wearing a hood. Can
you find out if Mr. Shaffer was wearing a hood and nose clips when he
did his rolling?

Cold water in the ears can cause vertigo- total loss of orientation.
We have had many paddlers, normally skilled at rolling,  report that
they were forced to bail out after capsizing due to utter
disorientation. One fellow actually had no idea what happened after
coming out of his boat. Cold water on the exposed head can cause
immediate loss of consciousness. We have a number of cases of winter
paddlers being found hanging beneath their boats.

Thanks,
Chuck Sutherland
e-mail:  skimmer_at_mail3.enter.net

phone: 215-453-9084




From:          "Rev. Bob Carter" <revkayak_at_mtaonline.net>
To:            "paddlewise" <paddlewise_at_paddlewise.net>
Subject:       [Paddlewise] tragedy in Alaska
Date:          Sat, 10 Nov 2001 00:10:45 -0900

    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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