Re: [Paddlewise] Jim-Father and Son

From: Jochen Grikschat <grikschat_at_surfeu.de>
Date: Mon, 7 Jan 2002 21:45:48 +0100
> If the tide was coming IN, I wonder why they didn't swim for it??

Quite easy:
It happens on the beach in extreme fog. Irish Sea and its January, so it is
ouuuaaahh cold. You canīt swim for it, because the tide wonīt rush like a
wave towards the dry zone. the water comes up fast but without clear
direction you could follow. Several european beaches and shore areas are
little bit more special and dificult than the "normal" beaches you may
known. Itīs not only sand there, the sand got structure. Itīsnot flat at
all, there are smaller and sometimes bigger kinds of "rivers" and when the
flood came up it fills first these "rivers" and then it run over the sand
domes from all directions.

The worst thing is, the police and all the helpers had been quite nearby the
both, but in these fog (visibility under 20metre) they and the father also,
couldnīt located the noise of each other and so the father stood in the cold
water with his son sitting on the shoulders until it was to late. The man
wasnīt new on these beach, he knew the locations, but in the fog he lost
orientation.
Sad, very sad story.

----

Fog:
I remember a tour of mine in 95 when I paddled back from a island 50
Kilometre off shore and it was hot and no wind at all. The water around the
island is colder than nearby the shore and it was foggy over several hours.
We paddled through it with visibiliies sometimes not more than 30-50metre.
There was a sailing boat somewhere behind us, running with engine and we
could hear the anchors of the daily tourist ships. Half way we passed a huge
shipway, but no ship there. We paddled all the time only 180 degree, just to
see where we reach the shore and it worked. We hit the expected island on
the planned point.
After 6,5-7 hours we landed, built up the "camp" und switch on the news for
the next weather report. Bad news, on these foggy morning two ferries had
crashed in a small harbors entrance nearby and one man was badly injurged.
Crazy world! Ferries with radar, knowledge on time tables, routes, with VHF
and telephone crash and we paddled all these "extreme" long way with no sign
at all...
Every time I hear seakayaking is sooo dangerous, I start to smile.

  * *
   !
<~~>

happy padling
Jochen


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Received on Mon Jan 07 2002 - 13:34:11 PST

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