Here's a sad update on the missing paddler at Round Valley Reservoir in central New Jersey in the US. I wonder if the "Gore-Tex Suit" was a drysuit. My personal experience paddling at Round Valley is that high winds are common because the reservoir is shaped like a big bowl. Also, the water is deep so it's very cold year-round. Claire ****** Kayaker's body found at reservoir Published in the Home News Tribune 3/12/02 By TONY SCLAFANI GANNETT NEW JERSEY A missing kayaker who ignored rough-water warnings was found dead yesterday morning by two of his friends at Round Valley Reservoir in Hunterdon County as a second day of searching began, state police said. Nicolae Rado, 27, of Piscataway, dressed in a life jacket and a Gore-Tex suit, was found about 7 a.m. near a camp site along the shoreline by friends who were helping in the search, said Sgt. Al Della Fave, a state police spokesman. Rado, a native of Romania, was found about two miles from where he was first spotted kayaking in the rough, freezing waters by a fisherman about 2:30 p.m. Sunday -- when he cut off radio contact with his girlfriend waiting at the boat launch site, Chief Ranger Steve Colao said. The couple, who had been dating for at least four months, had been talking over two-way radios since he paddled away from shore between 10 a.m. and 11 a.m., he said. An autopsy by the Hunterdon County medical examiner was under way yesterday afternoon, said Della Fave. Rado had ignored three strobe lights set up around the reservoir warning boaters of treacherous conditions. At the time Rado was kayaking in the water, there were about 4-foot swells and strong winds, Colao said. "The water was so rough you couldn't see a life-jacket bobbing up and down," he said. The kayak was recovered between 9 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. after rescue workers spotted it on shore about 50 yards from where Rado was first spotted, Colao said. Rado had left his parents in Romania at least three years ago and was working with computers at Dax Technologies in Holmdel, said a friend who was at the scene yesterday morning. Try FREE Yahoo! Mail - the world's greatest free email! http://mail.yahoo.com/ *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Hi All, This resevoir is located near me. Anyone that has the water temperature, speak up. Otherwise, I can drive over there in about 1.5 hrs tomorrow to measure it. I have had some contact with authorities. It was a Goretex jacket, not a drysuit. That lake is wide open, rather bowl shaped. There is no cover of near shorelines out in the middle. I'm sure the wind was really screaming out on the water. At my house, on Sunday, we had some impressive puffs roaring in the trees. I live on a hill top. Sunday afternoon, here it was sunny. I was outside cutting wood. The wind was puffy, that is calming down a bit, suggesting the front was finished. Then, 10-20 minutes later, roaring back to life. On Lake Nokamixon, closer to me where I usually paddle, one is never far from shore and dodging the wind is not so difficult. Big waves don't have fetch for serious growth in size. There is no hiding on Round Valley Resevoir. Using a cell phone while paddling in high wind? High risk indeed! I will be able to learn more details tomorrow. Chuck Sutherland *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
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