[Paddlewise] Victoria Incident (was Michigan Kayaker dies...)

Matt said:
<big snippage both directions>
<<< the next mistake (from the point of view of hindsight) may have been
in not chasing down the victims kayak and bringing it back to him. This
would be a no-brainer if there were at least three paddlers present but
would have required some quick but considered decisions given only two
paddlers. >>>

Thanks for your insights on the above incident. "Never less than three"
has always been sage advice, and here is another prime example.
Interestingly enough, we had a club-related incident off Victoria waters
a couple of weeks ago. It turns out the number five worked nicely.

A little background digression, then the incident...

We had a discussion a couple of months (or so ago) about PFD wearing,
with Scott versus the world -- though others chimed in with various
comments and considerations. I believe Gordin Warner posted a message
about aberrant behavior, and though he got flame-broiled, most folks
concurred that group paddle situations were the one time non-compliant
paddlers might want to default to the wishes of the greater collective
(least they be told they were unwelcome to join in, anyway).

Well, there's this one fellow who will not join our club, but wants to
join in on the paddling fun. The first time out he insisted the
suggested PFD policy of actually wearing one (the waters around Victoria
can hold hidden dangers - other than the Cadbasourus) didn't apply to
him. He wasn't the type of person you could tell anything to. With
gentle prodding from the assembly of gentlemanly club paddlers, he
eventually started donning his PFD. Being a rather stout fellow, this
was perhaps a good suggestion (though he would have perhaps had a little
more reserve buoyancy than some of the rest of the fellows).

With subsequent trips seeing a bit more challenging outings, the trip
facilitator felt it was a fine idea to start insisting on the other
tacit club requirement -- namely adequate immersion apparel. While size
XXX isn't always easy to procure, a wet suit/paddling top is a suitable
suggestion for Victoria's 14 degree Celsius waters. Obsequious to the
end, he must have seen the light eventually. Finally, on an outing
planned to Discovery Island from Victoria's out-lying shores across the
often nasty Baynes Channel on a southerly ebb, the fellow shows up in a
wet suit, with PFD on.

The five paddlers leave shore. These Sunday paddles are  an
every-man-for-himself (or women) affair, though generally there is a
little mentoring, some organization, and sweeps where there is a higher
number of entry level paddlers. Part way across Baynes, the newer
paddler disappears off the radar. It is a few minutes before someone
notices: "Uh, where's ____?" "I dunno, but there's a kayak way over
there in the current, heading south!"  Perhaps he thought a kayaker is
supposed to rotate his boat every 100 nautical miles.  So, what to do?

Fortunately, one of the paddlers is one of the best on the island, and
went after the lost kayaker and his boat, along with another paddler.
The other two organized into a stable position and called in a "Maday"
for a PIW (Person in Water) Interestingly enough, one of the second
paddlers, the one with the VHF handy, didn't know his location. The
facilitator, beside the fellow on the radio, was able to give their
position. While they both might have worried about one paddler heading
off into current-central, with two taking off, it wasn't such a worry. A
whale watching boat headed for the San Juans responded, as did the Coast
guard Auxiliary -- which launched.

The two rescuing paddlers were able to find the paddler and secure the
errant kayak after 10 minutes. It was a struggle to get the paddler back
in his kayak. He simple didn't understand the concept of swimming up
onto the back deck, as opposed to his futile bobbing up-and-down method.
Brute force won the day. Luckily the rescuers didn't pull any muscles.
The whale watching Zodiac veered away as the rescue had been completed,
while the CG Aux. Zodiac came out to ensure everyone was safe.

In this case, five paddlers turned out to be just the right number,
though if it had been the other four, they wouldn't have needed the
fifth :-)

And as it turned out, a wetsuit and PFD wasn't such a bad idea after
all. Glad he didn't spill-out on the northerly flood into Haro Strait,
especially if he went unnoticed even longer. Now, what about a course?

Doug Lloyd (reporting from Victoria BC, where we just had a nice little
4.0 shaker emanating from the San Juans - Jolie, any Tsunamis?)

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