RE: [Paddlewise] Fatal incident -Grand Marais, MN

[Moderator's Note: Content unaltered. Excessive quoting (i.e.  headers/footers/sig lines/comments from previous posts, etc.) have been removed. Please edit quoted material in addition to removing header/trailers when replying to posts.]

I just came back from a one day "rough" water rescue and towing class with
the Kayak and Canoe Institute at the University of Minnesota - Duluth; the
class was on Friday, September 27.  This fatal incident was a short topic
for discussion at the start of the class.  The introduction talk was in
Duluth.  
 
there were seven foot waves.  The county rescue boat could not go out for a
rescue due to the rough conditions - it was an open boat. The tandem kayak
was about 1 mile out of the harbor at Grand Marais.  Neither person was
wearing a wetsuit nor any gear for cold water immersion, for example a
drysuit.  They did have lifejackets.  Water temperature at that location -
45 degrees Fahrenheit. If this is not true, who has heard otherwise. 


Now on Friday, September 27 for the one class I attended
Lake Superior was calm, but cool (upper 40s or low 50s) by Split Rock
Lighthouse. 
The day was sunny, no clouds in the sky, in the upper 50s. 
 (It would had been a rough water class if the winds were blowing, but as
luck would have it, t
   the air was calm)

I was wearing a drysuit with two layers of poly underneath (thin and thick),
neoprene gloves, and a neoprene hood).  During the re-entry and roll part, I
blow the roll a few times as my head came up too soon. I became just
slightly chilled as I float next to my kayak, determined to get up with a
roll.  eventually rolled up by keeping my head back and in the water.  
The recent incident went briefly through my mind. 

During other capsizes, done on purpose, ex. hand of god rescue practice, bow
rescue, my sunglasses would quickly fog up when I came back up.  This is
just like in winter when I enter a warm building after being out in the cold
for a while.  Another person had a wetsuit bottom and a drytop.
Eveyone-else had full drysuits.  This one person mentioned how cold the
water was during in the water topics.  Ice cream style headaches were common
among everyone in the class. 

I cannot imagine how anyone would handle seven foot waves with no cold water
immersion gear, one mile off of shore.  I feel quite sorry for the loved
ones and friends these two people left behind. 

				How could have anyone survived in these
conditions after a capsize without?


-----Original Message-----
From: Richard Culpeper [mailto:culpeper_at_tbaytel.net]
Subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Fatal Accident-Grand Marais, MN


I was out on Superior north of there on Saturday.  The morning was a little
rough, but
no big deal.  The wind picked up greatly in the afternoon after we were off
the water.

Aaron White wrote:

> Word is very rough conditions at the time they departed and possibly no
cold water
> immersion protection.
***************************************************************************
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/
***************************************************************************