FYI - a paddler died yesterday in a sea kayaking accident in sea caves in the Apostle Islands NL. According to a local kayak shop, there were "gale force winds and the ferry was even having trouble getting out to Madeline Island" when the two paddlers set out (winds of 43 mph according to the story below). Apparently they went into or were drawn into the sea caves under these high wind conditions. Story below: http://www.ashlandwi.com/placed/index.php?sect_rank=1&story_id=180628 K *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
Quoting Keith Wrage <keith.wrage_at_charter.net>: > FYI - a paddler died yesterday in a sea kayaking accident in sea caves in > the Apostle Islands NL. According to a local kayak shop, there were "gale > force winds and the ferry was even having trouble getting out to Madeline > Island" when the two paddlers set out (winds of 43 mph according to the > story below). Apparently they went into or were drawn into the sea caves > under these high wind conditions. > > Story below: > http://www.ashlandwi.com/placed/index.php?sect_rank=1&story_id=180628 I checked the historical data from the Devils Island weather station. At the time the pair put in, the wind was blowing out of the WSW at about 28 mph, later reaching sustained speeds in the 30s, and gusting at one point to 44 mph. They probably would have had some partial protection from the wind at their put- in and, with a relatively short fetch, fairly small waves, which may have deceived them, but once out in Squaw Bay they would have encountered the full force of the wind and increasing wave size. Paddling toward the caves, they would have had the wind at their backs. How they expected to return to their put-in point, I have no idea. Chuck Holst *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
Were the paddlers caught in the Devil's Island caves or some other place? The Devil's Island are far off shore and, as I recall, leave little head room even in flatwater conditions. Tom ---------------------------------------- The information contained in this e-mail message may be privileged, confidential, and protected from disclosure. If you are not the intended recipient, any further disclosure or use, dissemination, distribution, or copying of this message or any attachment is strictly prohibited. If you think that you have received this e-mail message in error, please delete it and notify the sender. ======================================== *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
Quoting "Joyce, Thomas F." <TJoyce_at_bellboyd.com>: > Were the paddlers caught in the Devil's Island caves or some other > place? The Devil's Island are far off shore and, as I recall, leave > little head room even in flatwater conditions. As Dana said, they were probably heading for the Squaw Bay caves, which are nearest their put-in, and which would have been directly downwind. They never could have gotten anywhere near Devils Island in those conditions. I was once windbound on Sand Island by approximately 30-mph winds out of the NE. The radio said there were six-foot waves in the more open areas, though we saw nothing that appeared to be more than four. Nonetheless, waves were washing over the dock near the campsites. As I said in my earlier post, they were probably deceived by what must have been the small size of the waves at their put-in. The wind would have been coming diagonally off the beach, and with the point a short distance to the west (I forget its name), the waves could not have been very high at Meyers Beach no matter how strong the wind. The bluff above the beach would have given them additional protection from the wind until they got out to the middle of the bay. Chuck Holst *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
At 02:32 PM 8/23/2004 -0500, you wrote: >Were the paddlers caught in the Devil's Island caves or some other >place? The Devil's Island are far off shore and, as I recall, leave >little head room even in flatwater conditions. I don't know. Initial info didn't say - and I haven't come across additional information. *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
Based on the information in the article I believe the accident occured at Squaw Bay on the mainland, not at the Devils Island sea caves. See the quote from the newspaper article below: "The two departed Meyer's Beach at about 10:15 a.m. in spite of strong winds clocked by the National Weather Service's remote weather sensing station on Devil's Island at up to 43 miles per hour. They then headed to the nearby sea caves. "Apparently the son got too close to the sea caves and capsized," Follis said. "The father went to his assistance and capsized too." Follis said Samuel Larsen told officials the pair got sucked into the caves and struggled to get out for about two hours, eventually fighting their way clear. They then became separated, with the father making his way to shore and summoning assistance with a cell phone. Both men were wearing life preservers at the time of the accident. " -- Peace, Dana This is a new email address for me, please change your address book record. The danadickson_at_attbi.com address will forward until December 2005. -------------- Original message -------------- > > Date: Mon, 23 Aug 2004 14:32:46 -0500 > From: "Joyce, Thomas F." > Subject: RE: [Paddlewise] sea kayaker death - Apostle Islands, Lake Superior > > Were the paddlers caught in the Devil's Island caves or some other > place? The Devil's Island are far off shore and, as I recall, leave > little head room even in flatwater conditions. > > Tom *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
Dana Dickson posted a link to a followup news article http://www.duluthsuperior.com/mld/duluthtribune/news/9481184.htm But the clumsy mailing list admin accidently trashed the post before it could be properly attributed. -- Kirk Olsen *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
Kirk Olsen said: > But the clumsy mailing list admin accidently trashed the post > before it could be properly attributed. Better watch it Kirk, our list admin doesn't like to be called names ;-) Steve *************************************************************************** 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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