The death-at-sea of several renowned kayakers over the past year certainly provides us all with much to ponder. Andrew McAuley.... Len Goodman... Another amazing story surrounds the tragic death of 76-year-old Canadian paddler Herb Pohl on Lake Superior in July 2006. Pohl was a renowned and eccentric paddler in wilderness canoeing. His views on "risk analysis" would clearly differ from those which many of us hold. When I first read about Pohl's drowning and other accounts of his life, I was jarred by his neglect of safety basics. Larry Ricker's amazing account of a meeting Pohl several days before his death, and the gripping last photo of Pohl paddling off into Superior (sans PFD, paddling partner,etc) can be found at <http://www.network54.com/Forum/9927/message/1153616623/Herb+Pohl>. For me, that photo is the most profound and thought-provoking paddling image I have ever seen. There are many dimensions to this story, and I must acknowledge that Pohl's incredible life experiences were, to a large extent, determined by his willingness to take risks which many would call "unacceptable". This doesn't make it "right" to ignore the risks - but to fully appreciate Herb's or Andrew's or Len's story I must, for a moment anyway, suspend my focus on the single or habitual "mistake" that may have contributed to their death. Another thing that occurred to me ... While I may be jealous of exotic paddling adventures described by others, my Saturday morning flatwater paddle on a local pond is more exciting and scenic than McAuley, Goodman, and Pohl will ever again be able to enjoy. I shouldn't take an ordinary, "safe" paddling opportunity for granted. - JohnC in LondonOn *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************Received on Sun Mar 18 2007 - 08:27:36 PDT
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