[Paddlewise] SV: Danish paddlers, preliminary backgrund information.

Hello Chuck,



apart from the missing teacher all are now alive and breathing. Their
prospects of the seven that were in coma will be unknown for some time.
It took 5 days before the last was breathing on their own. The
psychological backlash is now a fact but little is told.



Information has been very difficult to collect. Media attention has been
overwhelming since this has been the largest and most competent and
complex rescue operation for decades. Yet it is more or less the same
information that is repeated. There is also some contradiction in
information.



I  am recording everything I can get hold on from newspapers and tv. I
expect to sort out and compile what is available in something like 2
weeks. The investigations from the police and naval authorities will not
be available then. That will have to come later.



Of the 13 young only 4 have been interviewed and this has been with the
support of their parents and a very decent behaviour from the hostesses
at TV. The responsible school has now shut down all information and
refer to their legal advisors. Which is very wise considering their
apparent negligence.



Seeing and listening for 20 minutes to the four interviewed I have come
to some preliminary conclusions (which are totally my own !):



All the young had been wearing whatever they had in the closet of rain
clothes, warm clothes, necklaces, gloves, boots and "old socks" because
the tour was improvised with short notice. There is no mentioning of
clothes intended for the sea as we know as kayakers. The pfd's were
navy-blue and the rescuers now complain that it was very difficult to
locate the victims in the rough sea.



The 2 that swam to shore were a girl and a boy. I have only seen them
sitting but from their facial appearance I would say that the girl with
her round cheeks is in the upper range of BMI without in any way being
fat or overweight. The boy was not skinny. I should estimate him to have
average BMI. Although I'm not sure. They tell that they turned around
and swam on their backs to avoid wind and waves. When they reach shore
they had lost all feeling of hand and feet. When I saw them their hands
were bruised from ice which they crawling and swimming had to make their
way though as they approached land.



The other two were girls. One girl appears slim but not meagre. She
tells that she got rid of gloves, necklace and boot immediately after
the capsize. On her way in she became dizzy and more or less passed out
several times until she almost lost conscience laying in water. The same
girl also tells that her pfd was fitting badly al the time slipping up
under her armpits so that it was difficult to keep the head over water.
I know that kind of pfd from teaching kayak rescues. It's cheep, it's
approved, and it should not be sold. The second girl has healthy round
cheeks and I expect a BMI in the upper range without being overweight. A
strong, all-round and healthy girl. She chose to rescue the other girl
instead of swimming to the coast. She dragged her up on an ice-slab and
do what was possible to keep her alive and awake using her  body heat
and slapping to keep conscious. They were later located by a helicopter
and then picked up by a rescue vessel.



The fact that these 4 now have the mental strength to face the press -
being supported by psychologists and family - may also indicate a
necessary natural mental robustness that added to their physical
possibilities. They tell that they all the time knew they were facing
death and yet they mechanically went on.



A fantastic deed of the four which can only claim a deep respect.



A local doctor and at the same time competent sailor has afterwards told
the press that all ought to have used the higher class pfd that keeps
the heads of unconscious persons above the water. I don't know what to
say about that. Maybe such a pfd would have made it impossible to swim
to shore and get help. Resulting in the death of all. I can't tell.



regards



Jens Viggo Moesmand

Denmark





________________________________

Fra: skimmer [mailto:skimmer_at_enter.net]
Sendt: 17. februar 2011 20:38
Til: Jens Viggo Moesmand; paddlewise
Emne: Danish paddlers



Jens,

How is it going with the rescued paddlers?

Chuck Sutherland

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