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From: Jens Viggo Moesmand <jensviggo_at_moesmand.dk> subject: [Paddlewise] Capsize of dragonboat with 15 in Denmark, update Date: Tue, 15 Feb 2011 11:56:13 +0100 · This archive was generated by hypermail 2.4.0 : Thu Aug 21 2025 - 16:33:54 PDT

Thanks to all for the compassion.

As of today tuesday 15th the following update is possible but the
accident will be under investigation for some time yet.

This Friday (February 11, 2011) a dragonboat/-canoe with 2 teachers and
13 pupils capsized in a Danish fjord (Praestoe Fjord on the eastside of
Zealand, 10 km from where I live) about 500 meters from land.

The boat was trying to set a new record in the fjord that looks like a
lake in open land without any protection from wind. The route taken was
intended to be a traditional trip out and around a buoy over shallow
water with a narrow tract for strong tidal current. This should usually
mean being about 300 meters from the shore. The participants was one
female teacher, one male 44-year old and very fit teacher guiding the
tour, 13 pupils used to out-door activities and aged around 16 years.

Wind speed was about 4-5 m/sec initially but rapidly increasing to about
10 m/sec with gusts around 14-15 m/sec. The decision was apparently made
to turn around as the wind increased but in doing this the boat
capsized.

The water temperature was below 2 degrees centigrade with ice slabs
floating freely. The pupils were wearing winter clothes and boots.
Nobody were wearing dry-suits or the wet-suits which the school possess.
Some possibly were wearing rubber boots. Ordinary PFDs was used by all.

There was no attempt to reach SAR after the capsize. It's likely there
was no means for it.

After capsizing the male teacher tried to organize the situation. A
group of seven including the female teacher tried to swim to shore while
six stayed with the boat. The male teacher was last seen sitting across
the boats hull trying to rescue one of the pupils that later were put
into coma.

They swimmers report that heavy sea, outgoing current and clothing made
the swimming very difficult and almost endless. Five of the group of
seven didn't make it. At least one of them lost conscience and was by
another brought up on an ice slab from where they later were picked up
by one of the many helicopters. Two made it to the shore and one of
them, a girl, ran for help. She had been wearing heavy winter clothes
and boots while swimming. The swimming distance is assumed to have been
about 500 meters against heavy waves but nobody really knows.

She ran at least 1 km to a store from where the SAR was alarmed.

With more than one hours delay a major rescue operation was initiated.
The time in the icy water and on the ice slabs has for all but the two
swimmers been between one and two hours.

13 pupils and one teacher was found within the next hour. Many in an
unconscious state floating in their PFDs without signs of life. The male
teacher is still missing and is expected to be dead.

Seven pupils have been kept in artificial coma for about 72 hours. They
are now being taken out of sedation but their outcome will be uncertain
for some time yet. It's not possible to know whether or to which extent
there are damages to their brains. The prognosis is at present
optimistic. The doctors explanations are these: because of the PFDs the
victims have been able to breathe until the hypothermia rendered them
unconscious. At the time the hearts stopped beating the whole body and
the head was so cooled down that this by itself reduced impact on the
brain. Age and health conditions of the young persons gives additional
hope for recovery. I would like to add that any winter clothes will
delay the cooling in the water and add to the possibility for survival.
I tried it myself involuntarily in the early spring eleven years ago.

They have suffered stop of heartbeat and body temperatures are reported
to have been around 16 degrees centigrade. At the intensive care units
in the hospitals they have used lung and heart machines and an extreme
expertise to bring all back to life.

The responsible school, the pupils and their comrades are right now in
an understandable state of denial. Death has been cheated for 14 lives
and it hurts to be so close. There will no doubt be long term
psychological consequences.

Criticism is now being raised from almost all competent sources. It's
obvious that there has been no risk awareness in the minds of any of
those responsible and that all reasonable precautions have been ignored.
But that is another story which - sorry to say - only sounds like an
echo from many other accidents. I personally believe that a combination
of plain lack of competency at the school combined with a very
enthusiastic and loved teacher with a personal urge to perform is the
main cause.

The only lesson that can be learned right now, Craig, is that PFDs save
lives even under the most horrible and unlikely conditions.

regards

Jens Viggo Moesmand

Denmark
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