Author Topic: Another Oregon SUP drowning  (Read 6708 times)

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Another Oregon SUP drowning
« on: May 02, 2016, 02:49:24 PM »
http://www.kgw.com/news/search-teams-look-for-paddleboarder-who-fell-into-columbia-river/164080441

So sad to see this.  Even with all of these 80 and 90 degree days, the water is still 53. 

Easy Rider

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Re: Another Oregon SUP drowning
« Reply #1 on: May 02, 2016, 04:17:58 PM »
So sad, and so preventable.
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Ichabod Spoonbill

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Re: Another Oregon SUP drowning
« Reply #2 on: May 02, 2016, 06:07:28 PM »
Awful. It seems like from the article that she was wearing neither a PFD or a leash. Either one might have saved her.
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spookini

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Re: Another Oregon SUP drowning
« Reply #3 on: May 02, 2016, 06:11:14 PM »
Very sad, but the ppl on the nearby boat ought to be shot.
I guess they didn't go in for her b/c they didn't want to get their pant legs wet??  Sheesh  :'(
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lucabrasi

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Re: Another Oregon SUP drowning
« Reply #4 on: May 02, 2016, 06:16:03 PM »
So sad, and so preventable.
That one.
Awful. It seems like from the article that she was wearing neither a PFD or a leash. Either one might have saved her.
and that one.
Very sad, but the ppl on the nearby boat ought to be shot.
I guess they didn't go in for her b/c they didn't want to get their pant legs wet??  Sheesh  :'(
Maybe that one as well but..........wasn't there.
I do know......I wouldn't want to be those guys right now.....no matter how it went down. Prayers to them as well.


« Last Edit: May 02, 2016, 07:10:33 PM by lucabrasi »

covesurfer

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Re: Another Oregon SUP drowning
« Reply #5 on: May 02, 2016, 06:53:40 PM »
Preventable in a different world.

I don't mean to be harsh but people have to take water safety more seriously to reduce these kind of tragedies. It's not just about PFD's and leashes.

The rivers in the PNW are some of the gnarliest water anywhere. There are submerged obstacles and strong currents as well as cold, opaque waters where you can't see your hand in front of your face. The Columbia River is NEVER a safe place. Even if you know what you're doing and what the hazards are, which in this instance, was clearly not the case. This woman drowned 200 feet from shore.

At the Paddle Challenge last summer, the drowning that occurred happened while people had their eyes on the victim.

I almost drowned in the Columbia myself about 14 years ago. I was windsurfing at Maryhill in the eastern Gorge at this time of year. Freezing water and lots of current. I was an advanced sailor with years of experience sailing in the Gorge. I got pitched by a sudden gust and thrown forward, landing on my sail. The harness lines wrapped around my harness hook as the current caught the sail and dragged it under, with me attached. My then 6 year old daughter was on the beach with my girlfriend. The thoughts that went through my head that day were not fun, I was sure I was going to drown in front of my child. I kept my face above the water as long as I could and then got dragged under. Thankfully, once I went all the way under,  neutral buoyancy took over and the harness line released. The whole event happened in less than a minute total.

Conclusion? Water sports carry risk. You can manage it but sometimes, shit happens. In this case, there was no attempt at managing the risks, no PFD, no leash, probably little or no experience on a paddle board. Certainly, there was a lack of awareness of the inherent risks associated with river based recreation at a time of year with freezing water and high currents (BTW, there is ALWAYS strong current off of Sauvies Island, where this happened).

One huge problem with our sport is also one of it's greatest assets: It is accessible to many people and most people can manage to paddle a board out away from the shore the first time they try it. Unfortunately, there is too little education that comes with renting boards. There is also a real lack of awareness of the risks of taking on a water sport with such a short learning curve. It allows people to get in way over their skill level before they even realize it.

I'm bracing for the coming barrage of well meaning people that will demand mandatory PFD and leash use, both of which I support but not as another layer of regulation. I would rather see money spent on intensive public education and pressure on the industry to provide minimum safety orientations before they let boards leave the shop. Sorry for the rant and especially sorry for this woman and her loved ones.

leecea

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Re: Another Oregon SUP drowning
« Reply #6 on: May 02, 2016, 07:10:52 PM »
Quote
I would rather see money spent on intensive public education and pressure on the industry to provide minimum safety orientations before they let boards leave the shop.

That's certainly a good thing to encourage but there are so many examples where extensive public education efforts have resulted in little actual improvement.  People don't listen and always think they know best. 

Very sad. 

headmount

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Re: Another Oregon SUP drowning
« Reply #7 on: May 02, 2016, 07:12:04 PM »
Preventable in a different world.

I don't mean to be harsh but people have to take water safety more seriously to reduce these kind of tragedies. It's not just about PFD's and leashes.

The rivers in the PNW are some of the gnarliest water anywhere. There are submerged obstacles and strong currents as well as cold, opaque waters where you can't see your hand in front of your face. The Columbia River is NEVER a safe place. Even if you know what you're doing and what the hazards are, which in this instance, was clearly not the case. This woman drowned 200 feet from shore.

At the Paddle Challenge last summer, the drowning that occurred happened while people had their eyes on the victim.

I almost drowned in the Columbia myself about 14 years ago. I was windsurfing at Maryhill in the eastern Gorge at this time of year. Freezing water and lots of current. I was an advanced sailor with years of experience sailing in the Gorge. I got pitched by a sudden gust and thrown forward, landing on my sail. The harness lines wrapped around my harness hook as the current caught the sail and dragged it under, with me attached. My then 6 year old daughter was on the beach with my girlfriend. The thoughts that went through my head that day were not fun, I was sure I was going to drown in front of my child. I kept my face above the water as long as I could and then got dragged under. Thankfully, once I went all the way under,  neutral buoyancy took over and the harness line released. The whole event happened in less than a minute total.

Conclusion? Water sports carry risk. You can manage it but sometimes, shit happens. In this case, there was no attempt at managing the risks, no PFD, no leash, probably little or no experience on a paddle board. Certainly, there was a lack of awareness of the inherent risks associated with river based recreation at a time of year with freezing water and high currents (BTW, there is ALWAYS strong current off of Sauvies Island, where this happened).

One huge problem with our sport is also one of it's greatest assets: It is accessible to many people and most people can manage to paddle a board out away from the shore the first time they try it. Unfortunately, there is too little education that comes with renting boards. There is also a real lack of awareness of the risks of taking on a water sport with such a short learning curve. It allows people to get in way over their skill level before they even realize it.

I'm bracing for the coming barrage of well meaning people that will demand mandatory PFD and leash use, both of which I support but not as another layer of regulation. I would rather see money spent on intensive public education and pressure on the industry to provide minimum safety orientations before they let boards leave the shop. Sorry for the rant and especially sorry for this woman and her loved ones.
Thanks Cove.  Perfect

stoneaxe

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Re: Another Oregon SUP drowning
« Reply #8 on: May 02, 2016, 07:37:32 PM »
+1
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Bean

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Re: Another Oregon SUP drowning
« Reply #9 on: May 02, 2016, 08:50:00 PM »
When we see SUP rentals going out with PFD's taped to the deck and no leash, small groups of novice paddlers crossing in and out of the boat channels do we speak up? 

If we fail to self regulate, we deserve to be regulated. 

There's a great ad on my left margin showing MR down winding on one of his SIC's, big-ass smile and wearing a leash.  Unfortunately not all SUP ad's are that positive regarding safety.

pdxmike

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Re: Another Oregon SUP drowning
« Reply #10 on: May 02, 2016, 09:13:54 PM »
Cove--all great points.  I'd add that by fall, there will be several more SUP drownings.  Maybe one or two will involve tough conditions, or unusual circumstances.  The rest will be in normal, calm conditions where in probably every case, the person would have survived if they had only one out these three things: 1) a pfd (worn, not strapped to the board, 2) a leash, or 3) basic swimming ability.

I know that people shouldn't rely on swimming ability alone, since cold water and strong currents or chop can trump swimming ability.  But in almost every case I've read, at least in the NW, basic swimming ability (the ability even to just float without panicking for a few minutes) would have been enough for just about every victim to save themselves. 

There's a fourth thing, too--having someone nearby with some basic life saving knowledge, so basic it's hardly more than common sense, and nothing as advanced as being able to swim to someone and grab them.  More like the knowledge to throw something that floats, or to reach with a stick, pfd, cooler, lawn chair or anything. 

You shouldn't rely that there will be others around to rescue you.  But in many cases, including this current one, there were several people around.  At least in this one it sounds like a boat got close, and someone in it threw a rope.   And there could have been reasons why nobody threw anything else in, or went in themselves.  Trying to grab a drowning person is a last resort (reach, throw, row, go...) and better to avoid if you don't know how, but you can go in carrying something for the victim to grab, in this case possibly even her own paddleboard. 

The actions of the boaters is all speculation, but my guess is that the chances that anyone on the boat or nearby had any lifesaving training is close to zero. 

I also worry that these cases will result in knee-jerk pfd requirements, made by people who are themselves terrified of water because they can barely swim themselves.
« Last Edit: May 02, 2016, 09:16:44 PM by pdxmike »

PonoBill

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Re: Another Oregon SUP drowning
« Reply #11 on: May 02, 2016, 11:08:23 PM »
All of us who care about this issue of PFDs tied to boards have been saying for years that this stupid regulation will cost lives, and it has. there's no way to make any watersport 100 percent safe, but getting rid of a misleading and ineffective regulation would be a good start. We've seen that leashes can save lives, but they can also cost them due to entanglement issues. PFDs tied to boards are completely ineffective. The obvious choice--either a PFD that is worn, or a leash, places an onus on the user or the rental agency to make the appropriate choice, but it's a better plan than the current approach.
Foote 10'4X34", SIC 17.5 V1 hollow and an EPS one in Hood River. Foote 9'0" x 31", L41 8'8", 18' Speedboard, etc. etc.

JillRide45

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Re: Another Oregon SUP drowning
« Reply #12 on: May 03, 2016, 07:55:04 AM »
Very sad news.  About people not jumping in to help, reminds me of a bad situation at Dana Point last year.  On a busy summer Sunday I was there paddling with my grandson.  A couple of ladies had rented boards from Westwind and were just down the first channel.  One lady had fallen off and was having trouble getting back up on her board.  The PFD was keeping her afloat but making it hard for her to get back on.  She started having a panic attack.  There were people all around, but no one seemed to care.  I paddled over and got her to hold onto the straps on my board.  I just got her to calm down and let her know it was going to be OK.  Now I have my 4 year grandson on the board and a larger lady who is very nervous hanging on and I am trying to paddle back to the dock.  A small boat is cruising by and I ask them to radio the harbor patrol that the woman is in distress (harbor patrol is just down the channel).  They start asking me all kinds of questions and say she looks OK and they speed off.  I am shocked and just put my head down and do the best I can.  We make it to the end of the dock and a Westwind girl is there and I ask her for help.  She has no clue what to do (they rented the boards and apparently have absolutely no safety devices). Tells me to paddle into shore.  Well we make it in and everyone was OK but I left there really kind of shaken up by how people behaved.  People really have this idea that you have a long time once someone starts drowning. 

Be safe, have fun  Jill

pdxmike

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Re: Another Oregon SUP drowning
« Reply #13 on: May 03, 2016, 09:01:02 AM »
All of us who care about this issue of PFDs tied to boards have been saying for years that this stupid regulation will cost lives, and it has. there's no way to make any watersport 100 percent safe, but getting rid of a misleading and ineffective regulation would be a good start. We've seen that leashes can save lives, but they can also cost them due to entanglement issues. PFDs tied to boards are completely ineffective. The obvious choice--either a PFD that is worn, or a leash, places an onus on the user or the rental agency to make the appropriate choice, but it's a better plan than the current approach.
I bet after we read about the several deaths that are going to happen this summer, several will be on rental boards, and those and every other--or almost every other--non-rental death would have been prevented by a law exactly like you describe--leash or worn pfd.


There was a good news story about the Oregon death, with a good interview with one of the local paddlers at Willamette Park. Like just about everyone here (Willamette Park) she's part of the local facebook SUP group, which is also tied in with Gorge Performance, so everyone is up to speed on leashes and pfds.  The river patrol people were pretty good in their interviews also.  But the news story also shows some people paddling with pfds on their boards--as good examples.  I'd like to see the river patrol guys try to defend the law, saying why they want to see people with pfds on their decks, but don't recommend leashes.   Actually I wouldn't, since the patrol guys didn't get to write the law, and they're the ones having to dredge for the bodies of people killed by the law. 


http://www.kgw.com/news/local/search-teams-look-for-paddleboarder-who-fell-into-columbia-river/164080441

PonoBill

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Re: Another Oregon SUP drowning
« Reply #14 on: May 03, 2016, 03:25:31 PM »
I've rescued a silly number of people on the Oregon Coast--I had a beach house in Manzanita for 35 years, and rode my bike on the beach a lot. I'd come across someone out in the water struggling, and a group of people wringing their hands. They simply don't know what to do. Fully half the time I had to rescue two people--the victim, and a "rescuer". What's required is simply not to panic and find a safe way to approach and help the victim. that usually means taking something that floats and heading out to get them. Not hard, but without specific experience people simply don't know what to do and get stuck in an unhelpful feedback loop. I pulled a guys girlfriend out the water while he was oscillating between knee deep and waist deep at the water's edge. She was fifty yards out. Turns out he had a surfboard back at his blanket.

Expect no rationality. Expect stupid responses. Expect people to do all the wrong things. And expect no expressed gratitude from the rescued. They're off their rocker for the time being.

I find it hard to believe that people rents stuff without requiring adequate safety equipment and some instruction--however basic. I see both ends of the spectrum here in Maui. People riding rental scooters with no hemet or safety gear, people on SUPs with no leash. The better places give a few minutes of instruction and a safety briefing. The guys renting out of their truck could give a shit.
Foote 10'4X34", SIC 17.5 V1 hollow and an EPS one in Hood River. Foote 9'0" x 31", L41 8'8", 18' Speedboard, etc. etc.

 


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