South Florida Paddler Missing on the Hood River

[stoneaxe]

This truly is a tragic event. 
Having first windsurfed in the Gorge in 1983 - I know how wild a place it can be. 




Unfortunately - if you look at this photo - the vast majority of paddlers are not wearing leashes - and that is a HUGE problem for our sport. 

Wow! I hadn't looked close enough. That's crazy. I wonder if there are regional differences. Most folks do wear them here...at least I think they do. My thoughts may be biased by our events...required for sure. I realize this is for the paddle out and conditions look pretty benign but I think we would see mostly leashed here with just a few not.

[PonoBill]

That was for the paddle out for Andres--dead calm water, no wind, 280 people paddling slowly in a circle. Just about anyone doing a downwinder wears a leash. People just borrowed a demo board and went out to pay respect. Even I didn't have a leash on the board I borrowed, and I ALWAYS wear a leash. Wouldn't have had a fin if Andrea Moeller didn't lend me her race fin.

In the course race I think I was the only person wearing a leash, but again, surrounded by people and safety boats/jetskis.

[TN_SUP]

My question about the circumstances is regarding the buddy system. Was it really every man for himself? Or a friendly paddle? I assume the group is burdened with guilt now.

[PonoBill]

There's really not a big opportunity for a functional buddy system on a 35+ mph downwinder covering eight miles on a mile wide river. You CAN hire a guided run from Big Winds, but it requires that the guide have a good idea of your speed, and therefore uses a board slow enough so they don't have to spend the whole run sitting in the water, waiting. Some people do elect to group up, usually stopping at the split rock, which is about 2/3 of the way to the event center to reform. But the group that is reforming is usually spread over a mile or more, everyone is actually on their own, and the slowest and least experienced paddlers are at the back with no sweeper. The leaders sit in the water for at least 15 minutes. It's just not what most people do. Downwinding is intrinsically a solitary sport. I catch a bump, you don't, I'm 50 yards ahead.

In this case the paddler was in a group on the Oregon side, but elected to cut across the river and do the even wilder swells in Swell City and the Hatchery. His paddle mates have nothing to feel guilty about. Even cutting across the river there is not for the faint of heart, the swells get bigger, more crossed up, and much more challenging from mid-river on. They were on one of their first Gorge downwinders, if not the very first. Everyone, even very experienced Maui downwind experts, are surprised at the technical challenge of the Gorge. No big groundswell trying to turn your board into a two-piece, but lots more speed and swell than anyone expects in a river.

Yesterday we had a 25+ day, and I elected to cut across and hit Swell City. Greg (Covesurfer) came out to the middle to ask if I was going to Swell City, and when I said yes, cut sharply back to the Oregon side because of the windsurfer traffic. So yes, when you do that, you're often on your own.

Yes, I had a leash, no, I didn't have a PFD, but I did have my camelbak.

[DavidJohn]

Well said Bill.. We often get the buddy system to work on our DWers by putting people in pairs of a similar ability.. Having said that I once paired myself with a newbie who struggled big time and put both of us in a very dangerous situation where I eventually had to leave him to save myself.. Doing this put added pressure on him to pull his finger out and make a bigger effort to also save himself.. With a side-off wind gusting in the 40+ range we were passing out last point of land (and planed finishing point) and if we'd missed it the wind would have taken us to the other end of our very large bay.. Maybe 4-6 hrs before the next land.. I felt very bad leaving him.. He did make it back to land eventually with me watching from the shore.. He has never done a downwinder since.

[SUPcheat]

Is it possible that Andres would never be found?  I imagine that current could carry him a far ways and that a search could easily miss him.

[PonoBill]

This chunk of the Columbia is actually a lake, with the current and the level controlled by hydro dams above and below us. The dam operators can actually cut the current completely and change the water level fairly quickly. But yes, quite possible. It's a very tough river to find anything in and there are lots of rocky ledges. That said, the sheriff is still out there. I saw their boat several times yesterday and already this morning. They're very skilled at this, very experienced, but nothing is 100 percent certain.

I'd really like to see the guy get found. Warm, dry and safe with a beer in his hand would be ideal, but even recovery would seem to be a good thing for his family. It's one reason I went over to Swell yesterday--that and I wanted some bigger drops. I figure one more set of eyes can't hurt.

[stoneaxe]

That was for the paddle out for Andres--dead calm water, no wind, 280 people paddling slowly in a circle. Just about anyone doing a downwinder wears a leash. People just borrowed a demo board and went out to pay respect. Even I didn't have a leash on the board I borrowed, and I ALWAYS wear a leash. Wouldn't have had a fin if Andrea Moeller didn't lend me her race fin.

In the course race I think I was the only person wearing a leash, but again, surrounded by people and safety boats/jetskis.

I realized what it was for and the conditions are obvious but unless we want further regulation wearing leashes better become the norm rather than the exception. The argument against stupid PFD regulations is the leash and yet here we have evidence that nobody is using them on a paddle out for a guy that likely died because he didn't have one on. Seems like great ammunition for the stupid regulation proponents.

[Easy Rider]

That was for the paddle out for Andres--dead calm water, no wind, 280 people paddling slowly in a circle. Just about anyone doing a downwinder wears a leash. People just borrowed a demo board and went out to pay respect. Even I didn't have a leash on the board I borrowed, and I ALWAYS wear a leash. Wouldn't have had a fin if Andrea Moeller didn't lend me her race fin.

In the course race I think I was the only person wearing a leash, but again, surrounded by people and safety boats/jetskis.

I realized what it was for and the conditions are obvious but unless we want further regulation wearing leashes better become the norm rather than the exception. The argument against stupid PFD regulations is the leash and yet here we have evidence that nobody is using them on a paddle out for a guy that likely died because he didn't have one on. Seems like great ammunition for the stupid regulation proponents.

This was my exact thought. 
Please see my new thread about Leash Use.   
I figured someone needs to do something. 

[pdxmike]

That paddle-out photo showing no leashes is an exception, as PB said.  Even on the Willamette, just about everyone I know wears leashes, including all of gorgebob's renters.  In that photo, in addition to people being on demo boards, I'd guess a lot of people on their own boards had taken their leashes off for the course race, and hadn't put them back on for the downwinder.   So that photo isn't representative of leash use around here.


However, Easy Rider is still right, because the questions remain--why don't manufacturers always put leashes on their demo boards?  Why didn't the paddle-out organizers encourage leash use, especially given that using a leash could have prevented the need for the paddle-out? 


(Edit):  I agree, the photo gives great ammunition for people wanting more regulations.

[Eagle]

I felt very bad leaving him.. He did make it back to land eventually with me watching from the shore.. He has never done a downwinder since.

Once winds pick up to 25+ knots it gets harder to stop and wait especially when your destination is way off to the side.  Not paddling and waiting can put you on a harder more difficult line minute by minute.  So can appreciate that sometimes you cannot stop and have to get on with it to save yourself.

There was one instance where this occurred up in Squamish as the winds switch from 10 kts S -> 25+ kts WSW.  If you do not get your line on track 5 miles out you must paddle completely sideways to the waves to enter the river.

DW does become a solitary endeavor once winds increase - so all must be aware to always leash up.  Very tragic indeed.

[TN_SUP]

Much different than the whitewater world where you regroup in each eddy below a rapid. I see how it would require a large amount of energy to slow down for someone in the gorge.

[Easy Rider]

However, Easy Rider is still right, because the questions remain--why don't manufacturers always put leashes on their demo boards?  Why didn't the paddle-out organizers encourage leash use, especially given that using a leash could have prevented the need for the paddle-out? 
(Edit):  I agree, the photo gives great ammunition for people wanting more regulations.

While it may not be "us" (experienced paddlers - of some level) - that need to wear leashes on all occasions - it is the "newbie" that see images of pro's and more experienced paddlers not wearing leashes - that feel they do not need to wear one.   It is this lack of education that is going to cause more tragedies - and eventually lead to more regulation.   
A leash is the best option to save lives. 

[peterp]

Been following this thread hoping so bad he would be found but by now it seems it didn't end well...From reading the available info I really battle to understand how he would have gotten in trouble, even if he got separated from his craft but perhaps he had a stroke or just clumsily swallowed water and went under....we might never know.

Around here everyone downwinding is wearing a leash - we don't allow any racers not to wear a leash and now it has just become the norm. The only time a leash is a chore is when doing a beach start - so we don't do them...we start knee-deep and then the leash is never in the way (except you need to take care when remounting after a fall).

Paddling in Maui 2 years ago I was shocked to see how many did not use a leash on social downwinders and racing but I guess that is the norm - you are expected to be able to swim back home from where-ever you end up.

IMO a leash is the single most important safety item when downwinding and I agree that wearing one voluntarily will go a long way to preventing PFD legislation etc.

[stoneaxe]

There's an article on Distressed Mullett too.

Leashes should be absolute 99.999% of the time (the whitewater discussion is separate), question of PFD use and type based on the circumstances.