Author Topic: Missing Kayaker  (Read 9413 times)

Miss Adventure

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Missing Kayaker
« on: September 06, 2016, 09:18:49 AM »
So this isn't a SUP'er but it definitely applies to us!! We had a scary night on the Cape Fear the night before last. We paddle boarded to Sharkstooth Island and camped the night before last. After dark the Coast Guard came to the island and questioned everyone about a missing woman in a red bikini. Her kayak had been found but she wasn't in it. For four hours the helicopters flew overhead with spotlights and boats everywhere searching (I know the article says it was only 3 but it was definitely 4). Thankfully she was found alive on a neighboring island. This is a reminder of an important lesson! It's important to check your charts before leaving on any kind of boating trip (including SUP) so that, not only do you know where you're going and have a route in mind (so that you can let someone else know where you're going) but so you know your surroundings in case of an emergency. I always create a route on my Navionics app and share it with someone before I leave and familiarize myself with landmarks, etc. I learned this lesson in high school: my sister and I went for a short afternoon kayak (normally around an hour). We lost track of time and it was almost four hours before we returned. Our parents had just called the Coast Guard but all they knew was the general vicinity we said we were going. We hadn't given them a route or anything so it would have taken much longer to find us had we actually been in trouble.

http://www.wect.com/story/33014095/coast-guard-crews-search-for-a-missing-woman


Night Wing

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Re: Missing Kayaker
« Reply #1 on: September 06, 2016, 12:50:15 PM »
When I was kayak fishing offshore or in the bay system, I always told my wife where I was going to kayak fish that day. I also wore my PFD even when it was extremely hot. When I go to a large lake with my sups, I still tell my wife what part of the lake I will be using my sup on and I'll be wearing a PFD.

I still like the old adage, "Better to be safe than sorry".
Blue Planet Duke: 10'5" x 32" x 4.5" @ 190 Liters (2 Dukes)
Sup Sports Hammer: 8'11" x 31" x 4" @ 140 Liters
SUP Sports One World: 11'1" x 30" x 4.5" @ 173 Liters
CJ Nelson Parallax: 9'3" x 23 1/2" x 3 3/16" @ 78.8 Liters (prone surfing longboard; Thunderbolt Technologies build in Red construction)

SeldomScene

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Re: Missing Kayaker
« Reply #2 on: September 16, 2016, 08:18:09 AM »
Float plan.  And a way to call for help:  radio, cell phone, EPIRB, SPOT device, etc.

 


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