by Brian C » Sun Apr 28, 2019 9:24 am
An experienced windsurfer had an incident at Locarno yesterday that is a good safety reminder for all of us:
He was out for the afternoon session (moderate wind) when he crashed and dislocated his shoulder. With a shoulder injury he was unable to sail or swim back to shore. In the cold spring water, he became hypothermic.
Thankfully, his wife was on the shore looking out for him. I’m not sure of the exact details, but when he couldn’t be found, the Coast Guard was called and they successfully located and rescued him. He was hospitalized for his hypothermia but is now home safely and recovering.
This was a very close call and a good reminder that we need to do our best to sail/kite safely (they did). Without a spotter (or sailing buddy) he wouldn’t have been rescued. As fellow sailors, we need to look out for each other even when we’re trying to focus on our own sailing.
Also, I recall the saying that we should always “dress for the swim” in cold water. Especially in the summer at Squamish, it’s tempting to dress for the sunny day and ignore the cold water. Yesterday was cool enough that I’m sure he had a warm suit on, but even so the timely rescue was critical.
Last point - don’t assume that light wind conditions are safe: last fall I had to call the Coast Guard to rescue a Locarno kiter who was calling for help after the wind died and he couldn’t swim ashore against the outgoing tide. By the time he was willing to ditch his gear he was too cold and exhausted to make any headway. The Coast Guard was on site within 10 minutes but I had to direct them to his location in the last light of the day.
Ps - if you dial 911 they will connect you with the Coast Guard.
Have a great time on the water, as safely as possible!!