Height of Stupidity

[Paddy Diver]

I was reading a local paper yesterday and saw this article and thought I'd share it with ye.....

"The Baltimore Lifeboat was launched at 14:40 on Sunday afternoon following a 999 call reporting a craft in distress 400 metres west of the Kedge Island. The lifeboat crew responded speedily to the alert and Hilda Jarret, the Tyne class all-weather lifeboat, was launched with a crew of eight on board. They proceeded toward the Kedge, a small island east of Baltimore Harbour, in a Force 6 SW wind and a one-metre swell. The Asgard II stood by approximately two miles off the Kedge while the search and rescue operation was taking place. After a brief search the lifeboat located four kayakers who had landed at a cove east of Spain Tower. The lifebaot launched an inflatable dinghy to rescue the stranded kayakers from the cove with brothers Benny and Micheal Cottrell on board and all four kayakers and three of their craft were secured and returned to the lifeboat. Having rescued all casualties, the lifeboat continued searching for the fourth kayak which was found drifting two miles east of the Kedge. Although cold and tried the survivors did not sustain any serious injury."

Why would you want to go out in a force 6 anyway?? Some people just amuse me.

Ian.

[Adrian Kelland]

Originally Posted by Paddy Diver

I was reading a local paper yesterday and saw this article and thought I'd share it with ye.....

"The Baltimore Lifeboat was launched at 14:40 on Sunday afternoon following a 999 call reporting a craft in distress 400 metres west of the Kedge Island. The lifeboat crew responded speedily to the alert and Hilda Jarret, the Tyne class all-weather lifeboat, was launched with a crew of eight on board. They proceeded toward the Kedge, a small island east of Baltimore Harbour, in a Force 6 SW wind and a one-metre swell. The Asgard II stood by approximately two miles off the Kedge while the search and rescue operation was taking place. After a brief search the lifeboat located four kayakers who had landed at a cove east of Spain Tower. The lifebaot launched an inflatable dinghy to rescue the stranded kayakers from the cove with brothers Benny and Micheal Cottrell on board and all four kayakers and three of their craft were secured and returned to the lifeboat. Having rescued all casualties, the lifeboat continued searching for the fourth kayak which was found drifting two miles east of the Kedge. Although cold and tried the survivors did not sustain any serious injury."

Why would you want to go out in a force 6 anyway?? Some people just amuse me.

Ian.

They don't amuse me, they scare me. Putting to sea in those conditions, endangering their and others lives

Adrian

[Helen F H]

It might not have been a force 6 when they put out, although it would probably have been forecast. However, if they were sea kayaking they may have been away for several days without contact where the forecast may not have been accurate. There is a worrying tendancy among seakayakers (in my patch anyway) to not carry a VHF, although this is changing. I have been out kayaking in more than that and run safety cover for a kayaking race in more than that, but then im an instructor and used to do that kind of thing for a living.

We cannot and should not presume they went out deliberatley in a force 6.

[Finless]

Isn't it a bit like surfing? The bigger the sea the more fun?

[Ainsleyberryman]

Before I started diving here in the UK I thought force 6 meant 6 mph wind speed. Soon figured out that was wrong.

[Helen F H]

Well yeah, my mates used to go out kayak surfing when the seas were running and on one occasion someone did call the lifeboat when they thought they were in trouble (they wernt they were well within their limits). Also the other half has had the lifeboat called when he was teaching rescues in a safe area within the harbour and with a safety boat in attendance. A tourist saw them capsize (deliberatley) and thought it was genuine.

[Finless]

Originally Posted by Porg

Well yeah, my mates used to go out kayak surfing when the seas were running .

I expect they'll have wind powered speed cameras in the surf soon!

[Paddy Diver]

Well I dont agree with what they did, if you knew the Kedge you'd agree, its always rough water out there, constant currents and its about one and a half miles out to sea and then there where spotted 400 metres beyond that again thats almost two miles off-shore.
I dont know anything about kayaking but if the weather started to turn I'd make for shelter.


Ian

[Finless]

Originally Posted by Paddy Diver

Well I dont agree with what they did, if you knew the Kedge you'd agree, its always rough water out there, constant currents and its about one and a half miles out to sea and then there where spotted 400 metres beyond that again thats almost two miles off-shore.
I dont know anything about kayaking but if the weather started to turn I'd make for shelter.


Ian

Of course one must take account of local conditions BUT (this is not addressed at Ian, but to ALL) anyone who is into 'a bit of thrill seeking/adventure' is likely to be considered foolhardy or stupid or dangerous (even diving is inc in this) by someone. The papers/'news hounds' always make everything sound worse than it is to make the story better.

I would mitigate my statement by saying that, of course, people should build up some experience to enable some judgement on the potential problems as more risks are taken. Having said that I don't suppose anybody would ever have gone over Niagra in a barrel in that case? It's easy to criticise and just because the rescue services exist and were called (maybe not required?) is not necessarily the kayakers fault.

It's like the current crackdown on smoking where smokers are being demonised to the point that the perception is becoming such that they are "costing the health service ...." which completely ignores the fact that the majority will have worked all their adult lives and contributed to that service AND paid inordinate amounts of revenue to the government. Yes, of course it is a good thing for people to stop smoking.

From a personal point of view I don't like the thought of breathing in everyone else's exhaled breath so will you all stop breathing pls!

Me! Deviate from the subject?! No, but, no, but, yes OK.

[Scuba1]

Finless, have you been drinking ??¿¿ You sound so normal !!!

Michael