Novice in a rec boat in trouble and how he was helped.

On Sunday the 8th of November 2015, we had set out for a nice paddle on the Potomac. We launched from Belle Haven Marina and were going to head south a few miles and then paddle back. We paddled out of the mooring bay past the sail boats and out into the Potomac.

I was paddling my wife's NDK Surf, which I never get to do, so I was playing around and out ahead of the group going straight out. The rest of the group paddled at a south easterly angle past the pebble rock shoals that are exposed at low tide.

Conditions: The tied was going out and about 40 minutes from low slack. The winds were blowing around 10 MPH and the skies were clear. The water temperature was around 59 degrees and that air temp was in the high 50's and would settle in the low 60's.

I hear my wife call out that she sees someone on one of the shoals and there was debate in the group if it was someone in trouble. My wife says she is going to check it out. I am a little ways from the group but I turn to rejoin them.

In the link below you can read my wife's write up on what followed:

The lorax's Wife incident report from the paddle on November 8, 2015.

So, hopefully you read her report. What follows is my report. It will be judging but every event has to be looked at with an eye on how could it have been done better. The person I am going to be harsh on is mostly myself.

The group arrived at the scene a minute or two before I did and my wife was calling to the guy in the rock shoal from the north side. I came up from the south side and could hear the guy (from here on out to be know as the victim) sobbing. I am out of my boat and on the shoal beside the guy calling out to him while everyone else is still in their boats. My wife has sent someone to the marina since we are so close and ask a member of the group to retrieve the victims kayak which we see about a hundred feet away by the island that the shoals have formed around.

Here is where I get critical. My wife is giving me orders and I got irritated. My short coming. She had stepped up as the lead but I am capable in my own right. My ego could have caused problems if I had not realized how this needed to play out. I was also irritated that I was the last to the scene but the first to the victim. (This was my personal emotion, in a situation like this people need to remain in their comfort zone.) This is because I tend to react and studied the scene as I approached. I also approached from the rear left announcing my presence and came into the victims view before reaching out to touch him. This was for my safety in case there was ill intent on his part. Stay out of the victims striking range while you assess the situation.

Okay, the victim is conscious but not responding to us. He is sobbing and was obviously cold and not shivering and his skin was pale. Hypothermia!

My wife is on the radio with the coast guard and someone is on the way to get help from the marina. Someone has joined me on the shoal. I do not vocalize my plan and leave the victim to get my emergency kit. The other person on the shoal does the same leaving the victim un-monitored. This is my fault. I should have said what I was doing and asked the other person to stay with the victim. When I got back in about 20 seconds with my kit the victim was laying on the ground but still sobbing. We get the emergency blanket around him as best we could. Had help not been just minutes away I had a ground cloth to move the victim onto.

Moments later the skiff from the marina arrived with the guy the victim had been out kayaking with. We get the victim up and onto the skiff while I am getting irritated with his "friend" who starts fussing with the kayak. The skiff pilot and I both yell at him to leave the kayak and get into the skiff. As I push them off I tell them I will tow the kayak over.

My wife informs the coast guard what is transpiring. Their ETA from the start of the request for help was 6 minutes. The skiff was on its way and I was halfway to the marina towing the victims kayak as the coast guard paused on the other side of the river turning off its lights. My wife said she was watching the time and it was exactly 6 minutes when the coast guard arrived. As I pulled up to the kayak launch with the victims kayak the EMTs were arriving at the marina.

From the time we arrived the victim was in the hands of definitive care in around 10 minutes. My wife and everyone in our group performed great. I have issues with some things about myself and I tend to place the same expectations I have for myself on others, Not a great personality trait.

Speculation time!!!! So, how did this situation happen?

My theory is based off different pieces of information I gathered during the crisis and from the guy from the marina kayak shack.

First the two guys left together. The victim had never kayaked before as stated by his friend that morning while talking to the guy at the kayak shack. The friend who went with the victim that morning and arrived on the skiff for the extraction had been back at the marina for at least a half an hour. The victim is not wearing shoes, they are in the kayak.

They had to paddle against the wind and current to get back and the tide was dropping and the wind was blowing slightly toward the shoals and the island they formed around.

The new paddler in his bath tub shaped 8 foot boat has gotten tired and is paddling inefficiently and is blown onto the shoals. His friend has paddled away ahead of him and does not notice. The guy takes off his shoes and gets out to get the kayak off the shoals. He is first shocked by the coldness of the water and the slippery rocks and falls down letting go of the boat. The boat now not weighted by the paddler blows out of reach. The paddler carries his paddle to the highest point. Probably called out to his friend who did not hear him. Other people kayaking passed him but he did not call out. Hypothermia can happen rapidly and he was in light cotton pants and a cotton hoodie. Not appropriate dress for the water, especially in cooler weather.

We are just glad there was not a headline of "Kayaker Dies on the Potomac". Paddling around i a rec kayak does not make you a kayaker. You are a rec boater. I always hated when they would report "Rock Climber Falls at Great Falls" and it turns out it was someone with no equipment or experience climbing around on the rocks.

Okay, story over.

Chaptico Wharf to Newtowne Neck State Park

On Saturday September, 5 2015 the wife and I joined a group of CPA paddlers in a trip around Coltons Point, MD. This is part of a series of trips being lead by Ralph H. to help plan a water trail down the Potomac. He has been contacting both the Virginia and Maryland park services and working to get paddle up camp sites established. This was the 6th leg of the trip. My experience on this trip was very positive.

This is Ralph's original trip itinerary for the paddle series he has dubbed Potomac Passage Maker Tour. http://aceheimlich.com/CPA/Potomac%20Passage%20Maker%20Tour%20Preliminary%20Itinerary%202_4_2015.pdf

The weather report for the trip was good but the winds were predicted to be 10 to 15 with gust up to 20. We lucked out because the winds were not that strong on the water and at our lunch break I check the NOAA station and the winds were 7 to 9. That made it a pleasant and easy day on the water.

The only truly exciting part was the pair of large fish, possibly sharks, that we startled half way into Breton Bay. They bolted between my kayak and Tim's kayak. They were about 6 feet I would guess. A bull shark was just caught in that area on Thursday September 3rd. See the pictures here, http://wjla.com/news/local/photos-8-foot-bull-shark-caught-near-coltons-point-in-maryland 

After the paddle we went to Fitzie's for a nice seafood dinner then shuttling people and boats back to their cars. 

Now the track and some photos of the trip.

Getting ready to put in at Chaptico Wharf

The Lorax's Wife

Our host Ralph H.

Our fleet on the beach at St. Clements Island

Lunch by the lighthouse

The group as they leave me behind. Heading into Breton Bay.

It's Been a long winter.

Last week we made our first paddle out on the Potomac this season. We paddled up to Belle Haven Marina and across to National Harbor and back. The group was a little slower than I prefer so I took a couple detours to get in a little exercise. A chart and google earth image of the track.

Paddle on the Potomac

We did make a trip down to Southport, NC in February. The water was not frozen and we got to do a couple nice paddles and look at some real estate. Looking for a vacation place.

Paddle from Southport Marina to the point of Cape Fear

Paddle from Southport Marina to Fort Fisher Ferry Dock

I also attended pool sessions to improve my roll and just play around in my boat. I also spent some time indoors playing around with my video editing. This first video is just me playing around in the pool. My wife pointed out some errors with spelling but who cares? It is just me playing around with editing. I use Openshot Video Editor since I only use Linux on my computers.

Please ignore the stylish dive mask. I really hate chlorine in my eyes.

This second video is just me rolling my Point 65 XO16. A friend of mine in Sweden told me several years ago when I bought it that it was a hard boat to roll because of the high volume deck. Well, I had to make a video of me rolling it just to get her goat. Several rolls (extended paddle and not extended) and a reentry and roll. It is not a bad boat to roll for a high volume touring kayak.

I also spent some time doing kayak repairs for a friend and working on my equipment. Playing with different tow system ideas. Planning trips for the spring and getting ready for my ACA L3 assessment. So I have managed to keep myself busy. I just want the weather to continue on a warming trend.

A windy afternoon paddle and test of my new dry suit

Yesterday we went for a paddle from Pohick Regional Park. We just wanted to get out and stretch the muscles. Forecast was for winds at around 12mph so we knew based on the tide we would find both calm and rough water to play in. I also wanted to swim test my "new" dry suit.

Here is the track.

A video: Paddle at Pohick Bay on a windy December day

And a few photos of the wife.

Leesylvania / Occoguan Bay Paddle

On Saturday the wife and I went for a nice short paddle from Leesylvania State Park to Great Marsh which is part of the Mason Neck National Wildlife Refuge. It was a pleasant day with a temperature of around 50 degrees Fahrenheit  and a water temperature of around 46. The paddle started out with scattered fog but as we were heading back  the visibility dropped to a mile or less. We checked our bearing before we lost sight of land. It made for a nice paddle and there was no boat traffic.

And here are a few photos of or paddle last Saturday.

Our track for the paddle on a beautiful foggy and rainy Saturday. 

Kayaks waiting for launch

The Lorax's Wife playing around.

Another shot of The Lorax's Wife.

One of the sever Bald Eagles we spotted.

Guess the eagle got camera shy.

On our way back to the put in the fog was thick. Visibility was only about a mile.