- August 30, 2000
- Petty Officer Roger W. Wetherell
- Release #199-00
- Kayakers involved in boating accidents
- near Whittier and Ketchikan
- Paddlers should always wear their lifejackets while boating. Although not all of these kayakers survived, life jackets significantly increase chances of survival when in the water, and provide buoyancy while attempting to re-board a swamped boat. Even in the case where someone dies, having a lifejacket enables searchers to recover a body for the family members, and avoid further risk to searchers from extending the search.
- Kayaking experience in one location does not necessarily mean that paddlers know how to kayak safely in other locations. Alaska’s severe weather patterns change quickly into deadly environments, especially for small boats such as canoes and kayaks. It is also vital to learn about potential "trouble" zones that have particularly strong wind, current, or other hazards. Alaska water temperatures are considerably colder than those in most Lower 48 locations
- Paddlers should always have a means of communication, such as a hand-held VHF-FM radio. This enables them to receive weather broadcasts and to call for help. In case of bad weather, a VHF-FM radio also enables kayakers on multi-day trips to call in and update their float plan, so that they can pull ashore until hazardous conditions subside.
- Kayakers should always paddle using a "paddle leash." This enables kayakers to assist someone else or themselves without the paddle suddenly "slipping away." The kayakers in Ketchikan may have found themselves in a deadly situation if the passing Coast Guard boat crew had not spotted them.
- Kayakers should always paddle with a buddy. Solo paddling is significantly more dangerous than paddling with a partner. Kayakers should practice assisting their partners.
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Background: The Seventeenth Coast Guard District Boating Safety Alert program provides timely safety-related information of "Lessons Learned" from non-commercial boating casualties.
Incidents:
A man left Whittier Aug. 20 in a rented kayak for a 3-day trip. The rental company reported him overdue Aug. 23. Coast Guard searchers found the kayaker deceased at the shoreline in Whitestone Harbor next to his kayak. The kayak had been badly damaged by pounding on the rocky shore. The hull was split and the rudder had been ripped off, and the kayak was half submerged. The kayaker was wearing his lifejacket when found. He departed Whittier with a spare paddle and bilge pump, but without flares, a dry suit, or a VHF radio. Weather conditions Aug. 23 were 35-knot winds and very rough seas.
In a second situation, a Coast Guard Station Ketchikan boat crew was returning from a training mission Aug. 23 when they spotted a life-jacketed kayaker in the water near her capsized kayak, which she was unable to re-board. A second kayaker was at the scene, but could not assist because she had lost her paddle. The Coast Guard crew rescued the paddler from the water, retrieved her kayak, and returned her safely to the pier in Ketchikan. They also retrieved the second kayaker’s paddle, allowing her to make it safely to shore.
Lessons Learned: There are significant safety factors and lessons learned from these incidents:
Paddlers should practice and "drill" for emergencies prior to taking trips in order to be properly prepared for emergency situations. Planning responses to emergencies can be the critical link in surviving a capsized kayak. The rapid onset of hypothermia in Alaskan waters can make learning "on-the-spot" deadly.
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