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Sea Kayaks Techniques Bulletin Board
Incident Report
Posted By: David
Date: Tuesday, 20 May 2003, at 10:48 a.m.
I stormed off this board in a huff last year and have refrained from posting, but I do lurk and support this community. I will share all incident reports for review by other instructors. This one had a good ending, but might not have.
Incident Report – Addendum
David Chandross, Victoria Day Weekend Sea Kayaking ClassSummary
Students returned to Harborfront school by ferry. High easterly winds and low water temperatures, along with student fatigue, were variables in the decision.
History of Incident
There were 5 students in the group. It was 3:15 on Sunday, we were returning from the Trout Pond using the protected inside channels. The winds were blowing at a steady 10 knots during our crossing that morning, and 3 students had later stated that they felt anxiety during the crossing. At the end of the day, on the return leg, we emerged from Muggs Island and began to paddle toward the series of airport runway buoys. One student was suffering from shoulder pain from an old injury, and 2 others were very tired. All students, upon emerging from Muggs, felt anxiety as the wave heights climbed. As we paddled out further, half way to the first buoy, several boats began to bear down on the group’s position. Due to the presence of winds, I held middle position having assigned a strong leader and experienced sweep. This way I could get to any group member with equal speed.
Despite my best efforts, the presence of gusting winds that exceeded 15 knots, resulted in the group spreading out beyond my control. As a result, students were on various collision paths with the Hanlan point ferry, 2 tour boats and several sailboats coming through the channel both North and South from Muggs Island.
Using a 3 lemon system, I made a rapid assessment of the situation and decided we would return as a group to the Hanlan dock and take the kayaks back to the city by ferry. The lemons were
a. one student with sore shoulder and fatigue (she wanted to go on!)
b. the water temperature off my VHF MAFOR reading was 6 degrees
c. the winds uniformly exceeded 12 knots, white capping and spray were evidentI had to use a number of support strokes and low braces to deal with the reflected waves coming off the airport runway. I blew my whistle and instructed the group to return to the Hanlan dock. By this time, the group leader was panicking with the approach of the oncoming ferry and had paddled up ahead quickly while I was rounding up straying paddlers. The female paddler with the sore shoulder, Herme, was moving dangerously close to the metal abutments on the south end of the airport runway. Reflected waves were making her journey more difficult, the sweep, an experienced paddler, struggled to help her make the 180 turn toward Hanlans. I, meanwhile, had safely guided the other 3 students to shore, facing considerable risk myself, as at least 2 large tour boats bore down on me without any sign of slowing as I held position in the soup and then entered the reflected wave zone until Herme cleared the obstacle. She later stated that she was terrified. With the sweep and myself guiding her, she safely made shore. My estimate was 3 foot great lakes chop with whitecaps. Not impressive sounding, but for novices, they were clearly unacceptable conditions. The proximity to a headwall and reflected waves were the issue. With the wave reflections, some waves exceeded 4 feet and were randomly distributed, I found the water unreadable at times.
Under the circumstances, return by ferry was the only reasonable option. There was considerable objective risk, my worst-case scenario was a single capsize in 6 degree water with the oncoming ferry, and a second capsize as I attended to the first.
The lead paddler shot off ahead in panic, unable to stablize his boat enough to risk turning his head around. Throughout this period he was being pursued by at least 2 large vessels on his paddle to make the first of the airport runway buoys. Despite several strong, long blasts from my whistle (a mountaineering rescue whistle, very loud), Steve, the lead paddler, just continued on ahead. This occurred as another paddler, Mike, began to panic in the waves and as mentioned, Hermes was being hammered by clapotois and moving into harms way. Steve returned by himself to the school fortunately. At this time JM (another staff member, junior instructor) appeared in a kayak at Hanlan’s dock and guided one of the students back, who wanted the challenge and had experience (the sweep). She also took the lead as shore support upon her return to the school. She was out on a recreational paddle and so our meeting was serendipitous and timely.
All in all, had the students been wearing wetsuits, I would have been able to continue in confidence, we would have been down to 2 lemons.
The recovery of the 4 kayaks took 2 hours, as JM assisted me in first picking up the students at Bay street, then going with me in my truck for 2 trips to rack up and return the kayak gear. Had J not been present at the time, I would have been without support. Apparently the office person had left early that day, and there but for fortune, J was out paddling, I suspect she had an intuition about doing so and attempted to rendezvous with our group.
This is the second incident report I have filed on a May weekend in the past 2 years. The first involved a combined capsize with knee injury and mild hypothermia requiring a 7 hour re-warming after assistance from another vessel.
Be careful out there, this time of year the courses have an added element of risk due to cold water temperatures and strong “end of the teeth of winter” easterlies.
David Chandross
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