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Hatch rescue
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scorpionfish



Joined: 14 Apr 2000
Posts: 36

PostPosted: Fri Aug 03, 2012 12:38 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I am certain that no sailor, no matter how competant, could have sailed out to this guy while he was in that current. At the time the wind had a strong south component. Once he drifted past you, there was no way to get to him without a long reach across river & back. Thanks to the people who did retrieve his gear. That was the fastest current I'd ever seen there. At least on the Wa side. He swam for a short while to catch his board but it was blowing hard. The board just went upriver. He could not stay even to shore in the current. I couldn't tell if he were truly distressed or more concerned for his gear. He didnt seem to be in a bad way. I agree that discretion should be used by sailors in more extreme situations. I can't speak of his ability/inability to swim or if he was already tired from his session or just got pooped trying to reach his board. The rig seperated from the board. It must have been a bit scary even under ideal conditions.
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mikephillips2011



Joined: 09 Jun 2012
Posts: 32

PostPosted: Fri Aug 03, 2012 5:29 pm    Post subject: Help someone from drowning and get ready to pay Reply with quote

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/03/john-clark-medical-bill_n_1737543.html

Last month, 17-year-old Vancouver, Washington, resident John Clark heard the screams of a 12-year-old boy drowning off the Oregon coast, KOIN 6 reports. Rather than let the boy drown, Clark -- just days after receiving his lifeguard certification -- swam out and saved the his life. Clark was then promptly repaid for his bravery with a $2,600 medical bill, $1,907 originating solely from a 15-mile ambulance ride to the local hospital after he reported having a headache....
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johnl



Joined: 05 Jun 1994
Posts: 1330
Location: Hood River OR

PostPosted: Fri Aug 03, 2012 6:25 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

While I wasn't at the hatch, don't know what happened, and hope the guy is alright, I am seeing a lot of people "who need help" this year in the Gorge that quite frankly shouldn't be sailing there. I don't know if the poor person at the Hatch is one of these people or actually got injured, but I wanted to share two stories that happened about 2 weeks apart.

First one. (sorry long story)

A while back I was sailing at Viento. I was WAY upwind at the rock having a good time on a 4.7/86l. I saw a guy in the water so I went over to check on him. He was waving to me. He was sitting in the water, not far from the barge lane. He broke one side of his boom. He had done this in the middle RIGHT off the launch at Viento. Yet now he had drifted about 1/2 mile or more and still was in the middle of the river. I told him to use the other side of the boom and sail into the shore (didn't matter which one, just which ever boom side worked). He said he couldn't do it. I told him to swim towards the rock (water is about 4' deep there). He just sat and drifted. I went back to check on him and he had done nothing but sit there. I asked him why he didn't flip his rig and he said he had taken off the boom earlier. I told him to put it on and sail in. Again he didn't do anything. Finally in frustration I hopped in the water next to him and put his boom on in about 1 minute (really easy). I told him to sail it in. He said he couldn't. So at this point I told him then he needed to do something such as ditch his rig and paddle in. I asked him who he knew on the beach so I could go tell them. I just managed to waterstart myself because we had drifted another 1/2 mile or so and into lighter wind. I just managed to slog my way back to the beach (1 mile or more). I talked to the people on the beach and another person had talked to him while he was right off Viento and he did nothing then either. About 15 minutes later he showed up on a fishing boat without a rig. He had FINALLY decided to ditch his rig and said he paddled and paddled and never got close to the shore. I'm glad he is okay, but really do you just think you can sit there and do nothing while you are drifting down a river????

Second Story

Got off work at the Hook around 4pm and saw some guy between Wells Island and the Oregon shore. He was next to his rig waving his arms for help. He was maybe 50 - 100 feet from Wells Island. One of the Big Winds guys paddled out a SUP to him. I saw them exchange gear and the BW guy sailed his gear back in while the other guy paddled his SUP. I asked the BW guy what was wrong. The other guy was TIRED! He was standing in water about 4 feet deep a short distance from Wells Island and waving for help. Nothing was broken and he wasn't injured.

Sorry if I sound cold or insensitive, but people you are out in the world doing a risky sport. You HAVE to be at least a little prepared to do something if things go wrong. To sit there and just call for help expecting to be saved when you aren't willing to save yourself tells me you shouldn't be outdoors in the first place.
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WMP



Joined: 30 May 2000
Posts: 671

PostPosted: Fri Aug 03, 2012 8:06 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

In observing people on this planet I notice there's 3 distinct behaviors....

1) problem solvers

2) trouble makers

3) deer in the headlights (brainless) who simply follow along with their lost and aimless directions and lack of motivations... the people who don't know what to do with themselves when trouble happens


I don't know which of these apply to this situation, but maybe there's something to learn here?
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dllee



Joined: 03 Jul 2009
Posts: 5328
Location: East Bay

PostPosted: Fri Aug 03, 2012 10:01 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

JohnL, I know you don't care, but you are an allright dude!
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johnl



Joined: 05 Jun 1994
Posts: 1330
Location: Hood River OR

PostPosted: Fri Aug 03, 2012 10:37 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

zirtaeb wrote:
JohnL, I know you don't care, but you are an allright dude!


Why would you think I don't care??? Smile I'm human (or so I've been told) ya know... Cool
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isobras



Joined: 17 Jul 2012
Posts: 439

PostPosted: Sat Aug 04, 2012 1:23 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

jayala wrote:
Besides the coolness factor is there a technical reason why more people do not wear PFDs?

Not IMO, if you include lesser vests with something like half the flotation (bulk) of a PFD. Many vests provide a few pounds of flotation -- a huge help in waterstarting and in swimming distances in rough water -- plus varying amounts of torso armor plus confidence in horrendous conditions and risky moves, with zero downsides I've found in my last 100,000 miles sailed and 20 miles swum. I perceive no need for a legal PFD -- too bulky and too much flotation for me -- but doing stuff while bobbing in rough water without some extra flotation is way too much work. I delegate the work to Archimedes, who never lets me down (ha ha). I can also swim straight down any time I wish, such as the time I chased and caught a sinking camber inducer 15-20 feet down.

Broken, cracked, or bruised ribs -- not to mention split sternums -- cost us weeks to months of sailing time. I am certain my vests have prevented disabling rib injuries.
Bruised livers can kill. My newest vest covers my liver and kidneys.
If I want to breathe reliably and without conscious effort in rough water, I need either a vest or SCUBA. The former is lighter, cheaper, and less bulky.
I can sprint for my gear and swim it a mile better with some extra flotation.

Mike \OO/
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daviddk



Joined: 13 Mar 2012
Posts: 57

PostPosted: Sat Aug 04, 2012 6:13 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Is isobras the same person as isobars or is it someone mocking him? I can`t tell.
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andymc4610



Joined: 19 May 2000
Posts: 684

PostPosted: Sat Aug 04, 2012 6:25 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

daviddk wrote:
Is isobras the same person as isobars or is it someone mocking him? I can`t tell.


Can't tell? No other person could type so much, that one or two sentences could some up.
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wmike



Joined: 20 Jan 2001
Posts: 207
Location: Maui

PostPosted: Sat Aug 04, 2012 6:58 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

[quote="andymc4610"]
daviddk wrote:
Is isobras the same person as isobars or is it someone mocking him? I can`t tell.


Appears to be he same guy, for 3 days ISOBARS was at 9999 posts. On July 17th he stopped posting and started posting as ISOBRAS. Apparently the post counter stops at 9999. Wonder why he is signing as Mike \OO/?

RIP Isobars
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