VANCOUVER ISLAND WINDTALK

Rocdoc: Thanks for that link Jim. I was out windsurfing off Gordon's when I heard the police car sirens heading west (just hoped someone had not called about seeing me in the water!). Then the wind died and when I got back to the house I saw two RIBs with flashing lights heading west offshore. They were going fast and straight into the westerly seas. They were taking a shit-kicking heading into those seas. It should be noted that the two surfers paddling on SUPs were extensively trained in marine search and rescue, but more important were very strong paddlers and knew the local currents and best way of effecting the rescue to shore. I think both should receive commendations for responding the way they did. - Monday November 28, 9:25AM
Jl: Sooke Rescue blog http://www.ccga37.org/blog/ - Monday November 28, 8:44AM
240: Good times today Tom, hope your arms don't fall off. Guess you are the new dial a swimmer!! - Sunday November 27, 10:33PM
Rocdoc: I have witnesed 4 similar rescues at JR over the years. In every case its been an idiot/drunk fisherman from a capsized tin boat being rescued by surfers. SUP's make a good rescue board, but the river current at JR trumps all efforts. In this case it took two experienced surfers on SUPS to save this guy and they knew not to try to paddle back to the river. Tom and Donovan are to be commended for their efforts. - Sunday November 27, 9:40PM
Voodmon: The ocean can be a harsh mistress and demands respect. What were those twits doing out there with a gale warning in affect anyway? Glad someone had the smarts to make the call. I believe in some other countries there is a hefty fee for that kind of pick up and usually the gear is left behind. Kudos to Tom and the Enforcer for quick thinking though. - Sunday November 27, 9:30PM
Jellyfish: Shaggy.. quite the day out west by the sounds of it. Amazing there aren't more fatalities involving people with REALLY bad judgement. - Sunday November 27, 3:22PM shaggy
Sunday November 27, 2011
Gordons West, Windsurfing WNW 10 - 20
Waist hi 0.50 hours JP real world wave 83L
ezzy SE Wave 5.0
Had 4 great clean rides down the point till it got too light. Then drama on the high seas. Dude flips his 12ft open aluminum boat in the rivermouth break with the current pushing him out. Toeside Tom borrows a SUP and paddles out for the rescue, having trouble spotting him in the swell. Tside locates him and gets him up on the board but can't do anything by himself. Just as I'm about borrow a SUP and head out, 2 ocean kayakers in suvival gear head out to assist. They meet up with Tom and right away one kayak capsizes all the while drifting out maybe 200 meters offshore. T heads for shore with the victim on the board, swimming and pushing from behind. They are then joined by "The Enforcer" from Search and Rescue on a SUP and after a long paddle make landfall just below Sewers. Meanwhile the kayakers, 200 meters offshore and in diminishing light, are fighting the current and wind to get back up to the rivermouth making no headway, rather than heading in downwind to Sewers. Just as the rescuers make shore, 2 S+R boats and 2 choppers rock up. One kayak made it in under his own power and the other was picked up by a boat. Quite a show of our tax dollars and stupidity on the part of the kayakers and guy flipping his boat. He'd been drinking.
Tom saved that guys life. http://www.timescolonist.com/Surfer+res ... story.html

Good work Tom!

nice going sup guys!

Shit happens to the best of us and people need help and it's great to get some when you are hard up for it. Way to go Tom and gang!! Having said that, some people display no common sense or incredibly poor judgement.

I have pulled more than my share of morons off mountains and the backcountry ....problem that has always bothered me: the guy who takes a skiff....in winter....off the rivermouth.....in swell....on a gale warning....with booze....out of cell range....no other protection or friends.... .by the sounds of it....

....is going home to have sex and may likely procreate or teach his kids all he knows

Perhaps sometimes we mess with Darwinian paths a bit too much not to mention that despite being helpful I am sure Tom and others had much better things to do on this day....and so did my tax dollars. Hope there is a bill, even a small one.

Hey guys thanks- it was a Johnny on the spot- just happened to have my suit on. Glad it all turned out. Team effort!

Nice description shaggy. super stoked the guy was saved. The enforcer is a very strong paddler- and has tons of emergency response experience so it was all good when he showed up as I was pretty spent from the sprint/search , and then swimming in the river and confused seas-man its cold- all snow melt- sapped more energy than expected despite being in good paddling shape this time of year.
Pretty stess-full trying to find the guy in the chop.

Some points for consideration for rescue:

Stopped for 30 seconds once I had found him, before hauling him on SUP.. to catch my breath and energy in case he was panicked and did something goofy, and to assess his 'state'. ( In CCG- rescue training we call this Stop Assess Plan, or SAP) Kept reassuring him.

Turned out to be a smart move to coordinate with Shaggy prior to 'rushing in' to direct me to the guy.. otherwise it could have taken way longer to find him. Good reminder- never take your eyes off a MOB in the water and appoint a shore lookout. Dont underestimate how hard it can be to find someone when your height of eye is so close to the water- ie you are sitting or kneeling on a board. (Last year when Pasta broke down, lost his kite we had this problem it took forever to find him despite kiting back and forth in a 'search grid' I almost ran over him as he was calling,.. just couldnt see him)

He was holding on to his PFD, and was unable to put it on, probably due to cold water shock, but he may not have known the technique to put one on in the water? Know how to put a PFD in the water( wear your PFD duh?) First thing I did was wrestle him into his PFD in case he fell off/ or went un-concious as the situation progressed.

(Wearing a PFD SUPing is SAFER than not. It is not like surfing. You want flotation! You don't duck dive a SUP.)

I tried to lie on the board behind him and paddle, but it got too unstable, and we nearly tipped.. and the priority was to keep him out of the water- to mitigate hypothermia onset...thus the swim/push method. I got tangled in the leash so I had to disconnect, which wasnt my preference. left the leash trailing to grab when he surfed away from me. Prob would have had to ditch a paddle at some point had I had one.

If you break down in the river either kiting, SUP, surfing windboarding. Prepare for a long trip. I have broken 3 leashes in the last months on big days and got lucky that a wave pushed me in. if there is a lull and you end up past the impact zone- you will keep going way out- especially if the damn opens at the perfect moment- like what happened Sunday. Read the sign in the parking lot! Swim across the current not in to it.

Guys core was 32 degrees after an estimated 45 mins exposure, wearing a langford tux, hellis and a "Slayer" t. His boots came off. He was going downhill rapidly as we hit shore- delirious and limbs starting not to work.

So lucky that 240 had a couple SUP's on truck. I dont know how it would have turned out with out them. The yakkers made some poor decisions putting themselves in danger- and becoming the rescuees. Dont fight the current! you wont win.

Shirley Fire dpt. ought to have a seadoo for these type of situations. Langford has one. We are working on it.

Don't ever hesitate to call the Coast Guard. We don't charge for rescue. The Rescue Center can always stand a unit down if someone makes it to shore, get the guys coming, especially if its getting late in the day.

#SAR on your cell phone

T.

I was hoping you would post Tom. That guy will NEVER realize how lucky he was having you and D Ray there. For your sake, I am glad it turned out to be a rescue and not a recovery.

Good summary and assessment Tom.

As for seadoo for Shirley VFD ... the political lobbying wheels are in motion, MLA John Horgan has been notified and is on it, enlisting Mike Hicks (CRD) and hopefully other gov't groups. I think it makes sense on a whole bunch of levels. A realistic and effective sea rescue capability at JR would be huge, with the ever-growing recreational use of that area.

I sent him an email to emphasize MY support for this idea ... figure it can't hurt to emphasize why this would be a worthwhile investment:

Thanks for the updates Great work