A tragic kayak accident Friday took the life of a Smithtown man but spared the life of his 5 year old son.\u00a0 According to published reports, they had launched a Sea Eagle inflatable kayak into the Nissequogue river in Kings Park at 1:30. Around 2:45 the 5 year old, who was wearing a life vest, was found drifting in Smithtown Bay by a passing boater.\u00a0 Their kayak was floating about 500 yards off the beach with no sign of the father.\u00a0 His body was recovered the next day over a mile\u00a0 out in the bay.\u00a0 What exactly happened that put them in the water is unknown.<\/p>\n
What we do know is current in that area runs especially hard since the river level drops over seven feet on the ebb tide.\u00a0 To make matters worse Friday was a full moon spring tide.\u00a0 With high tide at 11 AM the current flow out of the river was probably at the maximum about the time they launched.\u00a0 And according to reports the deceased was not wearing a life vest.<\/p>\n
The various media have extensively portrayed the human side of this incident and it’s toll on the family and community. While this was a tragedy, and our sincerest condolences are extended to the family,\u00a0 there are some lessons to be learned.<\/p>\n
For one, it underscores the importance of wearing a personal floatation device (PFD).\u00a0 The five year old survived only because he was wearing a PFD. From November to May NYS requires that adults in small craft wear PFDs. During the warmer months NYS law only requires adults to have a PFD but doesn’t require that it be worn.\u00a0 Unfortunately, if you find yourself in the water, you will quickly discover that it is just about impossible to put it on.\u00a0 And while you struggle to get it on even the slightest breeze will push your kayak away faster then you can swim.\u00a0 Then what?<\/p>\n
Paddling alone is also not a good idea.\u00a0 With a partner if you encounter some difficulty at least there will be someone there to help.\u00a0 You need to understand the nature of your craft to evaluate it’s sea worthiness in a variety of conditions.\u00a0 And you need to understand the forces at work with wind and the rise and fall of tides.\u00a0\u00a0 Finally you need to ask yourself\u00a0 “Is my level of skill appropriate for the conditions I may encounter?”\u00a0 Which leads us to the need for proper instruction. No one is born a kayaker.\u00a0 And no one knows what they don’t know.<\/p>\n
<\/strong>Sea Kayaker magazine has published a book that examines a number of kayak accidents for the purpose of educating paddlers.\u00a0 It is not intended to be judgmental in that it doesn’t “blame the victim” but seeks to help us understand mistakes so others avoid problems while paddling.<\/p>\n From the back cover:<\/p>\n Sea Kayaker<\/strong> magazine reports on accidents and near accidents so its readers might learn from the experience of others rather than having to learn the hard way. Sea Kayaker’s Deep Trouble<\/strong> gathers more than twenty of the most compelling and instructive of these reports, outlining the circumstances of each accident and providing detailed analyses: What did the paddlers do wrong? What did they do right? Most importantly, how might the accident have been prevented? With a comprehensive introduction to kayaking safety and three dozen sidebars on gear, skills, and techniques, this book is a must for any sea kayaker who wants to paddle safely.<\/em><\/p>\n