Two Kayakers Die in Howe Sound

Photo courtesy of CBC News

40-year-old Denis Fontaine from Deep Cove, and 50-year-old Richard Juryn of North Vancouver, both experienced adventure racers, died after their kayaks flipped in the stormy waters of Howe Sound North of Vancouver, BC on Sunday at about noon. They were part of a group of eight paddlers all paddling two-person boats. They set out in stormy conditions with 7 foot seas and winds of 85 kilometers (46 kt). Now I’m not one that likes to pass judgment, but here is what one of the survivors said:

He had concerns about the stormy weather and steep waves, but said nothing to anyone except Beatty (one of the other paddlers).

Safety should always be something people can freely talk about and nobody should hesitate to voice their concerns. If I am paddling with people that I can’t discuss my safety concerns with then I don’t want to paddle with them. Now maybe the media just didn’t communicate what happened good enough. I know the media often is that way.

All were wearing lightweight athletic tights suitable for high-energy training, and not wetsuits necessary to survive in cold water. I know this is common with the fitness types, especially those on surf skis. You choose your level of risk and there is danger in everything we do. But the weather was predicted to be bad. A high wind advisory was in effect. Would a wetsuit or drysuit have helped? If you read the reports they say that nobody was wearing PFD’s. This has since been corrected and it is now being reported that all were wearing PFD’s.

I know it is always easier to look back on what others have done from the comforts of our home and think I never would have done that. But realistically most of us have made mistakes or been put in a position that was worse than we expected. So I really don’t want to judge any decisions that were made. But I also try to learn whenever I hear of such a tragedy. I teach people to ride motorcycles. I teach them that whenever they hear of a motorcycle crash to think, what could have been done to prevent that. Or if I was in that position what would I do differently. It is through this kind of thinking that I hope to prevent myself or those that I teach to ride from being in the same kind of crash. But I always worry that people will not understand that and just think that I am just passing judgment. That is not my intent. I just hate such tragedies and hope that some can be prevented by some hard afterthought. My condolences to the friends and family.

You can read more at:

Vancouver Sun

&

CBC News