Kayakers Stranded On Saddlebag Island

From the Bellingham Herald 02/25/08

ANACORTES — A Coast Guard crew from Bellingham came to the rescue of four stranded kayakers from Saddlebag Island east of Anacortes.

No injuries are reported.

The Coast Guard says the four became stranded around 5 p.m. on Sunday after their kayaks washed away, while they were hiking on the island.

The Coast Guard says one of the kayakers was able to swim out to the three kayaks that washed away. It says the kayaker then paddled to the mainland to call for help.

Skagit County authorities contacted Coast Guard Station Bellingham to assist the remaining four kayakers.

Obviously there are some pretty obvious lessons here. Carry your boat higher. Tie them to something on shore. Carry a VHF or at least a cell phone. Pretty basic stuff. What has left me bothered by this story is the response that is being put out from some of the locals including one local paddler from WAKE a Bellingham Kayak club. Let’s be glad that this story has a happy ending. I have no problem learning from the errors of others. But I try to learn without being rude. Some of the best advise I received when I first started my career was from somebody that had been on the job for a long time. He said, “don’t ever laugh or make fun of something somebody else does because someday you will do something worse.” Of course I must admit he was scolding me for laughing at a co-worker for something they had done.

I am thankful that these people are okay. I am sure they have learned from there misfortune.