Tragedy at Ocean Beach

[funmilton]

Chicagoian-

Thanks for the update. I think you landed my 5M F-One on the beach when this went down. I will second the fact that Micheal G is the MAN. I have been hanging with this guy last couple of weeks on the beach and he is solid. He is a paramedic or something, in NorCal for couple months, staying in Marin.

Anyway, let's continue to pray and hope for the best. I appreciate the update. Everyone is lucky with guys like you and Mike G on the beach.

[Blackbird]

Ian, thanks for the update. Best wishes and hopes to Scott and everyone involved for the best outcome.

[maxsteamer]

My prayers, hopes, and best to Scott on a full recovery!! I think this is the same Scott I met here at the shellgate launch in Alameda?? again and again this sport surprises us in ways that we just can't comprehend?? by the time it happens there is just no time to think.. there is only time to react, "If you think about what should I do..it is already over for you" That is why they call it a quick release..Steve Gunn, and "Hello knife can save Hello life,"Boot Camp," these two rimes are easy to remember and my hope is that some day a kiter comes to me and says Hey Max!!I Dude.. I kite with my knife between my teeth, and it is so sharp I can cut down a tree with her.

There are kiters out there who have a hugh, spitting, loud mouth, butt, can save your life!! To FUNNY..and it is as easy as closing your eyes and cutting a line?? Now kiters, that is some good info fo sho.. have you ever tryed to see under water while your being ripped through the surf?? now add some kitelines and and the pull of a kite and my friend there is only time to start cutting and sayin' goodbye to Hello kite. sooo One mo time!!!!! That is why we love you Greg B. Boyington. Just kidding about the "HSLMB"

[wmorris]

According to this site, he was actually revived from being totally unconscious. Amazing job done by the lifeguards. He was taken to UCSF hospital and is hopefully ok.

http://www.waterhound.com/kitesurfer-al ... lucky.html

Be safe out there.

[consumer]

i'm sending as much positive energy as I can muster. I also hope he has a full recovery.

Kev

[sarahf]

Ian, so sorry for what your friends and his family are going through. Thank you for the taking the time to give us info and an update. The very best wishes. Sarah

(Here's a pic I took a few hours after the accident after I got off the water)

[maxsteamer]

Have you heard anything on Scott's condition? I kite with a guy who is a brain surgeon at highland Hospitol, and I would like to ask him if he could check up on him. He did this with Don a kiter here in Alameda and I always think it is a good idea to get a second opinion.

Max

[jla]

Yes, thank you so much for taking the time to go on-line and update us. I imagine this was not a top priority for you. I want to stress just how important the buddy system is no matter where you are kiting. too many times, people do not want to bother with catching each others kites or checking on someone who is down in the water. things can go bad very quickly no matter what your experience level both in the water and on the beach. OB is particularly deceptive as the wave size and strength is not apparent from the parking lot or beach. We may need to be a bit more proactive as well in talking to non locals who show up to kite and determining their skill level. hard to do though without coming off as a jerk. I know there has been allot of discussion with the OB regulars now on upgrading the knife set up. We all feel terrible about this and hope Scott comes through. Poor guy just wanted a fun day out on the water.

[maxsteamer]

Thank You "jla" for your kind words.. The buddy system is a must in this sport and I for one preach this to all the kiters that kite at what alot of people call Max's Launch here in Alameda.

It has worked for the graduating class of 2007, as they call themselves.. These kiters don't kite along, they budddy up and kite together. I'm proud to say that I preached this to them over and over again, and it worked.

[jmayot]

My deepest thoughts for Scott and his family.
A very similar accident (luckier outcome) happened to me in HMB Tursday PM.

I want to share this and hope it will prevent more injuries.

Kite line wrapped around my right ankle, and I can tell you that I did have a knife but could have never been able to use it. Here is what happened.

Went out kiting with two buddies. 25-30kt winds and big swell, 4pm.
Rigged my 7m, we launch each other and head out in the surf. I had a hard time to pass the break, waves kept crashing in front of me. I finally catch up with my friends and we ride a couple tacks not far from each other. I am just downwind of them. Seconds later, trying to go over a large wave, I fall and get thrown out by the wave. Kite lines get slack and I fall in one line, the kite crashes and prepares to relaunch. We're about 150 yards form shore. At the same time I feel one line wrapped around my ankle. I pull the quick release, a quarter second later, the same wave that kicked me out hits my kite and my entire body gets pulled underwater. pulled by my ankle. I spend about 20 seconds underwater, pulled by the ankle.
Enough time to think about the knife in my harness pocket. Enough time to realize it would be impossible to reach my foot with such a pull. Just impossible.

Terrible feeling, hopeless, brutal and out of reach.

After the third wave, I am completely out of breath, the kite line let go. Miracle. Grabbed the bar and used the shredded kite and waves to pull me back to shore.

My two buddies did not have time to see what happened, they just saw the kite down but what was happening at the same time was underwater and happened fast. 2 minutes maximum.

We have been riding together for years and this is the first serious accident. All the other times we kited in surf, there was no tangle. Just a kite down. Not this time.

I can ensure all of you that even with a kite knife, it was impossible for me to reach the line attached to my foot with the waves pulling the kite and so much tension in the kite line, out of reach.

Picture of my ankle that was still double size yesterday.

There is a great danger with kite lines. If they wrap around your body and your kite gets pulled in the waves, it is almost impossible to do anything.

What kind of safety to avoid such accident?
Summary of the situation:
- kiting in ok conditions (strong wind, small kite)
- had a knife in my harness pocket, accessible but impossible to do anything being pulled so hard underwater
- pulled the QR when the wave threw me out, did not prevent anything
- had two friends nearby, they did not see anything happen, too fast.
- 8 year kiter in the bay area with countless sessions in the surf.
--> kite line wrapped around my ankle. What to do?
Any input please let me know. To me this is one of the most dangerous situation in kitesurfing and despite reading so many safety forums/articles, it did happen to me.

I wish Scott was as lucky as I was Thursday.
All of my thoughts Scott.