kayak safety

This happened last week but it is a serious reminder to be extremely careful out there while in a kayak. Make sure you have all your safety equipment and don't take the elements for granted.

KEYPORT — Michael Miranda just happened to be in the right place at the right time.


That's a good thing for John Clancy, who was saved Thursday afternoon by good Samaritan Miranda, who plucked Clancy out of the three-to-four foot wave swells and 51 degree waters after Clancy had flipped over in his kayak.

Clancy, a British citizen who resides in New York City, was eventually pulled out of the water around 1:50 p.m.
Miranda, 33, who lives in Edison and is a police officer in Hoboken, just happened to have the day off and was preparing to go fishing for stripers with his father Ron Miranda when he heard the Coast Guard distress signal.
Miranda keeps his 19-foot fishing boat in Lentze Marina in Keansburg.

It was approximately 1:25 p.m. when the Coast Guard issued an urgent marine broadcast message to be on the watch for a man in distress.
Miranda said he responded immediately.
"I figured that we better start heading out of my inlet, which is next to Keansburg Pier," Miranda said. "I felt that we were closer than the Coast Guard was, so we thumbed it right over to him, and we got him."
Miranda then hauled Clancy in and headed for the Keyport dock.
Clancy, who had been kayaking with an unidentified friend who had kept afloat, was transported by the Keyport First Aid squad to Bayshore Community Hospital in Holmdel where he was treated for hypothermia and disorientation.

"We got there just in the nick of time," Miranda said. "His face was all purple, and he was definitely going into hypothermia."
A Coast Guard patrol boat based at Sandy Hook Station provided Miranda an escort into Keyport.
A hospital spokeswoman said Clancy was treated for hypothermia around 2:30 p.m. and then later released.
Based on his calculations, Miranda said Clancy had been in the water for at least 25 minutes before he pulled him out.
"When we got him aboard, we made sure that he was OK," Miranda recalled. "We took our jackets and our shirts off and covered him to keep him as warm as possible."
On the ride in, Ron Miranda kept Clancy awake and talking to prevent him from going into shock, Miranda said.
Miranda said Thursday's weather wasn't exactly perfect conditions.
"We had a hard time coming back," he said. "I was thinking, "Oh man, I hope we're not calling the Coast Guard next.' "

http://www.app.com/apps/pbcs.dll/art...=2009905010359

You got that right. I had a buddy who tipped his yak. He lost almost all of his gear. He is lucky he did not lose his life.

Don't forget to leave a plan as to where you are going and don't forget to check in.

Here is something interesting designed by a fellow kayaker called Waterbug...

He recently helped out at the Heroes on the water September Kayak Event at Sandy Hook, and after that they asked him for some of his "safety ladders".
Nice work, waterbug!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRd1ha2rE0A

A good idea for any yakker that hasn't done so yet and should while the water is still warm enough. You should go out in your yak and purposely flip it over (make sure someone is with you to assist if need be) and see if you can flip it back over and if you can get back on it without assistance. The time to " practice" isn't a real life situation.
Here is a quote I stand by when it comes to kayak fishing " dress to swim and rig to flip" because sooner or later it is going to happen- better to be prepared.
One final thought- a person can get hypothermia in the middle of summer in 70 degree water- You loose your body heat 25% faster in water than in the air- so reducing your time IN the water will greatly reduce your risk.
Always wear your PFD.
Be careful out there as we head into the fall months.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by robmedina

One final thought- a person can get hypothermia in the middle of summer in 70 degree water- You loose your body heat 25% faster in water than in the air- so reducing your time IN the water will greatly reduce your risk.
Always wear your PFD.
Be careful out there as we head into the fall months.

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I did not know that. Thought the water had to be in the 50s to pose any real risks to you yakkers. Thanks for posting that. Be careful out there guys!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by storminsteve

I did not know that. Thought the water had to be in the 50s to pose any real risks to you yakkers. Thanks for posting that. Be careful out there guys!

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I was wrong- your body actually cools 32x faster not 25.

Hypothermia is the point where your body loses heat faster than it makes it. Hypothermia reduces the body's core temperature, which can compromise your health and lead to death. Hypothermia can begin in water as warm as 70 degrees; the body cools faster in water than in the air. Mild hypothermia reduces your core temperature from its normal 98.6 degrees to about 96 degrees. The longer you stay in the water, the lower your temperature drops, making it imperative that you get out of the water immediately once the signs of hypothermia set in


Water Exposure



Your body cools at least 32 times faster in water than in cold air. The impact of cold water can have a dramatic effect on your body, stressing it immediately, from the first breath to the quick onset of numbness in your extremities. In frigid temperatures, your chances of survival shrink from hours to minutes based on how long you stay in the water. Because mild hypothermia can set in at water temperatures of 70 degrees, get out of the water as soon as possible once you show signs of hypothermia.


Levels of Hypothermia



The minute you begin shivering uncontrollably, mild hypothermia has set in. This stage lasts until your core temperature has dropped to 96 degrees. Moderate hypothermia occurs when your body temperature falls to between 93 and 95 degrees. You will be dazed and confused, your speech will slur and you will begin to make irrational decisions, such as trying to take off clothes. Your motor skills will be compromised. Body temperatures of 86 to 92 degrees indicate severe hypothermia and an immediate life-threatening emergency

Survival in the Water



Staying in the water causes your body to lose heat at a much higher rate. Your best chance of survival is getting out of the water immediately. If you've fallen into the water, try to get back into your boat or to dry land as quickly as possible. If your boat capsized, get on top of it to reduce your exposure to the water. If you're not alone, huddle with another person in the water to preserve heat.


Swim or Tread Water



If you're alone in the water with no assistance, you have two choices. You can swim to safety or tread water waiting for your rescue. Swimming is the more proactive choice, but you will lose precious body heat faster. This can shorten your chance of survival by more than 50 percent. How long you can survive treading water depends on how cold the water is.


Survival Expectancy



At water temperatures between 70 and 80 degrees, exhaustion or unconsciousness begins to set in after 3 to 12 hours. Your survival time is 3 hours to indefinitely. At water temperatures between 60 and 70 degrees, your time until exhaustion or unconsciousness is 2 to 7 hours, with an expected survival time in the water of 2 to 40 hours. Water temperatures between 50 and 60 degrees give you 1 to 2 hours until exhaustion or unconsciousness sets in, with an expected survival time in the water of 1 to 6 hours. More dangerous temperatures between 40 and 50 degrees allow for 30 to 60 minutes before exhaustion or unconsciousness sets in, with an expected survival time in the water of 1 to 3 hours.

Immediate Danger



At water temperatures between 32.5 and 40 degrees, you only have 15 to 30 minutes until you experience exhaustion or unconsciousness. At this point, your expected survival time in the water is only 30 to 90 minutes. Anything below 32 degrees is an imminent threat. You can lose consciousness in less than 15 minutes and die in 45 minutes or less.

this is a warm water demonstration
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMYlFuwfVSw


this one is really good to watch- cold water demonstration. People who thought- I can swim, no problem- watch the video- great information. just a side note- the type of material you are wearing (i.e. cotton, denim etc) greatly helps or impedes your survival. The material that is light like the wisking material sports clothing you wear is best.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J1xohI3B4Uc&eurl=http://www.nasbla.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=1