Accident at the monkey bar

jackZ · Since 13 Apr 2008 355 Posts Devon Alberta ca. Obsessed

That was close . Hope your doing well Monica !
Kudos to all .
You all in the Hood river area and surrounding area are so awesome .
it's an important reminder to ask questions about where to kite and the hazards for any
" tourists " , newbs to the area .
I ask my times when there and never had anything but smiling faces help out and make me feel welcome . I do visit early in the season if I do come though so there's few kiters around , just those from near mostly .
But so quick to help and ensure people stay safe and super friendly about it too has been my experience .
I was there late april on one occasion and somewhat involved with a rescue with similar as in lines wrapped around the kiter who had , diabetes , been in the water too long but being watched by a more experienced who noticed and took action and called out for more help was rescued .
Even when I see the some of those same people in other locations it's always a pleasure .
Thank you all for saving Monica
Thank you all for making Hood River what it is . For me it's a safe fun place with many wonderful people like those that reached out to help so quickly .
JackZ

bwd · Since 04 Aug 2007 385 Posts Obsessed

Wow that's a close one, having a line or pole grab you is scary, whether riding or while already down.
Great effort and coordination on this one!
Reminds me:
1. Knife
2. Helmet
3. Consider floatation
4. On rescue attempts if lines can't all be cut together, try to find ways to cut one at a time, i.e. cut them off the kite end, if applicable (noted: sounds like not the main issue here)

Had a close call myself once with a line that clipped a piling in a river, fortunately light current and I could touch bottom before getting pinned, enabled a save.
I spaced, didn't see that a gust had carried me downwind just enough that my lowest line wrapped a post, when I sheeted out for the next gust.
Thought I would clear it by 10 feet, bad decision.
Scary enough situation without logs and extra ropes.
Had a crab pot run in once too but nothing like this accident.

Keep up the good work, wish I had backup that good where I ride!

SpaceRacer · Since 04 Nov 2007 434 Posts Obsessed

I guess whatever actually happened shall remain a mystery. Not sure why everyone is waxing about knives when we don't know how this kiter got into this situation in the first place. Odd that no one wants to share how it happened.

bigjohn · Since 13 Mar 2012 663 Posts Addicted

I have a cheap carabiner knife from ebay like the following:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Hiking-Survival-Rock-Climbing-Gear-Multi-Function-Tool-Screwgate-Carabiner-Knife-/271322904712?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3f2c1af888

I Place tape around the blade just to make sure it doesn't accidentally pop open while I am kiting. Then I just hook the carabiner around my harness strap. It takes a while to get to, thus does not replace a normal kite knife.

It has the extra benefits of:
1) Carabiner for self launch in a pinch
2) Phillips Screwdriver
3) Regular Screwdriver
4) Easy to hang on to while using the knife in the water

SpaceRacer · Since 04 Nov 2007 434 Posts Obsessed

Saw this on KF. Sad. Overconfidence is dangerous. Another person told me that they think the woman who was caught on the buoy was playing around it and jumping it. Doesn't sound right.

http://www.kiteforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=2384882

noah · Since 19 Oct 2006 171 Posts Bozeman, Montana Stoked

Heartfelt appreciation for all who made the difference between the life and death. Thank you all.

moondog · Wed May 21, 14 8:49 am

Just got off the phone with the Marine Sheriff that rescued Monica. He said any time a kiter is snagged on something the danger from drowning increases exponentially. When they tried to rescue her initially they had to throw her back in because the boat turned sideways in the current. The kite lines presented a problem for the jet engine because they can be sucked into the intake and stall the engine.
When they came up to her there was a large branch on her back that made the rescue more difficult. They freed the branch and drug her into the boat and proceeded cutting lines off her. She didn't have much time left and they said her will to fight kept her alive. Eric Reimer and Sella gave her much moral support and tried to help as much as possible, but we all know how difficult rescues are while trying to fly your own kite!
Monica, maybe it would be beneficial to share how your situation came about, so we can all learn from this. The Coast Guard is going out to the buoy this week and pull it up and free it from debris and possibly retrieve your kite.

graka · Since 23 Jun 2008 41 Posts

I had a similar situation to Monica last year, though not nearly as bad. Thought I'd mention my situation though so others might not get caught in the same situation.

I Was kiting near the White Salmon bridge late afternoon in early May as the wind was dying. Current was fast. First session out, I was a wee bit underpowered on a 12m, and jumped. The kite ended up in the water, and I began drifting downriver. At first, I wasn't too concerned, even though I was in a 4/3 and the water was 55F (I think). As I was floating downstream, I had this feeling I should look behind me and make sure all was clear. I did and saw the green buoy just a few seconds away. I ended up floating to the south side of the buoy; my kite to the north. With no time to out-maneuver the situation, I let it happen and put the few seconds I had into thinking about what I was going to do once I wrapped around the buoy - which happened seconds later.

As my kite stopped, I felt the strength of the river and knew I had to pull. Which I did. I held on to the bar, but didn't want to lose my kite. So, I put my surfboard under me and tried to pull myself to the kite. Lines were tangling in my legs and the board kept kinda falling out from under me...it all felt super dangerous. But I kept trying for a few minutes, getting colder, and more scared as I thought about the situation and what might happen if i got tangled and wasn't able to hold on to the lines. Sean Sean came out of nowhere (initially, I was the only one out there). He made a pass, and another, and finally yelled, "Let go of your kite man...it's not worth a good life." I thought about it for about three seconds and realized the wizardry of this man, cleared the lines, and let go. Sean ended up helping me to shore, and then got my kite (without me holding on, it unraveled and floated downstream).

Learning lessons for me: Be mentally prepared to ditch your gear; think about where you are jumping/kiting and try to think ahead to what could happen; carry a knife; wear a warm wetsuit; and be glad there are people like Sean out there watching out for people like me.

jg

LVDWD · Since 04 May 2009 103 Posts Stoked

Gman · Since 11 Feb 2006 4907 Posts Portland Unstrapped

In the past I've sewn the plastic sheath to my harness - where I can grab the knife easy with my right hand - find a place where it doesn't hang up on your kite leash (funny thing about stuff sticking out - was free diving this week and the dive knive on the inside of my calf got caught in the kelp - cosmic irony...)

I use a sewing awl and fishing line

http://www.amazon.com/Speedy-Stitcher-T200-Sewing-Awl/dp/B000HGIJQ4

Actually Kinda of a pain - anyone know of a sailshop or someone with an industrial sewing machine in HR that might do this type of thing?

blowhard · Since 26 Dec 2005 2025 Posts Windward

ldhr · Since 21 Jul 2009 1471 Posts Hood River XTreme Poster

luke · Since 06 Jul 2005 399 Posts Obsessed

I have been trying to make some good sense out of Monica's accident for the past 2 weeks. And then it finally hit me! Hit me right on the head!

To back track, I was out kiting at Arlington the day of her accident and was lucky enough to get a call from the Wunderbar that the Sheriff's boat had just rescued her. I drove up to the dock right in time to lift her out of the boat and into the ambulance stretcher. To be honest, it was sketchy. Her core temperature was 87 degrees. F-ing cold. And that is with a really sweet 5mil suit. All good now. I am happy to report that she burst into her great smile just before being released from the Hospital and as I brought her kite board (retrieved by the great kiter community) into the emergency room.

A few days later and a couple hundred hugs from the awesome kite community, she was back on the water. WooHoo!!

Through all of it, I too wondered all sorts of questions. What could have been done different? What kind of knife? Better emergency response? How to prevent a similar future incident? over and over in my head.

Then it hit me. Literally.

I was out kiting the other day and out of know where I was taken out. Bam. Out of no-where another kiter tomahawked his kite directly on top of my head. After, getting back on my board and after re-launching their kite, they just kited away without saying a word. Hmm. I thought. Kinda rude. I let it go. Then I thought, that kinda hurt as I touched my forehead and pulled back a handful of blood. Damn it. "HEY" I yelled as he/she kited away. Still no response. I quickly caught up and confronted the assailant. "Dude, do you know you just hit me" Their response: "I never saw you". WHAT, I thought.

Then it really hit me.

I have also tomahawked my kite. More than a few times. And some of those times I was underwater being pulled towards the bottom as my kite slammed into whatever. And, sometimes near other kiters. In fact, who hasn't tomahawked their kite. And near to others. It happens. It happens to all of us. My response to the assailant that bloodied my face. "Check on someone if they are down".

There it is.

Monica had a variety of incredible good luck that day mixed with the bad luck of an encounter with a buoy in very strong current. It is clear that the one main thing that saved her life was other kiters checking in on her situation.

If you see a kite down, or a person down; then immediately respond to check on their situation. Do not hesitate. Do not assume that someone else will. Do not assume that they are OK. It could be a matter of life or death. Check on any kite that is down. We are all pretty good at this already. As kiters, we need to be great at this. It has become my personal mantra. Please make it yours.

Gman · Since 11 Feb 2006 4907 Posts Portland Unstrapped

Words of wisdom Thumb's Up

WindSki · Since 14 Dec 2012 402 Posts Portland Obsessed

Hell Ya
I agree and will !!!

BigR · Since 05 Jul 2005 372 Posts White Salmon Obsessed

SpaceRacer · Since 04 Nov 2007 434 Posts Obsessed

Recent scary events that have notably shaken our kiting community, as well as me, have had me thinking about the sport in general and about safety, which brought me back to this incident. To this day, we still do not know how this happened in the first place so that all of us could have learned and lived from it. If you read through this thread, there is no information about how it happened in the first place, leaving a group of safety concerned kiters with wonder, fear and speculation. I see the same thing beginning to surface with the recent incident on the coast. You can just see the post bubbling with fear, wonderment and speculation. I am not at all suggesting that anything can or should come out of the incident on the coast as only Dale knows what happened and unless there were witnesses and/or a performed autopsy will we never know. But personally I think Monica and the people involved with this buoy wrapping incident are remiss and negligent for not following through with how it happened in the first place. I know that Monica was probably terrified and her feelings and emotions and experience are hers alone and do not have to be displayed for the public however it sure would have been nice and communal and responsible for someone to explain how it actually happened in the first place and how it could have been avoided. This post should have ended with how friends and loved ones who are on this river every sunny day with all of its inherent hazards can avoid an incident like this and should not have ended with how to cut like a motherfu@ker once your ass is pinned to an albatross. We all know that much.