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Casualty in Sicily

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pmaggie
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Casualty in Sicily

Postby pmaggie » Thu Sep 20, 2018 9:00 am

Very sad news. Yesterday a french kiter lost his life riding at Lo Stagnone, near Marsala, Sicily. I don't have direct informations, local media say he's been lofted by a strong gust and he crashed several times in a nearby vineyard.

It's the third victim at Lo Stagnone this year, nearly incredible. Normally it's a super safe spot.
I'm sorry but the article is in italian:

https://video.corriere.it/trapani-muore ... e573c38369

The video has no attinence with the accident.

Condolences to his family and friends.

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Re: Casualty in Sicily

Postby Toby » Thu Sep 20, 2018 9:27 am

sorry to hear this. Tragic loss.
My condolences to family and friends.

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Re: Casualty in Sicily

Postby sarc » Thu Sep 20, 2018 11:42 am

The news says that the kiter was "launching" (lanciando). Seems likely that he was launching the kite.
To avoid more tragedies like these PLEASE DO NOT LAUNCH HOOKED IN. There is no sense in playing with a loaded gun, even less without knowing if the safety is on.
Please do watch my video here or the much better French pro instructional video "Quand se hooker?" in the "The safety topic" sticky, link for both videos here:
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=2344919&start=270

There's always some risk in our sport but getting rid of unnecessary risks is priority #1. If it's true that he killed himself launching, and he launched hooked in, that's one death that should never have happened.

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Re: Casualty in Sicily

Postby grigorib » Thu Sep 20, 2018 1:24 pm

sarc wrote:
Thu Sep 20, 2018 11:42 am
The news says that the kiter was "launching" (lanciando). Seems likely that he was launching the kite.
To avoid more tragedies like these PLEASE DO NOT LAUNCH HOOKED IN. There is no sense in playing with a loaded gun, even less without knowing if the safety is on.
Please do watch my video here or the much better French pro instructional video "Quand se hooker?" in the "The safety topic" sticky, link for both videos here:
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=2344919&start=270

There's always some risk in our sport but getting rid of unnecessary risks is priority #1. If it's true that he killed himself launching, and he launched hooked in, that's one death that should never have happened.
Please stop disseminating dangerous and misleading information. Launching unhooked is not safe nor safer.

You don’t start the car from outside through the window just in case it catches on fire, you don’t jump onto motorcycle once it’s already moving. If you say it’s safer to delay getting hooked in and riding then even safer option is not to ride at all.
Last edited by grigorib on Thu Sep 20, 2018 1:31 pm, edited 2 times in total.

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Re: Casualty in Sicily

Postby pmaggie » Thu Sep 20, 2018 1:27 pm

Hi Sarc. Dont' take totally for good what they say in the news. It's clear that the journalist knows nothing about kiting, it's not sure that the accident happened during launch.

This is the actual translation:

"Another casualty of kitesurfing: this time the tragedy happened at Lo Stagnone of Marsala, where a 45 years old French citizen died while practicing this sport: a variation of surfing that consist in BEING PULLED IN THE AIR by a kite controlled by a bar and fixed to the kite by thin lines" (literal translation, no mistakes!).
"The man was launching himself" (this are the exact words, there's written "launching himself", it can be read as "he was launching the kite" but also "he was beginning his session") "in front of Residence Santa Maria but he was hit by a gust so strong that he was throwed in the nearby vineyards of Contrada Birgi. The kiter, who hit the ground several times, has been assisted by the instructors of the local school, then also the 118 (=911) operators came but for the man there was nothing more to do. He is the third casualty in a few months: in September a young Polish and in June a 31 years old Ryanair pilot lost their lives".

As soon as I have more details I will post them here.

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Re: Casualty in Sicily

Postby K-Roy » Thu Sep 20, 2018 1:53 pm

R.I.P. and condolences to the family.

my information from someone who was there at the time is: " the wind was around 15 knots, rider was on a 12m, kite looped and throw him on land."

be safe!

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Re: Casualty in Sicily

Postby sarc » Thu Sep 20, 2018 2:04 pm

grigorib wrote:
Thu Sep 20, 2018 1:24 pm
sarc wrote:
Thu Sep 20, 2018 11:42 am
The news says that the kiter was "launching" (lanciando). Seems likely that he was launching the kite.
To avoid more tragedies like these PLEASE DO NOT LAUNCH HOOKED IN. There is no sense in playing with a loaded gun, even less without knowing if the safety is on.
Please do watch my video here or the much better French pro instructional video "Quand se hooker?" in the "The safety topic" sticky, link for both videos here:
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=2344919&start=270

There's always some risk in our sport but getting rid of unnecessary risks is priority #1. If it's true that he killed himself launching, and he launched hooked in, that's one death that should never have happened.
Please stop disseminating dangerous and misleading information. Launching unhooked is not safe nor safer.

You don’t start the car from outside through the window just in case it catches on fire, you don’t jump onto motorcycle once it’s already moving. If you say it’s safer to delay getting hooked in and riding then even safer option is not to ride at all.
That poor French gentleman would probably disagree with you, but he's.. you know... not able to talk. Any statistics on people getting injured launching unhooked????

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Re: Casualty in Sicily

Postby RickI » Thu Sep 20, 2018 2:10 pm

RIP to all three victims and strength to their familes.

Here is an English computer translation of the latest accident which apparently happened yesterday.

"Marsala, dies doing kitesurfing at the Stagnone

A 45-year-old sportsman loses his life. Overwhelmed by a gust of wind
19 September 2018
29
Marsala, dies doing kitesurfing at the Stagnone
A 45-year-old French sportsman died at around 12, while he was kitesurfing in the nature reserve of the Stagnone di Marsala, a body of water that attracts fans of this sport. The man was preparing for the launch and was dragged by a strong gust of wind towards the vineyards along the shore of Contrada Birgi. According to a first reconstruction the victim was in the company of some friends fond of the same sport and was already connected to his kite, but during the preliminary operations was hit by a sudden storm that made him fly.

It was then dragged about 400 meters along the mainland, repeatedly slamming on the ground and against some plants. The same operators of the kitesurfing school were to recover the body among the rows of a vineyard. Then, 118 and law enforcement officers were called. But the Frenchman was dead. On 11 September, a young Polish kiter had lost her life in the same body of water, apparently too tightly tied to the belt to which the kite is attached and for this reason she felt sick while she was in the air, losing her senses and candendo at sea. On 30 June, on the other hand, Federico Laudani, 31, from Lazio, a pilot of the Ryanair company, had died in the water ."

https://palermo.repubblica.it/cronaca/2 ... 206856652/

Can anyone with local knowledge confirm the "storm" comment in the article and provide additional information?

Thank you

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Re: Casualty in Sicily

Postby longwhitecloud » Thu Sep 20, 2018 2:29 pm

holy shit.. 3 people die kiting in the same spot within months!?

wtf.. rip

when u hear kite industry talk about how safe kiting is today in order to pimp for profit.. events, gear sales or whatever.. shuv this in their stupid faces

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Re: Casualty in Sicily

Postby RickI » Thu Sep 20, 2018 3:01 pm

It was a severe squall with dozens of kiters out in it. I am astounded that people are still so indifferent to an obvious hazard after all these years and so many deaths and injuries. More from the scene:

https://www.facebook.com/kitesurfing/po ... __tn__=C-R


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