Too little sand = BROKEN RIB!?

[RickI]

Originally Posted: 01 Jul 2003 at:
phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=11920

Just saw this on the BKSA list:

http://www.sickair.tv/forum/display_top ... Position=1

A 60 year old man apparently was wrapped and dragged along the beach by a poorly anchored kite and suffered a broken rib.

1. Do not leave kites rigged and unattended.

2. At a minimum, always take the lines off of unattended kites in light to moderate winds. MAKE SURE you have piled adequate sand over several points along the kite.

3. A BETTER APPROACH and an essential one if winds are strong or gusty, is to deflate your leading edge and roll, tie your kite if you leave it unattended. Afterward, thoroughly anchor the rolled kite. Rolling your kite ROUTINELY when you leave it unattended will also make it last longer and help to retain value for resale. As others have pointed out, you will cut down on UV and wind flapping related deterioration. These things can really take the new look off of your kite, so if for no other reason, roll your kite for the MONEY!

These sort of accidents are EASILY AVOIDED! Use common sense and look after yourself, others and our access, don't take things for granted.

The newspaper account for the accident follows (thanks for the link Paul!):

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/cornwall/3027134.stm
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Man injured by surf kite
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Mr Addicoat and his wife walk their dogs on Long Rock beach every day
A Cornishman is recovering from injuries after being carried into the air and across a beach after he was tangled in a surf kite.
Quinton Addicoat, 60, broke a rib and needed hospital treatment.

The incident happened while Mr Addicoat and his wife Margaret were exercising their three dogs on Long Rock beach, near Penzance.

Mr Addicoat, who has a spinal condition and diabetes, became entangled in the parachute of a surf kite which blew across the beach, trapping him and then lifting him into the air.

"The next thing I knew I was inside one of these kites and I just got lifted up into the air," said Mr Addicoat.

"My wife reckons I was carried about 10-15 metres, I didn't know exactly what was happening.

"When it came down it dropped me on the sand rather heavily on the right-hand side, and I was pretty sure I did some damage to my ribs."

Mr Addicoat was taken to hospital and treated for a broken rib and bruising.

Kite surfing is growing in popularity and there is concern about this accident and other near misses.

In another case, a kite blew across a main road next to the beach.

"I personally have witnessed kites that have been in the air and had they come down would have come across the main highway," said John Tremelling, Penwith District Council's Beach Safety Officer.

"I think that's quite a serious issue."

But Mr Addicoat said he does not want the surfers banned but believes they should be restricted to an area away from walkers.

Ben Jones from Cornwall's Extreme Academy, where kite surfing is taught, said Mr Addicoat was "quite right" to call for tougher safety controls.

"It's down to the collective kite-surfing community to look after other beach users and other water users," said Mr Jones.

"The unruly few who don't stick to the British Kite Surfing Association guidelines do bring the sport a bad name."



I just came across another report from the UK on a related subject:

"Also general carnage here on the beach with kites being blown over beach as people thought a few "rocks" would hold kites down - not a good idea as highest gust here was 44mph at 15:15."

and

I remember a notable incident that happened in South Africa a while back involving a runaway kite that was launched by a dog (?), and caused a bit of chaos. Anyway, higher winds and loose kites are no joke and to are to be avoided. I have watched fairly heavily anchored kites unanchor themselves in solo launching position in high winds. If they are anchored leading edge down they might be a bit more stable in higher winds. Still nothing is as stable as deflating the leading edge, rolling, tying and anchoring the resulting ripstop nylon burrito.

Have others seen or heard about other incidents involving kites coming unanchored and flying off downwind to cause problems?
_________________

[RickI]

Andy in Ireland sent word of this along from:

http://www.kitesurfing.ie/index.php?nam ... opic&t=876

"Last night after a good session in Poolbeg with JP, I brought my kite to the shore, landed it with JP, laid it down into the wind, and started winding the lines. The kite was being blown flat by the wind, so I didnt bother throwing sand down in top of it. Anyway, I was halfway through winding my lines, when I suddenly had a feeling of a thump on the top of the head, and someone sawing the fingers on my left hand off.
Basically my kite had relaunched (it was very definitely facing the correct way on the beach), and the bump on the noggin was my head hitting the beach, luckily I had my helmet still on. I also picked up some nasty slashes on the fingers, fortunately from my leash rather than from the kite lines, which would have skinned fingers to the bone when the kite powered up. Luckily I managed to hang onto the leash until JP arrived to catch the kite, although because the lines were half wrapped up the kite was semi-powered, rather than flattening out as in a standard leash-out instance.
I feel lucky that first off I had my lid on, prevented me from a concussion at least, and the fact that I didnt lose any fingers is a big bonus too. The lesson in this instance is obviously throw heaps of sand on that kite, however I have to say honestly that I dont know how wind got in under it to launch it, it was soaking wet from the rain, and the wind was blowing it flat across the beach. Anyway, I wont be kiting for a week or so until these fingers heal up, hopefully someone will be saved from the same experience after reading this, I certainly wont be skimping on that sand in the future..

_________________
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Conor Lillis"

[RickI]

It is great that the kiteboarder wasn't more seriously injured and kept his helmet on. I am reminded of other cases of kites becoming unachored and flying off to do harm like the man that was caught by a kite and broke a rib in the UK* and the one in South Africa that cut up a kite and almost injured a bystander**.

THOROUGHLY ANCHOR YOUR KITE.

Even if you have to come back and take some of the sand off before launching, it is well to do this.

ALSO, ATTACH THE FLIGHT LINES TO ONE SIDE OF THE KITE LAST. That is after you have preflighted carefully, have your gear on and are ready to go. That way if the kite is picked up the bar won't "fly" the kite into someone.

The best approach if you are going to leave your kite unattended is to deflate the leading edge, roll and secure your kite. If nothing else your kite should last longer.

For more about these two cases checkout:

* phpbb/viewforum.php?f=131

under: "Too little sand = BROKEN RIB!?"

and in the 2002 volume of the KSI

** http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/ki ... EFERENCES/

under: 29a. Incident 3 02 02 "Runaway Kite Chaos"