Incredible Lofting Story From The Great Lakes

[PBKiteboarding]

Our fall weather forcasting is good but not on all the time for sure...

Getting to know your spot and where you ride are very important... talk to the locals when riding new locations.

If your weather is more right on and acccurate everytime... you are way better off for sure, and probably won't run into it...

[playacopal]

good work bringing jason back...more than likely a 'dry'drowning, not a wet one. Seems like everything right after everything went wrong.
Again, great work...
bob

[RickI]

DON'T rely only upon the forecasts alone, that is the point. In a large sense, the forecasters don't worry all that much about us or what we do. They don't focus on micro-meteorology to the degree we do, consciously or otherwise.

We should look into this stuff to some degree ourselves. It isn't all that hard or time consuming, nor is it perfect but it beats riding blind regardless of what is coming in when you might get a clue of things to come. You may miss weather hazards entirely but then again you might just dodge some too. You will likely be on the water riding sooner than many others with less time waiting.

Flyers, bluewater sailers, even ski mountaineers do this, because they need to. So do we, whether we realize it or not.

1. Check the best forecast for your area including wx hazards.
(like http://www.nws.noaa.gov/)

2. Check the national weather map loop to see if cold fronts or unstable systems are inbound. If so, how strong, how fast and when?
(http://www.hpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/day0-7loop.html)

3. Check color radar/satellite for inbound unstable weather. If so, how strong, how fast and when, what is the temperature drop? Waiting an hour or so can make all the difference sometimes, forewarned is forearmed.
(http://www.nws.noaa.gov/radar_tab.php , http://www.weather.gov/sat_tab.php?image=ir)

4. Check realtime winds both locally and upweather or in the direction the system is coming from to time the passage of a cold front, possibly with a squall line or just a dry mega boost in wind. Is the wind rising, if so how much, are there spikes, is the direction changing or erratic indicative of squalls. Rig for actual conditions AFTER the stable wind, wind shifts come on and new temperatures. Try to make sure you aren't avoidably "surprised" by the wind boosting and shifting side offshore as others have in the past.
(http://www.ikitesurf.com/windAndWhere.iws?regionID=171 , http://ompl.marine.usf.edu/PORTS/tampa.bay.html )

5. Keep your eyes open at the beach. Sometimes you can see cold front wind lines creep toward you, both the good kind and the kind that may be too much for what you are flying. Watch out for storm clouds and avoid having a kite up when they approach.

You can time your cold front wind waiting down to about 30 minutes at times using this technique and be prepared with a better idea of what kite size to fly. Less time waiting and changing out kites/boards, more time riding?!

Think about trying this out and tell us how you do.

FKA, Inc.

transcribed by:
Rick Iossi

I am trying to understand what may have happened physiologically to Jason through this accident. It seems the initial impact may have caused the Diffuse axonal injury* through differential forces during the violent impact against water. He likely lost consciousness at this point. I am less certain when he may have stopped breathing. Successive impacts due to high wind low lofting and dragging likely aggravated things. He was pulled repeated with violence largely out of the water for a time downwind until the winds eased. He was then pulled shoreward by fate and the kite falling and flying in that direction. He was submerged during this portion of the accident. As no fluids were found in his lungs, he wasn't breathing during this time. More accurately, what happened might be more due to respiratory failure maybe submerged asphyxia than fluid induced drowning. Expert input on this would be welcome.


* Diffuse axonal injury profoundly damages brain tissue. Diffuse axonal injury usually results from twisting or rotational forces. Car accidents, sporting accidents, and child abuse commonly cause diffuse axonal injury. When the head is rapidly accelerated or decelerated, tissues of differing densities and distances slide over one another, stretching and shearing axons (brain nerve fibers), which prevents communication between brain cells.

Diffuse axonal injury most often results in coma; nearly 90 percent of these coma victims never regain consciousness.
http://www.allabouttbi.com/closed-head-injury/

[PBKiteboarding]

Yeah. probably... maybe a mix. Not sure if we will ever know for sure. I would say not breathing since when found he had no pulse, blue... blue lips... no breath at the time. He had a small scrape on his forehead... after a few minutes of CPR, he started turning more pink... skin color and I could see bleeding starting from scrape... Also his neck was bent so far down to his chest when found (especially unconscious dangle), would also help block off air way.

[RickI]

Amazing. So many long chances from being brought to shore in time, being revived on the beach through major effort by yourself, repeatedly on the way to the hospital, healing from diffuse axonal injury and the rest. Now Jason is back active in life and kiting. Excellent story, rescue and outcome! Thanks again.

[RickI]

I just saw coverage of last years phenomenal lake effect snow in Buffalo on the Weather Channel, looked at the calendar and it clicked.

Congratulations on this anniversary Jason. Not on the accident but on your survival, will to live and hard work coming back. Enjoy that next kite session. Hope the sunset and birds come together just like you described. You've certainly earned it.

[pierre.d]

Wow , nice and scary story Rick.

Reading this post, I have decided to learn how to perform CPR,
event if there is a 4% chance, it is worthwhile to learn it.

[Kirk123]

Great thread. Thanks!

[RickI]

Good for you! I am not sure what is involved in France but with out American Red Cross CPR course tossing in training for use of AED's took very little extra time.

AED's* may boost that 4% success rate to 30%! Just make sure the victim and rescuers are on a non-conducting surface.



* Automated external defibrillator
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automated_ ... ibrillator

[trandg]

Luckily Paul knew how to rescue and was able to take things into his own hands. I think this further emphasizes the benefits to go and get up to date on your safety training. Hopefully you never have to use it, but if the situation arises you can do everything you've been trained to do.