2023 is shaping up and so far, I'm not a big fan. This evening after work, as Cameron and I were leaving the boathouse, we saw a light in water. I walked down to edge of the water to get away from the lights and could then see that the light was not in a boat or kayak but just above the water. It was flashing, and I saw either S-O or O-S before I ran back up the beach and yelled and Cameron, "Get the tractor! Someone's in the water! My boat's in the boatyard!" My boat is usually a mile away at my house, but as luck would have it, my boat trailer needed some service and yesterday I put the boat on the Shrimp Boat/Wrybread's old trailer as he had a new-to-him, better crappy trailer. I couldn't take the boat home since the wheels are literally falling off the old, crappier trailer. Cameron, understanding the need for speed, got the tractor hooked to the trailer and rapidly headed for the launch. Somewhere in the middle, the tongue of the crappy trailer broke off. Cameron bailed out of the tractor and ran for Wrybread's kayak. I jumped out of the boat and chained the tractor hitch to the remains of the trailer, not well, but good enough to get in the water. As I slipped the boat into the water, Cameron paddled in and we changed places in the tractor. I left the trailer within 60 seconds of the guys camping in site 605. They had seen the light go by as well. Well, once on the water, no more light to be seen. We motored slowly down the channel towards the mouth, following the path of the light we had seen earlier. I shut off my nav lights to see better. No light to be seen. Twenty minutes later, out off the end of Sand Point, I saw a light, I was almost on top of it before I saw it. I ran over and found....a head lamp, pointed straight up and floating right at the surface. When we saw the light earlier it was pointed horizontally and flashing at the shore. What an emotional rollercoaster. I thought I found him. As of this writing, nobody has. The kayak was found, but it appears that our kayaking crabber was not wearing a wetsuit nor a life jacket. After nearly taking a breaker over the boat (If Cameron's voice hollering "Go! Go! Go!" was any higher only dogs would have heard it) we left. Conditions were to dangerous. To the family, I'm sorry for your loss, and we tried, but my wife says I can't risk my life beyond a certain point and driving around in the dark west of Sand Point qualifies as that, so... I am sorry. We tried our best. Henry One, the Sonoma County Sheriff's helicopter crew, found a kayak after we left the water but the Marin County Fire Department's jet ski crew were unable to tow it in. As I write this the USCG helicopter and the 47 footer from Bodega Bay are still out looking. I hope they find him, and I hope he's okay, For the rest of us, wear your life jacket. If you're in a kayak, life jacket plus wetsuit. In a fine article I read in Pacific Coast Sportfishing magazine they recommended that kayak fishers "plan for success but dress for failure." You may get wet. Wear clothing appropriate for that possibility. Occasionally people die because cold water does that.
15 comments:
Did the helicopter ultimately find the person? I noticed it searching until after midnight.
Dang Willy u tried! Odds weren't on there side but u still gave it hell trying to save them, doesn't help they were in one of the most dangerous places on the west coast to be in a kayak!
I shudder to think of the amount of people that the Landing crew has saved from a similar fate over the years. When will people begin to respect and prepare for what Tomales Bay has to offer the unprepared? One of the main reasons we utilize the Landing, even though it might be a few miles farther or a few dollars more, is because if these folks know we are supposed to be back, and do not, they will come looking and ring the bell. We have only had to call for help once, and someone was dispatched to our rescue immediately. And there was no hefty tab to account for it. Thank you Lawsons.
Outlaw
They're looking again today. So far only the kayak has been found.
Is there more than one person missing?
Only one.
Damn that is sad to hear. I will echo what Outlaw stated above. Knowing the Landing has your back gives all of us a little piece of mind. Good try Willy and Cameron, real glad you two didn’t become additional victims.
I would like to thank Cameron for leading the effort to save me a couple of Novembers ago. I was trying to load my 14-foot aluminum boat onto the trailer when I swamped it and found myself and all my crabbing gear in the water. Cameron, the tractor driver, reacted quickly to get other boats waiting to trailer to come and get me. I am 100% positive that if I had not had my foam life jacket on under my heavy, now wet, winter clothes, I wouldn’t be here today. As it was, it seemed I was already being swept down the beach and out to sea. Everything happened very quickly.
I see so many people out on the water without wearing life jackets, especially in low riding small boats.
Thank you Cameron and Lawson’s Landing staff for one (my experience) that turned out positive. I wish they all ended up like mine.
Heroic effort!!!
While I love living in DB, the sound of Coast Guard choppers searching the bay especially at dusk and afterwards is a bit haunting, we sure are lucky to have the dedicated professionalism of Willy, his sons and the Lawson's team preventing a lot more tragedies.
Thanks, guys, but we ain't the rescue squad. Actually, we were told by the Coast Guard, years ago, pretty explicitly, that we couldn't do it. So don't count on it. In this case there was a guy in the water right frickin there. You just run, because it's the right thing to do. I saw him, and he saw me, and he was asking to be saved, and I tried. I'm glad we helped you guys, the guys we did help, but don't count on it. You were lucky. I'm glad we could help when we did, but the most important thing is being able to help yourself. Firstly, by staying out of danger, and secondly, being knowledgeable enough to get yourself out of trouble when it comes. Be prepared, and know how things work. Thanks, guys, and I'm glad we could help the ones we did, but prepare for failure and do your best. We aren't lifeguards but we believe in karma.
Has the body been recovered yet?
God Bless Willy and Cam for trying, you can only do so much! You did your best, God takes the rest. Prayers and Condolences for the Family, Friends of the lost man. May you rest in peace Sir and Pray for the Family to have closure
No. Recovery efforts have ceased.
Wow! This story has so many lessons.
1. Always be prepared for the worst. VHF radio, lights, life vest, rope, anchor, bilge pump: manual and electric, flares, fire extinguisher, (depending on if you are in a kayak or a motor boat of course) at the minimum. Plus, bring
a solid first aid kit with blood clot, splint, gauze, truncate, elastic wrap bandage, and know how to use them.
2. If you see something concerning like maybe an so..os light flashing, it is your time to try to save a life so long as you are not putting yourself in a life threatening situation. If you get out there and find that it is not what you thought, well at least you have a story and if was what you thought, maybe you saved a life. Or at least you will be glad you didn't do anything and someone died.
3. Study the weather and tide forecast before going out!!! Have the tide and wind in your favor when you launch and return. And do know when conditions are likely too rough for the size of your boat.
4. I highly recommend taking a Wilderness Rescue/CPR class. I did it through this group last year and learned a TON! Well worth the money and I feel like I should do it every year to keep it fresh in my mind. SierraRescue.com
Probably more lessons I haven't realized yet.
I've rescued 2 people on the water. One guy was a fellow spear fisherman in a comp. in Manchester, CA. A rouge wave wave took out his anchored kayak and washed it to shore in Anchor Bay which if you know the place is basically shear cliffs and boulders where the water meets the land. We were the last 2 people out there and he definitely would have died if I didn't tow him swimming behind my kayak with a rope back to the parking lot 1/2 mile trip.
The other dude was basically a passed out dumb-ass (not my friend) who I and his other friend spent 3 hours looking for him on Lake Sonoma after a day of hunting. Gunning the boat at full throttle, spotting with a high beam spot light I had (lights!), calling for him on the radio (VHF radio) in complete darkness, we ended up finding him at 10PM passed out drunk pissed himself in 36F weather. All he had was a T-shirt and piss wet jeans.
I guess lesson number 5 is pick your friends wisely.
Stay safe people, and condolences to the lost persons' family and friends.
I've been known to have a drink now and then, but on the ocean? In my boat? Zip, zilch, zero, nicht, nein, nyet, nada, no way!
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