A report out of Ireland without some of the serious translation errors. Again, I am sorry for family and friends dealing with this tragedy. The causes of this accident can be fairly common in some areas which kiters should be aware of.
"The man drowned in a heavy surf off the Hua Hin beach
Elaine Keogh and Robin Schiller
December 20 2017 9:55 PM
A 43-year-old Irishman has died while kite-surfing in Thailand.
The man is understood to have been living in the south-east Asian country over the last number of years.
Local police said he drowned in a heavy surf off the Hua Hin beach after his line became entangled with a buoy.
The tragedy occurred shortly after midday local time today.
The Department of Foreign Affairs said it is aware of the incident and consular assistance is being provided.
According to local media reports, rescuers who pulled him unconscious from the sea tried to resuscitate him for at least 10 minutes but to no avail.
The man has been identified and police said he was a frequent visitor to the area. He was also married to a Thai woman.
Witnesses told the ‘Bangkok Post’ they saw the man’s control line become tangled with a buoy floating about 50 metres offshore, marking a swimming boundary.
He disappeared into the water and emergency personnel were immediately notified. Although rescuers reached him swiftly they took a long time to free him from his harness, and he drowned, police said."
https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/i ... 26156.html
It is worth noting that buoys can be common in some riding areas. Swim zone, lobster and crab trap buoys can be frequently seen in some places. They are very common in Florida for instance. Add in piling in some areas, rocky bottoms which might capture sinking line in shallow areas and there are a number of things to tangle lines on. We had a kiter have his kite go down on the water near a bridge in the Keys many years back. The incoming tidal current carried his kite under the bridge, his submerged lines were caught on oysters on the piling beneath the surface and the kiter pulled under and held there by the very strong load created by the current against the kite. The kiter was unable to unhook, fortunately a nearby fisherman dove in with a fillet knife and cut the kiter free in time. Another time a kiter was wrapped by his lines after wiping out in high seas and waves, then pulled under when the waves caught his kite. He was able to cut himself free with a hook knife despite being pulled under for extended periods. I had to self rescue about a month ago and worked hard to sail away from a swim zone buoy I had to pass on the way in to avoid a tangle. There is no one solution to these threats aside from anticipating and trying to avoid them. Carrying hook knives may help along with a suitable flotation aid, kiting with and keeping an eye on other kiters, etc.. It is something to think about, do your best avoid tangle hazards and go over various ways you might deal with a tangle should it happen.