30 year old woman missing in Argentina

[Bille]

...
.... But allowing yourself to be "talked out of" consideration for yourself and others? That's worse than being against safety all together.

Your correct !

If the woman had bin using a (GPS Personal Locator Beacon) ; this Thread
probably , wouldn't exist (.)

Ocean kiters --- do yourself and your family & friends a favor, and get
that devise i just mentioned above ; it could save a Lot of heartache.

Bille

[Onda]

...
Make a habit of asking yourself, what can go wrong and are you adequately prepared to deal with it, who knows where I am, how will I get back to shore if I can't use the kite, how long is my exposure clothing good for in these conditions, how can I signal for help, etc.,? Some sessions are best skipped.

A few years back , i had a guy give me a bunch of $hit , because
i had mentioned something about people
who kite, off shore in an ocean ; they should be using
(GPS Personal Locator Beacons).
I could go find the Thread , because i remember the
schmuck who told me that ; but i don't feel like being
shamed again.

This girls Odds of survival ; yep -- they would'a bin a Lot
better , with that devise.

https://www.google.com/search?q=GPS+Per ... e&ie=UTF-8

Bille

About those locator devices: Does anyone have a recommendation which to buy? The prices range from almost nothing to several 100 EUR. I guess there must be significant functional / quality differences between them.
Very good point btw to give us a heads-up for these devices. Want to buy one now.

[alexeyga]

If the woman had bin using a (GPS Personal Locator Beacon) ; this Thread
probably , wouldn't exist (.)

Sure, assuming that this Personal Beacon thingy had enough charge and that it works in Argentina at all.

If you've been long enough on these forums - there are some clear patterns.

Every time there's a death-loop related fatality - people stock up on rescue knives. Even though nobody really trains at what to do when a deathloop occurs. Neither anybody trains at how to get a knife out while getting dragged through water by a deathlooping kite... yet alone - actually use that knife.

Every time there's a lost-at-sea related fatality - first world folks stock up on Personal GPS beacons and safety vests. The fact that one shouldn't have been out in offshore, cold water conditions - to begin with... well, nobody seem to question that. Assuming that the GPS gizmo had enough charge in it and it actually works in Argentina - would rescue services reacted fast enough given how cold the water is? Can anybody answer that?

Root cause of these issues lays in lack of judgement and training - not lack of purchasable gizmos.

[PabloQ]

Dear, in a first post I gave the news, but I was busy these days. As said before, the sayings are contradictory in some cases and scarce. Punta Rasa is a spot with some peculiarities of strong currents, and there comes a point where the winds leave you off shore. To that we must add moderate to strong winds, cold temperatures (less than 10 degrees) and the water is also cold. That leaves him low chances of surviving beyond two hours. Although it took an hour to start the search, the helicopter did not arrive before two hours after the incident, and there was almost no daylight.
It was a bad decision to enter that day with so few people, and with adverse conditions.
Following the publications in this forum, and other news compiled around the world, an increase in fatal cases in the sport is seen, almost entirely due to the responsibility of the rider who, act or omission, is making small errors that add up to a great tragedy. Every incident is a sad fact, but it is sadder not to learn from what happens

[edt]

Two things.

1) NEVER deflate the kite when you pack down. NEVER!

2) NEVER full release the kite to swim in with offshore wind. They gonna find you if you are laying inside the kite while it's in a U position in minutes. If you are a head bobbing in the water, they never gonna find you.

I know you might be asking, but how do I swim to shore in offshore wind if I have an inflated kite? Well, it's easy actually. Turn the kite in a U position, climb inside it and start paddling. Loosen your harness and turn it to the side too to prevent it from digging into the kite. The U shape prevents it from catching wind and you will be able to easily paddle against the wind. Now if the current is so strong you can't swim back while you are laying inside the kite, it ain't gonna help you to ditch the kite and try swimming without it.

Anyway that's my two cents. Don't deflate. Don't ditch the kite in order to swim in if the wind is offshore. If the wind is onshore, full release is fine, both you and the kite will get washed to shore.

Not sure exactly what happened in this situation though, and my sincere condolences to the friends and family of this kiter. I just know kiters get rescued pretty easily even in offshore winds if they stay with the kite. If you get hypothermia and can't move your hands and feet to swim, or even the strength to keep your head out of the water, if you are inside the kite, you can last for over 24 hours with it holding you up.

[downunder]

I agree with not releasing the kite. However, we might suggest options till the end of time.

And teach/learn nothing. There is no authority on the web...

[Matteo V]

I agree with not releasing the kite. However, we might suggest options till the end of time.

And teach/learn nothing. There is no authority on the web...

That's the only advice that suggests you don't take it!

It's also the only advice which negates the very purpose of this forum, but yet it is given as advice on this forum to be taken.

Zen??? Possibly a drunk post?

[Toby]

From personal experience I can tell you it only needs minutes for one to drown.

Luckily I didn’t release my kite completely, if I had, I would have drowned. It’s a force that wants to suck you down into the deep when forced leave you.

It was after a 2 hours session in 18 degrees of water with a shorty…offshore wind, and I was only about 30m away from shore…it just goes so fast.

[Dave_5280]

I have the PLB1 locator beacon and it was $350 at REI, very small, GPS worldwide coverage, free registration, 7 year battery life on standby then they can put a new battery in it for $150. It doesn’t float but they have a newer version now that does.

There’s also 2 way satellite texting devices with some expensive monthly fees. Some don’t have complete global coverage depending on the satellite system they use.

Handheld marine band or even aviation band radio ( call planes overhead?), also HAM, are available in small sizes.

Handheld flares for marine use are pretty small.

[PabloQ]

From personal experience I can tell you it only needs minutes for one to drown.

Luckily I didn’t release my kite completely, if I had, I would have drowned. It’s a force that wants to suck you down into the deep when forced leave you.

It was after a 2 hours session in 18 degrees of water with a shorty…offshore wind, and I was only about 30m away from shore…it just goes so fast.

I agree, we all know in a booklet everything that we should not and what we should. But in a session of pleasure that begins to complicate. A kite that does not relaunch, a current that takes you with the wind away from the beach, cold despair and fear. It is a cocktail that matures to make a decision worse than another. And I think this ended like this.
What I am going to say is not checked. But I think that in desperation, already moving away from the coast, he chose to swim by releasing the equipment or deflating it. and maybe it was the last mistake. That is why they cannot find it. A team that deflates if it disappears. and a team without its rider with +20 winds moves much faster and leaves any logical search range.
And a person swimming in the sea with wind, strong currents and waves and cold is not only disoriented but the panic is exponential.
They are sad news and facts for everyone.