Camber fatality

[Al_f]

Terrible day at Camber in the UK today.

https://metro.co.uk/2019/07/20/kitesurf ... -10432409/

I unfortunately witnessed the results of this. The poor guy lost control when launching and hit the wall at the top of the sea defence, possibly the large rocks of the sea defence aswell(I couldn't see the beach side of the wall), and took a serious head injury which was not survivable despite a doctor being on the scene within 30 seconds or so.

Stay safe people and please if you see people launching in a dangerous spot when there is plenty of room further away from obstacles, give them the polite heads up to rig in a safer place. Some people won't listen but others will and though you'll never know for sure, we will save some people from terrible outcomes like this.

RIP to this kiter and wishing strength to his friends and family, please be mindful if commenting that they may well read the thread.

[Toby]

Sorry to hear.
My condolences.

Yes distance is your friend...and anhand at the QR when launching.
Barely anyone is doing this...result see above.

[RickI]

I wish the riders family and friends what comfort they can find at this terrible time. I am sorry you saw this but thank you for bringing Information for about the accident. I just learned about it but the News accounts all pretty much give the same limited information.

The news said the wind was about 20 kn and fairly steady? There was also better nearby sand areas to launch from? Do you think he caught a gust leading to miss controlling the Kite, he just slipped or you really have no idea? Sorry for all the questions. I guess the main point it was a bad place to launch and there are even signs there to that effect. Some of the press photos made the tide look particularly high on the shore with waves was that the case? Thank you

[iriejohn]

I was out yesterday morning about 90 miles west of Camber and yes, the wind was about 20 knots increasing to about 24 knots in the afternoon . I was on a 10m pootling around with no big gusts or squalls.

That's not a place I'd launch from. Sad for his family..

[Al_f]

Yes the wind was 20knots and stable, I'd been out on my 10 too.
Rick the pictures of the beach in the press reports were at high tide when the water comes up to the rocks but the accident happened only about an hour after low tide, there was still at least 60-80m of clear beach between the waterline and the sea defence. Most nearly everyone pumps their kite by the rocks then carries their gear out to the open sand to rig up and launch nearer the water.
Because I was on the carpark side where he ended up i didn't see exactly how far from the rocks he launched from but the other kiters said it was on launch that he lost control. Not sure if it was a rigging error,kit failure or pure control error, the kite was trailing lines across the car park and not safe so it got packed away very fast.

[longwhitecloud]

RIP So gutted for his family, such a terrible thing.

_______________________

I dont know what exactly happened but this is my opinion about kite safety in 2019.

Nearly always the same.. so f=÷ed up..

Kites are wings that can fly you 300ft in a 45 degree twist of a bar in high winds. People /companies/profiteers that go on about how safe kiting is today are 110% f=÷ wit kooks.

It needs care and attention and respect like it always did.

I did a dig for last year... found 18 fatalities.. and I didn't even look that hard cos it is pretty depressing, the positive side of it is knowing the truth and learning from it.

That is up there with paragliding....?!

People dont go and help others like they used to I reckon... they just seem to stand there and gawp commenting on the potential disaster... and entertaining themselves possibly.. or they are just simply kooks

Kiting is really epic no doubt.. creates a lot of happiness, but don't ever underestimate it.

[Kamikuza]

Condolences to those left behind...

[edt]

Sorry to hear.
My condolences.

Yes distance is your friend...and anhand at the QR when launching.
Barely anyone is doing this...result see above.

Do not put your hand on the QR when launching. I have seen people who do this. When the kite acts funny their first reaction is NOT to pull the QR but to move the hand FROM the QR TO the control bar (in order to control the kite better). Then and only then after they realize they can't control the kite with both hands the hand moves FROM the control bar back to the QR.

Start with both hands on the control bar, it will mean you don't waste 1/4 of a second moving your hand from the QR to the control bar, and then back from the control bar to the QR.

DO: practice your QR once per week. DON'T: start with one hand on the QR. It makes your reaction time slower.


I don't want to second guess the guy's accident what could have would have etc. Sometimes accidents happens I'm sorry for the loss for the friends and family.

[tomtom]

1+
DO: practice your QR once per week. DON'T: start with one hand on the QR. It makes you reaction time slower.

Optimally use your QR to connect and disconnect to/from kite every session

[tomtom]

BTW. how do you signal OK with one hand on bar and second one on QR?