Local Accident...

[TheJoe]

http://galvestondailynews.com/story/265990

This happened yesterday at our local spot. He was kiting not windsurfing. I was not there since the wind was NNW/NW which is off shore. The spot is off of a levee that sits up about 20-30ft above the water. It runs north and south and the water is to the east. NW winds are frontal and gusty to begin with add the lay of the land and it becomes even worse.

From what I heard the man was trying to launch his kite and somehow his kite started looping. He got dragged across a cinder block mesh followed by some rocks that are in front of the water to keep erosion down. He was airlifted out there. My understanding it was a very bad accident.

The Texas City Levee is one of the safest places in the world to kite in most conditions. It is shallow and makes for a very safe place to learn. It is very open with lots of room to get away from the crowd. But in the wrong conditions the rocks and gusts become serious hazards. This just shows you how being complacent in your abilities or not understanding how the land effects wind can be dangerous. From the sound of it he was probably new or just learning. He may or may not have had lessons.

I'll keep you posted as I hear anything else.

[snowspider]

The kiter involved posted the event on another forum. Very experienced kiter had his kite set up to go ,then went to assist another kiter, went back to his kite and launched. During the time away from his kite the wind or whatever had wraped a line arround a pulley and he launched an immediatly out of controll kite. Start to finish he states the event lasted 3 seconds. Suffered multiple contusions and abrasions and lacerations. No mention of any helicopter rides and he states 8 bandaids to one of his wounds is a new record for him.

[Toby]

I hope he gets well soon!

So, he self launched his kite? With rocks etc downwind?

[snowspider]

Thats what it looks like.

[sleepymexi]

The kiter involved posted the event on another forum. Very experienced kiter had his kite set up to go ,then went to assist another kiter, went back to his kite and launched. During the time away from his kite the wind or whatever had wraped a line arround a pulley and he launched an immediatly out of controll kite. Start to finish he states the event lasted 3 seconds. Suffered multiple contusions and abrasions and lacerations. No mention of any helicopter rides and he states 8 bandaids to one of his wounds is a new record for him.

Just to be clear, the kiter you speak of and the kiter in the article aren't the same kiter. The kiter you're talking about injured himself on the Tuesday the 18th, the day of that huge cold front that blew through Texas. He was dragged over the cinderblocks, but thankfully stopped short of the rocks. He suffered an abrasion on his leg and cuts on his hand, and drove himself from the Levee. I know this because he texted me as it was happening. The man in the article was airlifted to the hospital and his injury occurred yesterday, which was the 2nd day of the front.

As far as why he self-launched, there were only 2 kiters at the spot during that time. He launched the other kiter, and then proceeded to self launch.

Here's the spot: http://g.co/maps/7ev28

[TheJoe]

I don't know the full details I was not there. I went to San Luis Pass the first day of the front which is good for a NW wind, and yesterday when the accident happened I was trying a new spot out. I was going to head to the levee after wards but I was sore from the first day of the front.

Apparently it was someone that did not know what they were doing. The kiter and a friend where walking the kite over the rocks to launch when they lost control some how.

[Peter_Frank]

Both were wearing helmets, or ?

Peter

[dylanj423]

hello there... new to your forum... i was the guy on tuesday... the winds were pretty gusty and from a bad location, albeit doable...

my kites are designed to be self-launched, i fly the peter lynn arcs... assisted launches dont really do too well with them...

i didnt come here to defend my actions, just to say hello... i hope that the other kiter will recover quickly, as his fate was very nearly mine... all i could think of while i was heading towards the rocks was "i need to hit that first one just right to launch myself over them"... pulling the safety didnt even get into my head... as i have mentioned, the whole event lasted about 3 seconds... i stopped about six inches shy of the rocks when my kite crashed into the water... then i could hit the safety...

surely my actions werent perfect, but those rocks sure are poorly placed... i have flown there a few times, it is where i learned, and i always got nervous around those rocks... and the cindermesh seems a bad idea, too... i know it serves a purpose, but it sure seems ill suited to kitesurfing...

anyways... sorry to hear of the other guy... but thanking my lucky stars i can at least move around, albeit painfully...

... so... where is a good spot in the area for a north/ northwest/ west wind? im gonna need to shake this experience as quickly as i heal up i had to leave without a session the other day

[Toby]

Hi Dylan,

good to hear you are ok!

Always remember, distance is your friend! And learn to activate the QR, no matter how little time you have! It is possible! It just needs training!

Get well soon!

Greets
Toby

[TheJoe]

... so... where is a good spot in the area for a north/ northwest/ west wind? im gonna need to shake this experience as quickly as i heal up i had to leave without a session the other day

Yeah I've seen you out there with your foils. For you it would be San Luis Pass. The other place is Baycliff spill way but it would be too dangerous for you to launch there the way you do. It's very sketchy launch and entry. Not the best place for foils and ram airs.