Sailor lost in Long Island Sound

[Scott T-Bird]

The details are sketchy so far but it appears that two persons went overboard from a sailboat which was being used for instruction. One person was recovered but another, it sounds like a 20-year old man, was not recovered ... not wearing a life preserver ... and not able to reach one thrown by the instructor.
http://interceder.net/i/boater
http://www.lohud.com/article/20107260331
http://www.lohud.com/article/201007...-fierce-squall-tears-across-Long-Island-Sound
http://www.wcbs880.com/pages/7771522.php?contentType=4&contentId=6530859

The squall was extremely sudden and intense. On Lake Hopatcong, we were anchored for swimming when we saw the cold front approaching. We just stowed the sails and motored in, not wanting to risk being out with lightning around. Because we were close to our mooring and live only minutes away, we were pulling into our driveway within half-hour of first seeing dark clouds approaching, and pulled into the garage just as the rain came sheeting down.

 

[Alan]

It's difficult to understand why the instructor didn't take more appropriate action sooner. I was out on the Sound and saw the storm approaching from the west. I headed back to my mooring in the bay and got home just as the sky opened up and the deluge started. My house is about 600yds from the boat mooring. From the time I decided to head in to arrival home must have been at least a half hour.
Long Island Sound is notorious for these kind of mid summer squalls and an experienced sailor knows to keep an eye out, especially given the high heat we've had lately.

 

[jibes138]

Really sad, so few people wear life jackets. When weather likes this kicks up that should be number one priority , then maybe getting the sails down. Having a comfortable fitting jacket goes a long way to actually wearing it when the conditions warrant it and why not just wear one all the time?

 

[Scott T-Bird]

I'd agree that the signs seemed to be evident ...

at least in our area, the sky was giving a fair amount of warning, but I would have to admit that it didn't look particularly ominous. We happened to hurry in mainly because we had excellent sailing conditions in the morning and we were basically ready to go in anyway. I noticed that there were a lot of boaters who didn't rush to get in.

The news reported this morning that a tornado may have touched down in the Bronx (at the time we got in and settled, I had the Yankees game on TV and was watching while they showed the storm coming in ... we had the rain by that time and it had cooled off so I was already thinking about getting out in the yard to clean up the debris).

I think that wearing life preservers is one of those things that some people will never adopt ... it's kind of like smoking, some behaviour is just impossible to influence with total success.

 

[Ross]

Re: I'd agree that the signs seemed to be evident ...

Someone was asking about the best PFD and my thought was and is the one that you will wear.

 

[jibes138]

I guess like motorcycle helmits. Some states don't require them so people don't wear them. If you've ever been hit in the face with a large bug at 65 MPH it hurts.

Scott I'm glad you survived the storm OK but how could you possibly be watching the Yankees? Get yourself a nice NESN account and switch to the Red Sox, You'll be glad you did!

 

[zeehag]

Re: I'd agree that the signs seemed to be evident ...

lol ross--again you beat me to it--lol------

geez--tornado in bronx?? yipes--last time i heard of any tornadoes in NY state was 1963 with carla--she spawned them down center of nassau blvd..LOL...we got to miss school and watch sideways rain-what a day!!!

 

[druid]

Really sad, so few people wear life jackets. When weather likes this kicks up that should be number one priority , then maybe getting the sails down. Having a comfortable fitting jacket goes a long way to actually wearing it when the conditions warrant it and why not just wear one all the time?

Again: LIFE JACKET???? What about a harness, so they don't go overboard in the first place? I hear so many stories of "the victim was not wearing a PFD..." implying that if he had, he would have been saved. But I don't hear ANY stories of "he was saved because he was wearing a PFD" - is that because nobody wears one, or because it's not news?

In heavy weather, WEAR A HARNESS. Period.
druid

 

[Paul Brinkley]

Hey Druid-
"...I don't hear ANY stories of "he was saved because he was wearing a PFD"..."

News people think bad news is good news, and good news is not news. That's why you don't see that many feature stories about events with good outcomes. If he didn't fall overboard and didn't drown, its not news! -Paul

 

[shemandr]

Zeehag:
You know Nassau Boulevard?

 

[zeehag]

Zeehag:
You know Nassau Boulevard?

lol--i grew up in garden city long island when the train was 1.50 to go to manhatten and when the subway was 10 cents to anywhere...LOL.....i8 lived near old country road and maxwell rd, went to roosevelt field to ice skate, and watched the blue angels fly out of mitchell field. hofstra was still a college as was adelphi...lol...hadnt gotten university status at that time..lol...

 

[Ted]

Small world! I also grew up in Garden City. Class or 70. Spent a lot of time drinking rootbeer floats at the corner drug store on Nassau Blvd. Hung out at Leo's when the drinking age was still 18.

The Long Island Sound is known for sudden summer squalls but you kind of know when the s#%t is going to hit the fan. It's hard to believe they were caught so unprepared.

 

[zeehag]

I also lived in Garden City. Class or 70. Spent a lot of time drinking rootbeer floats at the corner drug store on Nassau Blvd. Hung out at Leo's when the drinking age was still 18.

class 66. hamburger express was the place with that group--i dint hang out much----we move to st louis for age 19--i was in college in upstate for age 18 LOL..is a small world--

 

[tommays]

While its sad that someone lost there life it was NO surprise as the "sudden storm" was forecast ALL DAY and arrived pretty much on time

 

[T37 Phil]

There were two incidents in Lake Erie last week too. In one case, a swimmer jumped into the water inside the Cleveland breakwall and never came up. In the other, a reportedly experienced sailor of 64 years was caught in one of Erie's famous storms from nowhere. He struggled to drop sail and motor into a safe harbor. Unfortunately, lines had dropped in the water in the chaos and the prop was fouled. It's unclear to me from reports, but it sounds as if he went into the water to clear the prop. He was separated from the boat by a large wave and the two inexepienced passengers were unable to assist him.

A third incident resulted in no harm, at least no personal injury. A 36' catamaran went out from a marina east of Cleveland with violent storms imminent (a couple I sail with had ducked into that marina moments before to avoid the same storm). The cat dodged waterspouts but could not outrun the storm. Unfortunately, upon giving up they did not choose to ride out the storm. Instead, they tried to make it back through the narrow channel. They failed to get their sails down. In the channel they were lifted and in the process slammed into a metal channel wall. Everyone went flying, fortunately they landed in the net between hulls. The cat drifted into the marina with the sails still flying and one hull seriously crushed.

Lake Erie is known for 'sudden storms' and it's usually the unfortunate novices and the overconfident 'salts' who get caught in a bad way. On the other hand, if we only went sailing when there was no chance of thunderstorms, our season would be substantially shorter.

 

[shemandr]

GCHS Class of '74. Hamburger Express - what a memory!
Anyway, many times I forego using my boat, or keep trips close to home if severe weather is predicted. I've been in plenty of TStorms aboard including one which spawned a tornado nearby and don't care to repeat the experience.

 

[Ross]

There was a boat fire on the Susquehanna River Saturday. Everyone rescued by PWC three children were hanging on to one childs PFD. Why they were not all wearing PFD's is unknown.

 

[T37 Phil]

Ross, do you require everyone to wear PFDs at all times while away from the dock? My guess is they were inaccessible and perhaps blocked by the fire, or even burning in the fire.

 

[Ross]

Ross, do you require everyone to wear PFDs at all times while away from the dock? My guess is they were inaccessible and perhaps blocked by the fire, or even burning in the fire.

By law children are required to wear PFD's while on deck! My PFD's are in a locker in the cockpit that is never locked.

 

[T37 Phil]

Were they on deck when the fire broke out, or in the cockpit, or in the cabin? I like to leave the PFDs on the companionway under the dodger. Everyone wears PFDs forward of the dodger or after dark, myself included. How old were these children?