Dead kayaker

SAFETY FIRST!! Please read as no fish is worth dying for.
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4liters
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Dead kayaker

Post by 4liters »

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/articl ... otage.html
Chilling footage shows the final moments of a kayaker stranded in large swells before his body was found floating in the water hours later.

Jeremy Worthy, 43, was found dead off Long Beach, near Batemans Bay on the New South Wales south coast on Sunday.

Before his empty kayak was found washed up on the beach, Mr Worthy posted a final plea for help on Facebook.

He uploaded a live video at 12.21pm as he paddled through the swell, telling the camera he was exhausted from pushing against the strong tide.

'This is tiring, pushing me where I don't want to go,' Mr Worthy told the camera.

'Sitting here thinking, who wants to be an embarrassed fool, to ring marine rescue.

'It's not very peaceful, not very calming.'

He detailed his struggles to get back to Snapper Island near Batemans Bay as the current and strong winds pushed his kayak further out to sea.
Mr Worthy described the challenges he faced as waves surged onto him.

Before the video, Mr Worthy posted photos saying he 'got swamped' by the shore waves while heading out to fish.

He then posted a map of his location while in the kayak with no description.

A woman commented on the post saying she wished she had realised the 'reality of the situation'.

'I'm pretty sure this was his last call for help,' she commented.

'I'm so sorry my friend I should have called Marine Rescue when I saw you struggle long with the waves I thought you could deal with it.'

Emergency services were called to the beach about 12.30pm Sunday, just nine minutes after Mr Worthy posted his last video to Facebook.

A member of the public found an empty kayak and notified police before Mr Worthy's body was found between Square Head and Sandy Place.

An officer retrieved the body and provided CPR before paramedics arrived but he died at the scene, NSW Police said in a statement.

Friends and family of Mr Worthy flooded social media with tributes, remembering him as a 'good friend' who will be 'missed by all'.

'I can't stop watching this video. Jeremy I wish I had of seen this and called marine rescue as not long after you drowned. R.I.P I already miss your good morning text,' one woman wrote.

'So unfair fly high mate we know you're with your Dad we love you always & forever,' one user said.

'Can't believe you've gone just like that and I only seen you a couple days ago. Fly high mate, forever loved and missed by everyone you have truly been a good friend,' another said.
Just another reminder that you need to take open water kayaking seriously I guess.

I couldn't see what brand of kayak that was but it looks like a pool toy. He's not far from land and while the conditions aren't fantastic they don't look like anything that would swamp a decent yak. Winds that day were from the south and where he was is fairly protected from the south. Looks like he had a decent PFD which should've provided plenty of buoyancy, but the water temp was 17C which is enough to kill you in an hour or so if you aren't wearing something warm.
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maverick
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Re: Dead kayaker

Post by maverick »

Sad to hear and tragic. :cry: But really, post it to Facebook instead of ringing Marine Rescue :wtf: A radio may have saved his life, even a PLB may have assisted if he had activated it.

Preventable - probably.

Interesting to note, one of the last things I say in the Safety Video is that it is better to be on the shore wishing you were fishing, then on the water wishing you were on the land. This is exactly why.
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4liters
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Re: Dead kayaker

Post by 4liters »

Yeah I feel like that video you did came out at the right time. Maybe this gets a few more people thinking about safety.
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Re: Dead kayaker

Post by maverick »

A short arse kayak with a big esky on it, in the ocean - what could possibly go wrong?
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Re: Dead kayaker

Post by shane »

Incredibly sad and tragic. :(

This article and video should be mandatory viewing for anyone contemplating taking a short yak any decent distance from shore. The conditions were what I would consider relatively benign for an experience kayaker with appropriate equipment (kayak, safetey gear and clothing). But with someone out there lacking decent gear or experience the results can be tragic as this example shows.
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Re: Dead kayaker

Post by peatop »

shane wrote:Incredibly sad and tragic. :(

This article and video should be mandatory viewing for anyone contemplating taking a short yak any decent distance from shore. The conditions were what I would consider relatively benign for an experience kayaker with appropriate equipment (kayak, safetey gear and clothing). But with someone out there lacking decent gear or experience the results can be tragic as this example shows.
would also be good to see the people selling these kayaks informing customers that they are only toys and the dangers of taking them out in less than perfect conditions.
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Re: Dead kayaker

Post by mazman »

peatop wrote:
shane wrote:Incredibly sad and tragic. :(

This article and video should be mandatory viewing for anyone contemplating taking a short yak any decent distance from shore. The conditions were what I would consider relatively benign for an experience kayaker with appropriate equipment (kayak, safetey gear and clothing). But with someone out there lacking decent gear or experience the results can be tragic as this example shows.
would also be good to see the people selling these kayaks informing customers that they are only toys and the dangers of taking them out in less than perfect conditions.
Speaking from experience working at one of the places that sells said kayaks, there are some people out there who will ignore any warnings you give them regarding the suitability of a kayak and just see it as a cheap way out on the water. I can't comment on the kayaker who has unfortunately passed away but from what I've seen and experienced this issue goes deeper than people being uninformed
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peatop
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Re: Dead kayaker

Post by peatop »

mazman wrote:
peatop wrote:
shane wrote:Incredibly sad and tragic. :(

This article and video should be mandatory viewing for anyone contemplating taking a short yak any decent distance from shore. The conditions were what I would consider relatively benign for an experience kayaker with appropriate equipment (kayak, safetey gear and clothing). But with someone out there lacking decent gear or experience the results can be tragic as this example shows.
would also be good to see the people selling these kayaks informing customers that they are only toys and the dangers of taking them out in less than perfect conditions.
Speaking from experience working at one of the places that sells said kayaks, there are some people out there who will ignore any warnings you give them regarding the suitability of a kayak and just see it as a cheap way out on the water. I can't comment on the kayaker who has unfortunately passed away but from what I've seen and experienced this issue goes deeper than people being uninformed
True Alex but I've seen them being sold and the sales people didn't even mention a PFD, anyway l do understand and it's just unfortunate that they are used far beyond the purpose that they are intended.
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Re: Dead kayaker

Post by Rhino »

Oh Boy!
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