Suwanee Kayakers lost...

“http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/02/28/kayakers.lost.ap/index.html

Got in technical trouble when the surf picked up....
last edited: 2/28/05 8:21:59 AM”

“somebody's gonna get sued for sure on that one - which is a shame. Hope the kids are found safe on a beach somewhere.
last edited: 2/28/05 8:41:23 AM”

“somebody's gonna get sued for sure on that one

Especially since there has been foul weather warnings across north Florida all weekend.

Inexperienced kids kayaking in the gulf in the face of bad weather.

You have to wonder though about the rest of the story. What did information did they leave out?

Scarey stuff. There but for the grace of God go I.”

“Somebody should make these types of activities safer. I mean, who wants to do stuff that you can get hurt doing? Me? I'm hiring a person to walk five feet behind me on my next hike to keep an eye on me.”

“There have been many who make this mistake. I know of a few, that have almost lost their lives in the Gulf. It looks flat like a lake, No waves, But in an hour it turns into the North Atlantic.”

“This pretty much sums up my apprehension at attempting gojo's trip.”

“Me too, dayhiker.
The Gulf ain't for beginers.”

“Story says nothing about them being dead....?!”

“It says their bodies were found, this isn't a phrase that's normally used in reference to live people.
last edited: 2/28/05 1:09:34 PM”

“Bodies of Two Teen Kayakers Found
Monday, February 28, 2005

SUWANNEE, Fla. — Rescuers found two 14-year-old Georgia boys dead Monday in the Gulf of Mexico, two days after they became separated from their school group during a kayaking trip off the northern Florida peninsula, authorities said.

The bodies of Sean Wilkinson and Clay McKemie of Rome, Ga. , were found with their overturned kayak about 5 1/2 miles west of the Suwannee River, the Coast Guard said in a statement.

They had become lost Saturday while kayaking with a school group in an area about 100 miles north of Tampa. They were believed to have been wearing life vests.

The boys had not been seen since they set out with eight other people who traveled to Dixie County from Darlington High School in Rome for a kayaking and camping trip.

The other eight were found Sunday about seven miles from the mouth of Suwannee River, said Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (search) spokeswoman Karen Parker.

The group had headed north in the Gulf of Mexico and intended to skirt the coastline for 4 1/2 miles until arriving at Coon Island (search), where they planned to spend Saturday night, said FWCC Capt. John Burton. The group, which included several kayaks and canoes, was led by a motorized catamaran raft.


During the trip, the choppiness of the water and the inexperience of the kayakers led some boats to get separated from the group, Burton said.

As the catamaran neared Coon Island, a chaperone on board began circling back to try to round up some of the lagging boats. But the boat's motor quit as it began to get dark.

All but one of the kayaks tied up to the raft, as 2 to 3 foot waves developed in the gulf amid scattered rains and high winds, Burton said.

About 9 p.m. Saturday, one of the chaperones, with a teenager, began searching for the missing kayak because they thought they saw a light in the distance.

But they became lost as well, and the two paddled for three to four hours until the chaperone was finally able to use his cell phone. He called his wife in Georgia, who then called the Coast Guard.

A Coast Guard helicopter located the six kayakers tied up to the raft at about 3 a.m. Sunday and a rescue boat brought them to shore. About an hour later, the helicopter located and hoisted the kayak with the chaperone and teenager aboard.”

“I was cliking on the link in foxnews...it kept coming up with the story of the search...”

“The text I posted was from the link I posted earlier.”

“I did a google search on "Missing Kayakers"...WHOA!

Kayakin' is a skeery bidnes' pardner!”

“Now that's depressing.

But from the second article...
They were believed to have been wearing life vests

What does that mean "believed" either the bodies had vests on or they didn't.


The group, which included several kayaks and canoes

Canoes?
They were using fricking open canoes in the gulf? Who thought that was a good idea?

I try really hard to give youth leaders a bit of slack when I see these reports cause well, I've been there. I've seen the various scenarios play out from inept leadership and poor training to excellent leadership and training completely ignored by headstrong kids to all participants being prepared as best as can be expected and it still not being enough. Problem is when I see things like using canoes in the Gulf, "believeing" that life vests were used and ignoring weather reports it really raisies my hackles.

And frankly after the hack reporting about David Dinwiddy's mishap I have to question the accuracy of all reports.
last edited: 2/28/05 1:19:39 PM”

“But from the second article...
They were believed to have been wearing life vests

What does that mean "believed" either the bodies had vests on or they didn't.

[i]

A couple possibilities, HPM:

-Authorities hadn't released that bit of information on the body recovery yet, confirming they had on life jackets. So the reporter reports what he/she had heard from others, that when last seen the kids had life vests on. So you say "reported"... it's not confirmed.

-Or they weren't wearing life vests when found, although everyone thought they were. Then it's a discrepancy and you might say "reported."

"Reported" is a hedge, a "write-around."

Whatever... very very sad and tragic. The leaders should never let the kids out of their sight. I can't imagine this, but I'm scared of open water... well, water, period. Quite a healthy fear, in fact.”

“Weather it's hiking, kayaking, mountaineering or whatever; if you're in agroup (especially novices) always have a sweep man.”

“You also have to remember reporters almost never get the story completely correct.
The person writing the news story probably has never been in either a canoe or yak.”

“Stovey, phhhht!

I don't know if the concern is vests weren't on (and some organizer is at fault)... or that they were on and it's not being reported...”

“LOL
I knew that would get to lizs. ;-)”

“The concern is both.

Clarity is not too much to ask from a journalist.”

“HPM, say the family said to you, "They were wearing life vests," while the authorities say, "No, they weren't."

In deference to the family -- and the chance the ocean ripped the vests off -- I'd say they were "reported" to be wearing them. Maybe the family, or teachers, stress that's important to them, that it be in.

If enough people tell the reporter the last time they saw the kids they had them on, even if the authorities didn't see vests, I'd feel obligated to put it in. But I'd say "reported" because it wasn't clear.

Would you rather the reporter say, "The teacher swore the kids had their life vests on, 5 kids could remember them having them on, 3 couldn't, and authorities said there were no life vests on the kids."

Would there really be some purpose in putting all that in the paper? No, I don't think so. Not trying to pull the wool over anyone's eyes, it is instead done to be compassionate.

Maybe a later investigation will prove it one way or the other. But not at the moment.”

“I can also tell you of an investigation where drunk high school kids went ATVing the night before graduation and one got killed. It was my co-worker's nephew, so I heard all the behind-the-scenes stuff, half of which is not public knowledge. It sure didn't come out in court.

The kids moved the body from where it was orginally flipped off the ATV. The kids hauled it around in a pickup for whatever reason, whether to take him to an ER, but then perhaps thought they better just drop him off and plead ignorance. I think that fact was discovered at least a week after the funeral. (So a second story would have differed drastically from the first story in this instance, and both would have had accurate information at the time.)

The police didn't investigate well either. It's a whole mess and the truth will probably never be known.

I know this hits a bit close to home, HPM. So what would you have a reporter do? What would you want to know?”

“Here's an idea. The families can sue the kayak manufacturers. Surely they knew that those kids were going to use those kayaks in bad weather. And I bet those kayaks don't have signs glued to them that say something like "WARNING Kayaking can be hazardous to your health."
>
Easy money from deep pockets.”

“Lizs you complicate the matter too much. It is very possible to clearly articulate the scenario and identify missing data without going to absurd lengths.”

““Somebody should make these types of activities safer. I mean, who wants to do stuff that you can get hurt doing? Me? I'm hiring a person to walk five feet behind me on my next hike to keep an eye on me.”
Nigal
9:30:35 AM
2/28/05


Nigal......I'll do it if the scenery is nice........


LOL>.hahahahahaahahaaha”

“HPM, no sometimes it's not. Maybe authorities don't want that information released at this point for whatever reasons. There could be 101 reasons you or I can't fathom as to why that word was used and used appropriately. Maybe shartks had eaten parts of the body and authorities see no need to make the people involved feel any worse than they already do by making that public.

I think the scenarios mentioned adequately illustrate why "reported" might be used. Maybe the focus instead should be on why this trip was undertaken in the conditions and why the kids were left by themselves.”

“Is too!
Is not!
Is too!
Is not!
Is too!
Is not!
I know you are but what am I?
I know you are but what am I?
I know you are but what am I?”

“HPM - you couldn't have summed it up any better.”

“Did not!

;-)”