An Unsettling Follow-up

This morning I received unsettling — but not completely surprising — news about the identity of a deceased kayaker from Appleton, Wis.

Before I tell you about it, let me take you back to March 4 of this year.

On that date, NEWP board member Bill Merrick sent an email to the rest of our paddle club’s board members to alert us to a photo appearing on the front page of the Appleton Post Crescent that morning. Here’s the photo:

Bill’s email to us said, in part:

I’m almost always happy to see the newspapers have coverage of kayaking.  But yesterday’s Post Crescent photo, attached, struck one of my biggest concerns.  An early spring kayaker, enjoying himself but completely wrong. This photo gives a false impression of how idyllic kayaking can be without recognizing the very dangerous practice this paddler is showing. There have been too many recent kayak deaths in NE Wisconsin due to this type of paddling. I propose that the club take a public stand stressing the correct safety elements for safe paddling.  I think this would be a great time to send a letter to the PC thanking them for supporting kayaking but stressing the need for cold water preparation.

The NEWP board agreed. At least two of us wrote to the newspaper that same day. Here’s board member David Horst’s letter to the editor, which appeared in the March 12, 2018 edition of the Post Crescent.

The P-C photo of the day Sunday was a very bad example for new paddlers.The U.S. Coast Guard reported 89 kayaker deaths in 2016, accounting for 24% of the fatalities in recreational craft, Fully 80% of the fatalities involved paddlers not wearing a PFD (personal flotation device). No matter what you tell yourself, you will not be able to put on your PFD after you flip, especially in the very cold water of early March. Your tan isn’t worth it. You can learn more about how to enjoy this sport safely by signing up for a North East Wisconsin Paddlers kayaking basics class at the downtown or Greenville YMCA. (www.wisconsinpaddlers.org).

David Horst, Town of Dale, NEWP Board Member

And here’s my email, which I sent directly to the Post Crescent photographer:

Thanks for featuring the photo of the happy kayaker. I’d like to request that your newspaper please run some sort of follow-up story about the risks of cold-water paddling and the steps everyone should take before attempting it. I paddled the river in Green Bay yesterday along with three other trained and knowledgable kayakers. We were each wearing dry suits and life jackets. We are also trained in self-rescue and assisted-rescue techniques (such as rolling) in the event we capsize. The guy in your photo is apparently unaware of what he should have been doing. He is not wearing a life jacket and is not dressed for immersion. If he were to capsize in water this cold, his chances of survival are not good. A great resource for paddling expertise in this area is Northeast Wisconsin Paddlers. http://wisconsinpaddlers.org/

If you follow this blog, you know that two days ago I posted here a story titled “The Myth of the Experienced Kayaker” in which I pointed out the dangers of paddling in cold water for those who are not adequately trained and equipped, especially this time of year in the Midwest. I posted my story after learning of the death of a kayaker on the Embarrass River in Outagamie County. I was interviewed for a story about kayak safety, first by the Appleton Post Crescent newspaper and then later by Fox 11 News in Green Bay.

Then today came the unsettling news.

Among our board members, David was the first to realize the connection. He alerted the rest of us that the deceased kayaker, Nate McBride, was the same person featured last month in the Post Crescent photo of the day.

My heart goes out to his family and friends. My hope is that this becomes a valuable safety lesson for others.