Paddling News

Anyone hiring out a kayak should be required to ensure that it, and the hirer, are well-equipped, says Nelson coroner Ian Smith. New Zealand - Anyone hiring out a kayak should be required to ensure that it, and the hirer, are well-equipped, says Nelson coroner Ian Smith.

He has released findings from an inquest into the death of English tourist Rupert Edward Martin while he was kayaking alone in Golden Bay on November 5, 2005.

Mr Martin's body was found on Parapara Beach the day after he took out a kayak supplied by the Shambhala guesthouse at Onekaka, where he was staying with his partner.

Mr Smith said that when Mr Martin's body was found his lifejacket had ridden up above his head, suggesting it was neither a good fit nor well-secured.

The lifejacket did not have a drawstring, the zip was halfway down and neither of the two buckles was fastened, he said.

"Even though the lifejacket was of NZSS standards, it was inappropriate in its use as a kayaking lifejacket."

Mr Martin was wearing a woollen cardigan and a fleece jacket, but their insulating effect was compromised by a cotton T-shirt underneath and cotton jeans.

Mr Smith also concluded that the only safety equipment Mr Martin had with him was a whistle attached to the lifejacket, which given the weather, would have been "of little use".

The kayak had no paddle leash, VHF radio or emergency flares, and Mr Martin did not have a cellphone.

"Generally this kayak should be suitable to use in very sheltered conditions, or within 100m of shore.

"The kayak manufacturers should, in my opinion, by law have to state the safety limitations of the craft and other basic safety information on kayaking.

"No safety briefing was given and no intentions are known to have been recorded, even with basic information."

Mr Smith said there were "compelling" similarities between the death of Mr Martin and that of 37-year-old Mark Stephen Cubbin, who died while kayaking alone in Tasman Bay on November 3, 2004.

They included the fact that both men were kayaking solo, the "extreme" delays from the time the kayakers left the beach to when the alarm was raised, and the fact that both men drowned secondary to hypothermia.

The chances of finding Mr Martin earlier would have "considerably increased" if police had been notified of his absence earlier in the day.

Mr Smith recommended that all kayak retailers ensure a paddle leash was fitted to kayaks and a velcro wrap attached to the centre of the paddle.

He also recommended that kayakers be encouraged to dress appropriately for cold-water immersion, check the local marine forecast before launching, carry suitable rescue signalling equipment and fill out an intention form before leaving.

He wants the recommendations to be mandatory for anyone hiring out kayaks, and recommended that kayak safety information packs, put together by police search and rescue team-member Senior Constable Hamish Blanch, be distributed as widely as possible.

Mr Smith ruled that Mr Martin died of accidental drowning secondary to hypothermia.

Source: stuff.co.nz