RIP
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The accident.
A female kiter (name with held for respect of family) was fatally injured yesterday.
1) she was NOT a beginner, she was NOT being taught. She was preparing for a down wind trip with several other competent kiters.
2) she was also a competent rider who could ride both directions and come upwind, she was on a 7M core kite.
3) It WAS an accident - there was no wrong doing other than preference for riders as how to launch.
I also agree that the kite should be water side when launching.
She was launched with the kite on the shore side, not lagoon side.
Somehow she lost control as the kite was climbing to 12, there was no kiteloop that I saw...I was there.
The kite started pulling her, she resisted and yelled to her to let go, push out push out! same as others did but were not close enough to grab on. She tripped and was pulled head first towards a wooden fence retaining wall. When we attended her, she was unconscious and at first not breathing, she starting breathing on her own and we did the best we could to help her open her airway. But she did not regain consciousness. We did not know her lungs were filling with fluid, it was not blood. But here breathing was worse and worse.
An ambulance WAS called immediately. The time to get there was a little over 10min, she was rushed to the local hospital where she was immolized for transport to a larger hospital in Fortaleza.
Sadly she did not make the trip to the second hospital.
There was nothing anyone could have done after the incident to have saved her, it was severe head trauma and possible broken neck as per a bruise I saw on the back of her neck.
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE do not turn this post into a circus or witchhunt...we all lost a sister yesterday and we should all Mourn, pray and practice safe kiting together.
Accidents happen, they are tragic...if people use this incident to further their own agendas it only hurts us all and adds more insult to injury. I will watching further posts and hope people are sensitive in what they post.
Remember, this is a FIRST hand account, now you know the truth.
Be safe.
David
Altijd klote om dit soort dingen te lezen.
Coringa had een 5 sterren sessie in Katwijk airtime met maar liefst 18 - 28 knots op zijn Switch kiteboarding Element (2014)
caas had een 3 sterren sessie in Scheveningen met maar liefst 23 - 30 knots op zijn Wainman Hawaii Rabbit Gypsy (2008)
Ben daar zelf geweest, is daar geen veilige ruimte om kite op te laten en zijn daar nog steeds electriteitsdraden bij het water...
Uit andere reacties lijken er twee mogelijke oorzaken te zijn:
- micro haak die ingehaakt blijft na een stuurfout / vlaag combi
- niet loslaten na een stuurfout / vlaag combi
In beide gevallen resulterend in een loopende kite en te dicht bij een erf afscheiding.
Helaas.
Echt ontzettend sneu dat zoiets naars in dat prachtige oord moet gebeuren. RIP
sjoerdsantema had een 5 sterren sessie in Playa Chica met maar liefst 17 - 25 knots op zijn Blade Prime (2010)
Rust in vrede, dit mag niemand overkomen in onze mooie sport.
jorush had een 3 sterren sessie in Kijkduin met maar liefst 16 - 20 knots op zijn SlingShot Fuel (2011)
Tip als je start nabij opstakels (als het niet anders kan)
doe dit unhooked, zonder dan maar op 1 manier aan je vlieger vast te zitten.
1: houd met 1 hand je chickenloop beet
2: met andere hand de bar om te sturen
zodra de kite omhoog is gegaan en je heb uit de gevaren zone
haak in...
Start ingehaakt.
1. check je quickrelease op werking
2. maak goede afspraak met starter, hij checkt, jij checkt, duim is loslaten.
3: houd met 1 hand je quickrelease beet
4: met andere hand de bar om te sturen
Houd je kite laag, en richting water.
Er valt uiteraard altijd over te twisten, maar ik stuur een kleine kite liever niet unhooked.
--Remco-- had een 1 sterren sessie in Lemmer met maar liefst 6 - 10 knots op zijn SlingShot TurboDiesel (2006)