Airline Pilot dies while Snorkeling

[7milehi]

Press Release:LIHU'E, Kaua'i—A U.S. Airways pilot missing after he went snorkeling off North Kaua'i Thursday night was found dead late this morning in the waters off Kalalau Beach.
He was identified as AAA, 37, of Phoenix, Ariz.

He was last seen about 4:30 p.m. Thursday snorkeling off Ke'e Beach. A fire department and Coast Guard search lasted into the night and resumed this morning.

A tour boat spotted the body late this morning and reported it to the Coast Guard helicopter in the area. The Coast Guard crew recovered AAA's body and took it to Lihu'e for transfer to Wilcox Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

AAA had been scheduled to be first officer on U.S. Airways flight 47 from Lihu'e to Phoenix Thursday night. That flight was canceled when AAA failed to appear to fly it. The airline sent a replacement crew which was to fly the plane and its passengers as an extra flight, numbered US9037, today.



I know this was not a scuba death but a lesson can be learned. I've been reading on another website the currents and undertow off Ke'e Beach can be extremely hazardous. It is said the diving or snorkeling can be very nice with little to no current and within minutes become extremely hazardous. There is a huge reef about 200 feet from shore with several channels and during tide change the current can pull you out several hundred yards from the beach. People fight the current , get tired then panic.

 

[do it easy]

I've never had to fight current, but I've read that the thing to do is to swim perpendicular to the current (parallel to the shore). Would this work at Ke'e Beach?

 

[jayjoans]

You're thinking Rip Tide. That's what you do in a rip tide, swim parallel to the beach until you're out of it. Rip tides are usually pretty narrow, running from the beach out to deeper water, people often try to swim straight into shore, which is directly into a rip tide. If you swim parallel to the beach even just a few dozen yards you'll likely swim out of it and getting to shore will be as normal.

Currents are different, I'm not sure if there's a trick to getting out of a current, or there would likely be many fewer deaths/missings than there are.

http://ww2010.atmos.uiuc.edu/(Gh)/guides/mtr/hurr/damg/rip.rxml

 

[gangrel441]

You're thinking Rip Tide. That's what you do in a rip tide, swim parallel to the beach until you're out of it. Rip tides are usually pretty narrow, running from the beach out to deeper water, people often try to swim straight into shore, which is directly into a rip tide. If you swim parallel to the beach even just a few dozen yards you'll likely swim out of it and getting to shore will be as normal.

Currents are different, I'm not sure if there's a trick to getting out of a current, or there would likely be many fewer deaths/missings than there are.

http://ww2010.atmos.uiuc.edu/(Gh)/guides/mtr/hurr/damg/rip.rxml

Currents still work somewhat the same way. Swim perpendicular to or along with the current, depending on which will get you to safety first. Swimming against the current will still only wear you out and eventually kill you. If the current is a longshore current, swimming perpendicular to it towards land will still take you to safety, just perhaps a longer walk back to where you left your gear and car.

Remember...a "rip tide" is a misnomer. It is actually a rip current, created by the receeding tide funneling through whatever channel it has open. The technique of swimming with or across the current applies to all currents, not just rips.

 

[kamfan]

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/capress/cda_tourist_drowns

I read about another snorkler found dead as well. Makes me glad I took up scuba instead.

 

[haze diver]

It is sometimes tempting to go outside the reef at Ke'e when there are Sea Turtles munching on the sea grass, I've done it a few times. However, if you get swept by current when you are out there, you're screwed as you end up along the Napali coast with nothing but steep rock along the shoreline. I'm not speculating that this is what happened in this case, just a word to the wise.

 

[jon m]

yes, yes, been there many times...
let's just say, i've seen it as calm as a bathtub (good time to go out to the break and kick it with the Honu.) iv'e also seen kids SURFING IN THE COVE!! (two days later)
i would imagine these are the days were you "call it" and stay on the beach. but i have seen folks in the strong cross current created by water flowing over the reef and draining out to the right (facing the ocean) the current can be so strong, it's hard to stand in thigh deep water.
i think sometimes snorklers take chances divers would not, even though it "seems safer"....

 

[Boat Chick]

My condolences to the family. Very sad. I lost a high school friend in February, he was snorkeling in Fiji alone, and died.

 

[7milehi]

However, if you get swept by current when you are out there, you're screwed as you end up along the Napali coast with nothing but steep rock along the shoreline.

From what I just read on another website it looks like this is what happened.

 

[slackercruster]

Press Release:LIHU'E, Kaua'i—A U.S. Airways pilot missing after he went snorkeling off North Kaua'i Thursday night was found dead late this morning in the waters off Kalalau Beach.
He was identified as AAA, 37, of Phoenix, Ariz.

He was last seen about 4:30 p.m. Thursday snorkeling off Ke'e Beach. A fire department and Coast Guard search lasted into the night and resumed this morning.

A tour boat spotted the body late this morning and reported it to the Coast Guard helicopter in the area. The Coast Guard crew recovered AAA's body and took it to Lihu'e for transfer to Wilcox Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

AAA had been scheduled to be first officer on U.S. Airways flight 47 from Lihu'e to Phoenix Thursday night. That flight was canceled when AAA failed to appear to fly it. The airline sent a replacement crew which was to fly the plane and its passengers as an extra flight, numbered US9037, today.



I know this was not a scuba death but a lesson can be learned. I've been reading on another website the currents and undertow off Ke'e Beach can be extremely hazardous. It is said the diving or snorkeling can be very nice with little to no current and within minutes become extremely hazardous. There is a huge reef about 200 feet from shore with several channels and during tide change the current can pull you out several hundred yards from the beach. People fight the current , get tired then panic.

Is it ever a case where you get 'pulled under' from the surface...or just 'pulled out' to sea?

If just pulled out, then one just needs to float until the tides change to come back in??

I've never been caught in such a case, although have been in strong current underwater where I could not progress hardly at all. Luckily it was a wreck dive and had something to hold onto until I used buoy line to ascend.