Windy point 5-7

[Chris Hipp]

Did a couple of dives on the LCRA side with an OW class yesterday. Very windy and the water had pretty high waves. Visibility was about 5-10 feet. Surface tempature was about 72-73 and about 60 at 50 feet. I didn't do much sight seeing(sp?) since it was a "working" dive.

Does anyone know what was going on with the park rangers yesterday? There were three or four boats, a chopper, the sherriff's dept and a news crew. I didn't care enough to ask anyone what was going on though.

 

[Satshark]

Did a couple of dives on the LCRA side with an OW class yesterday. Very windy and the water had pretty high waves. Visibility was about 5-10 feet. Surface tempature was about 72-73 and about 60 at 50 feet. I didn't do much sight seeing(sp?) since it was a "working" dive.

Does anyone know what was going on with the park rangers yesterday? There were three or four boats, a chopper, the sherriff's dept and a news crew. I didn't care enough to ask anyone what was going on though.

A windsurfer and a pontoon boat collided by Windy Point. The last I checked, they still haven't found the winsurfer. All of the emergency vehicles showed up at Mansfield Dam and used a fisherman's boat for thier search. They called off the search after a couple of hours due to the conditions being so bad and that they weren't 100% sure of the exact location of the accident. Since this happened Saturday, I would think the body will float up today or tomorrow.

 

[tx.lakerats]

why wouldn't a windsurfer just jump off his board if he was going to hit a boat? (I've never windsurfed - just asking a question)

Regards to the family though....

 

[Chris Hipp]

There was one guy setting up his sail and was having a lot of trouble doing it, probbaly his first time. He was also getting in the wake from passing boats so maybe he timed it wrong and hit the boat.

 

[Satshark]

There was one guy setting up his sail and was having a lot of trouble doing it, probbaly his first time. He was also getting in the wake from passing boats so maybe he timed it wrong and hit the boat.

According to the news, he was a UT grad student, only 22 years old. They are still looking for his body.

 

[Chris Hipp]

Found this on the news 8 website:

UT grad student dies in windsurfing accident
5/9/2005 4:27 PM
By: Associated Press

AUSTIN -- A University of Texas graduate student has died in a windsurfing accident at Lake Travis.

Authorities say the victim was 22-year-old Joshua Whitham.

The search to find his body was to continue Monday.

Investigators say Whitham was windsurfing about one mile west of Mansfield Dam on Saturday afternoon when his board collided with a pontoon boat.

Officials say Whitham never resurfaced.




A friend of mine that drove down there with me was out on a jet ski around the same time and remembered seeing him out there, he was not wearing a life jacket. It probably would have saved his life.