Moin,
Schwimmweste (PFD, Rettungsweste, in welcher Variante) ist eigentlich IMMER Pflicht, egal ob das Gewaesser Strom hat oder nicht. Eigentlich schon wenn man das Boot auf den Steg raustraegt. Die meisten Opfer gibt's auf Seen, "denn da braucht man keine Schwimmweste, denn die sind ja schoen ruhig und das Ufer ist immer in der Naehe". Allzu oft wird dieser Trugschluss mit dem Leben bezahlt.
Ich haeng mal eine Zusammenfassung einer Studie der ACA an, die ich vor eingen Monaten fuer unseren Verband zusammengestellt habe (die Zusammenfassung, nicht die Studie). Eine der Kernaussagen der Studie -die sich nur auf offizielle Unfallstatistiken aus den USA bezieht- ist, dass ueber 80% der toetlich verunglueckten Paddler (Kanus weit vor Kajaks) keine Schwimmweste trugen. Unterkuehlungs- und Ertrinkopfer.
Im Fruehjahr braucht man hier nur Montags die Zeitung aufschlagen und mit schoener Regelmaessigkeit findet man dann dort Meldungen von Kanufahrern die auf dem See hinter der Huette gekentert sind, und aufgrund des kalten Wassers und Fehlender Schwimmweste leider nur noch tot geborgen werden konnten. Jetzt ist hier MAkrelensaison, da fallen dann auch immer einige Angler aus dem Boot und am letzten Wochenende hat's wohl wieder zwei erwischt, man sucht noch nach ihnen. Die Schwimmwesten und das Boot hat man schon gefunden.
Auch die oben erwaehnten Faltbootfahrer waren oben ohne unterwegs -jedenfalls das Opfer.
Ist wie's angurten im Auto, man sollte sich das Tragen der Weste von Anfang an zur Angewohnheit machen. Auch wenn man nur schnell ums Eck zum zigarettenholen faehrt.......
Hier jetzt besagte Zusammenfassung (Link zum Original im Text)
In 2003 the American Canoe Association (ACA) published “Critical Judgement”, a study on paddling fatalities based on data from the US Coast Guard’s (USCG) Boating Accident Report Database (1996 – 2000). “Critical Judgement” is available from the ACA office or online as download from >[
www.acanet.org];
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www.acanet.org]
The following is a summary of the most significant findings of this study, looking into the nature of canoeing and kayaking fatalities, and ways to prevent some of them in years to come. I tried to pull out the important numbers and messages unbiased. My personal interpretations or evaluations of the study are in italics.
Numbers and Correlations
Canoeing and kayaking are among the fastest growing recreational activities. Over the past 7 years kayaking by itself grew 182% in the USA, and still kayakers are outnumbered by canoeists 3 to 1. The most explosive increase in recent years was recorded in “recreational” kayaking, i.e. low cost kayaks (wide, short, stable, limited performance) more and more replacing slowly canoes in cottage country .
One can expect that with such an explosive increase of paddlers on all waters the number of accidents and fatalities increased as well. In 1996 the USCG database listed 43 Canoe/Kayak related fatalities. This number increased steadily, and reached 103 in the year 2000. Canoeists outnumbered kayakers 3 to 1 in fatality numbers, reflecting the larger number of canoeists on the water. Another factor is that canoes carry two or more persons, while kayaks in the majority are single paddler crafts. Thus a capsize of a canoe is more likely to cause multiple victims.
Most of the canoeing/kayaking fatalities are capsize related (75%). Other reasons are in single digit percentage numbers, and listed as “fell overboard”, collision with fixed or floating objects, swamped boat, and “other”. Bottom line is that fatalities of paddlers result out of immersion and subsequent hypothermia and/or drowning. Interestingly water conditions, classified by the USCG only in calm, or choppy to very rough, made no difference, and also water temperature was not decisive. Almost 50% of fatalies happened in water temperatures warmer than 65 F/ 18 C. Similar numbers of paddler fatalities occured after capsizing in conditions rated calm, or choppy to very rough water. However, more likely larger numbers of paddlers are out on calm, warm waters, than in choppy to very rough, cold conditions. Most recreational paddlers are not dressed for immersion, and the risk of capsize and hypothermia is largly ignored.
Water and weather conditions account for almost 45% of kayaking fatalities. This paired up with operator inexperience or other factors accounts for almost 90% of perished kayakers. These factors led also to the majority of capsizes/fatalities amongst canoeists. Interestingly alcohol as sole or additional factor was only found in fatal canoeing accidents (25%). A major cause for capsize of canoes was occupant movement and weight shift, in particular in calm water and weather conditions. Fishing from a canoe was frequently associated with desaster (50%). This numbers reflect that canoes are used as vehicle for other recreational activities, while kayaks are mostly used for just kayaking. Canoeists perish doing other stuff while in a canoe, kayakers die by paddling into places/conditions were they shouldn’t be.
Even if women make up nearly 50% of paddlesport participants, 90% of parished paddlers are male!
Closer analysis of narrative reports incorporated in the database showed that in many cases not wearing of PFD was a decisive factor. In many accidents fellow paddlers wearing a PFD survived, while those without died. In canoeing 83% of the parished paddlers didn’t wear a PFD, in kayaking 44% died not wearing a life jacket. A separate study showed that PFD use in kayaking is in general much more common (78%) than in canoeing (41%). Likely this reflects the risk perception as well as actual risk for the two groups. Kajaks are the dominant boats in white water and open water activities, while the classic open canoe is used for fishing and other calm water paddling, considered no or low risk. Likely the increasing popularity of recreational kayaks will take it’s tol, and shift those kind of fatalities partly from the canoeing to the kayaking classification. There is a correlation of inexpensive equipment and fatal canoeing and kayaking accidents.
Strategies proposed by ACA to prevent future fatalities
WEAR YOUR PFD ALL THE TIME, is propably the single most important message to get out to the boaters, followed by DRESS FOR IMMERSION. Legislature should make it mandatory to wear a pdf (ACA requests this only for those younger than 13?), and no drinking while boating needs more regulation and enforcement. The paddling community is a diverse group, persuing the activity for various reasons and with different intentions. ACA requests a more specific classification of paddle crafts, espcl. kayaks, in future accident reports (White water, touring, recreational) to allow better identification of risk groups. This would also avoid regulation of the wrong paddling disciplines. One goal of the study was to identify such high risk groups, and the one which stood out is the infrequent or casual paddler, most likly capsizing on calm water not wearing a pdf. Here education about risks and the right equipment (float bags in recreational kayaks!) and very basic skills training could already prevent a lot of the fatalities.
Other paddling activities, such as white water or ocean paddling, carry by nature a higher risk and require more advanced skills and knowledge to handle conditions.
Funding is needed to bring the safe baoting message to the population, legislature, and enforcement. Legislature and enforcement should consult and use the expertise of national/local paddling associations before new regulations are put in place. Funding to provide training opotunities for paddling instructors, paddlers, accident investigators, and other boat operators is needed. Boating related agencies should encrease staff with a paddling background to get insider perspectives. Funding to improve and standardize waterway signage to warn paddlers of existing hazards (i.e. dams, rapids) and to guide them around (portages).
Some take home facts:
-75% of fatalities examined were associated with canoeing
-82% of all canoeing fatalities were not wearing a PFD
-50% of canoeing accidents were caused by occupant induced capsize
-50% of the fatalities were fishing when the accident happened
-25% of canoeing victims were under alcohol intoxication
-90% of kayaking fatalities were caused by hazardous water/weather conditions and/or insufficient experience for the conditions encountered
-Inexpensive equipment is often correlated with lacking skills and know how of the operators