Matilda Raspy Nutmeg wrote: » I doubt the surfers were going to invent or discover anything useful when they were out.
Shemale wrote: » Depending on the conditions? Fastnet Lighthouse recorded gusts of 103 knots just after 9am. The guys on the bits of fibreglass with sails in swirling winds peaking at 190 kmph in open sea near rocks might be at less risk, given the two were rescued because they were 'in difficulty' I dont agree, but for the person on land that rang there would have been 2 more fatalities
Shemale wrote: » Apart from the coastguard and RNLI crew that stopped them from drowing.https://www.google.ie/amp/s/amp.independent.ie/irish-news/hurricane-ophelia/coast-guard-and-rnli-crews-rescue-two-kitesurfers-in-difficulty-off-east-coast-36231213.html
RustyNut wrote: » If we are going to charge, fine people who ignore weather warnings then surly the first people to be gone after are motorists who drive during the warning . The facts speak for themselves, if nobody went out in their cars during this red warning then nobody would have been killed. Do the fcuk them wind surfers (not kite surfers) people think that the people who end up under a fallen tree should be left to die or if they are rescued, recovered should their families be sent the bill or a big fine? Just for clarity the wind surfers were never in any danger, didn't require rescue and didn't call out any rescue services.
Jawgap wrote: » Maybe they were keen wind surfers and swimmers - but would there have been any harm in giving it a miss for just one day?
Jawgap wrote: » oh right.....so the rescue service should only turn out when the people who need rescuing make direct contact.....any calls from others should just be ignored? btw, the people killed were killed in chance events......falling trees. They didn't drive out and put themselves directly in harms way by parking under a tree, unlike the surfers and swimmers who 'went to the hazard' by going into the heavy seas. Maybe they were keen wind surfers and swimmers - but would there have been any harm in giving it a miss for just one day?
josip wrote: » I agree that the swimmers should have either skipped or if they really wanted to gone out earlier in the morning like the lads in Greystones. Jumping in from the 10m board strikes me that they were attention/thrill seekers though and not one of the 365ers.From what I have read and the pictures I've seen, conditions for the windsurfers in Louth weren't as severe. They weren't looking for attention and wind surfing is a sport that is designed for windy conditions. So I would differentiate between the 2 incidents.
Jawgap wrote: » I live on that coast and went down to look at / marvel at the sea. I've never seen waves as big on the east coast, and I work in a marine-related area and am an open-water swimmer so would have some familiarity with the waters around the coast. ...
Hitman3000 wrote: » If there is a red alert in place, idiots who ignore the warning and place themselves in danger requiring the emergency services should be prosecuted no If's or Buts.
josip wrote: » I also swim off the east coast and went down to the beach for a look (in the morning) the same as you. But according to the RED alert advice which some posters on here want to be the basis for prosecutions, both you and I are just as guilty of an offence as the wind surfers, and even the idiots in Galway. It would be impossible to frame legislation that would be both effective and not overreaching. I would prefer a system whereby during red alerts there can be no expectation of rescue for people who needlessly put themselves at risk. When I go out in our dinghy/hill walking/swimming I go out with the mindset that only I am responsible for my own well being. If a situation arises whereby I need the help of the emergency services, then it's quite likely I won't be able to anyway (eg. incapacitated/out of coverage) and will die anyway.
RustyNut wrote: » People probably said that about Benjamin Franklin and flying his kite during a lighting storm.
Jawgap wrote: » I live on that coast and went down to look at / marvel at the sea. I've never seen waves as big on the east coast, and I work in a marine-related area and am an open-water swimmer so would have some familiarity with the waters around the coast. I can understand why they went out - it must have been absolutely thrilling, and a pure adrenalin rush - but I just think it was pure selfishness. If they'd actually needed rescuing (they say they didn't) you wouldn't just have been talking about a heli crew and an RNLI boat, you'd have been talking about a fairly major search because anyone going in the water wouldn't be easy to find - their selfishness potentially put dozens of other lives (mostly volunteers) at risk. Also, that type of stupidity potentially encourages others, less able, wind surfers or kite surfers on to the water who might think they are as good as those lads but who find the conditions beyond them.
Donal55 wrote: » Why were the Good Samaritans on the beach in Louth if it was allegedly that bad in the first place? Shouldn't they have also heeded the Code Red Warning?
MadYaker wrote: » First of all if the kite surfers had been in difficulty they likely would have been separated from their equipment and then they wouldn't have even been visible from the shore since they would be in the water with only their heads above the surface. So if they actually were in difficulty nobody would have known and nobody would have called 999, unless they brought someone with then who was staying on the shore. They would have been on their own and they knew this. If anyone should been fined or penalised it should be the clueless busy body on the shore who was totally unable to assess the situation properly but still panicked and called 999 before the storm had even reached that part of the country. People need to use their heads in these cases. Those guys were well equipped to deal with the conditions they were out in and made their own way to shore since obviously they had read the forecasts and were keeping an eye on the time. That's what you do in windsurfing / kite surfing, it's not like hurling or football where anyone can just go buy the gear and join in. It requires a lot of training and practice and money to get to a level where you can partake safely without qualified supervision. This commonly held idea that these people (and others who engage in extreme sports) are wreckless idiots who put themselves and others at risk for cheap thrills is, in most cases, totally false and it pisses off to be honest. I'm sick of reading abusive comments online from idiots who have no idea what they are talking about. Several times I've come in from rough shore breaks at lahinch, fanore, mulloughmore etc in stormy conditions only to be lectured by some twat saying I shouldn't be out there who knows about as much about surfing as my grandmother does. Get qualified as a beach lifeguard and surf instructor or join the coast guard then you get to have opinion.
weldoninhio wrote: » Perhaps their house overlooked the beach?? There are plenty around Ireland that do.
Leroy42 wrote: » I didn't realise they had to pass a test and show their qualifications before going on the water. Is there a adjudicator on each beach or do you apply prior to it. Funny, that these guys are so well versed in the water and the wind etc, yet completely ignored the advice of experts on the basis that they know better. I think you are on to something though. We should let every person independently review the situation rather than base our actions based on experts. At the end of the day, everyone was told to stay indoors and not only did they not follow the advice, but actively put themselves in a dangerous situation. If they are such experts and respect the sea so much then they should be aware that they could potentially cause rescuers to risk their own lives should something go wrong. Purely for selfish reasons.
whisky_galore wrote: » Scuba divers heading out in boats regularly contact the coast guard, before setting out, leaving them know where they are and when they expect to be back and they radio when they get back to let them know everything went as planned. They don't mind doing this at all. And I know because I have made those calls.
MadYaker wrote: » Jesus. They didn't ignore the advice of anyone. They were out in the morning before the storm even reached that part of the country, they made their way in on their own before the conditions worsened. That wasn't by accident. If it was so dangerous then how was it safe for people to be walking the coastline?
Arsemageddon wrote: » It would be almost impossible to prosecute anyone for such an offence. The lads windsurfing in Dundalk were highly experienced and were out on the water hours before the storm had even reached the south of the country. They were in a far better position to judge what the risks were than some busy body on the beach. I'm not condoning the people swimming at Salthill or eejits taking selfies on a pier in a storm, just saying we can't regulate everything.
Arsemageddon wrote: » Fair enough, scuba divers generally do call ahead. However, I meant the likes of surfers, windsurfers, kayakers etc. Some posters think that it is standard practice to tell the coast guard or RNLI that you're heading out, which it isn't. The same goes for most small craft.
Jawgap wrote: » Well they did actually. The RNLI's advice, published on Sunday, was to be careful and stay away from the coast.......but sure what would they know :rolleyes:
MadYaker wrote: » These guys probably should have done that.
whisky_galore wrote: » Yeah, as if the coastguard would have said 'grand job lads, work away'... What part of the Coastguard's FB warning did they not understand? ...'strongly advises the public to stay away from coastal areas' (not just 'be careful') They have plenty other days in the year to play around out there. No means no. No discussion or interpretation. Just no.
diomed wrote: » You say the windsurfers were highly experienced. How do you know?
How can observers or the emergency services know windsurfers are highly experienced or not highly experienced?
MadYaker wrote: » I wouldn't say it's standard practice but I've done it in the past and so have many others, usually for events where a large number of people will be involved. If I had been going surfing on monday near a densely populated area I would have notified the coast guard in advance. These guys probably should have done that. They interpreted that advice differently, they didn't ignore it. They didn't stay out during the storm, they came in before the storm reached them. The RNLI and CG advised people to be careful and those guys took all necessary precautions and as a result they were never in any real danger. I don't know these guys personally but I've read posts by them in facebook groups that I'm also in. It may sound arrogant but to be honest someone who has years of experience and multiple relevant qualifications is justified in interpreting weather warnings differently to joe soap who knows nothing.
