Dan Mayhew 12/11/22 #32845

These are my personal safety takeaways from Saturday’s ordeal. I offer them to continue the conversation of paddling safely on the Bay. I welcome constructive suggestions and ideas.

1. I will always carry my fully charged marine radio with DSC signaling.
   1. Trying to use voice communication on a VHF marine radio in big conditions is next to useless.
   2. I sent May Days verbally on Saturday, but the CG said they were very faint and offered no actionable data.
2. If I ever need to hit the DSC emergency button again, I will continue to hit it as I change locations.
   1. When I hit the DSC button, an alarm went off in the Coast Guard boat and flashed my coordinates. The coordinates show exactly where I was at that time, but the DSC signal does not update unless I hit the button again. They went to my first coordinates and couldn’t get a visual on me. It was the multiple signals from each successive hitting of the button that led the CG to me.
   2. Note: When you hit the DSC button it also broadcasts your location as needing immediate assistance to all watercraft radios in the vicinity.
3. If I find myself, or a fellow paddler, in trouble I will call much earlier in the process than I did on Saturday.
   1. I will first and foremost depend on self-rescue, however, I won’t postpone calling for help if the odds are not clearly in my favor, or the favor of the person in trouble, to make it to safety.
   2. I will work on a protocol for making these decisions so I don’t wavier in an emergency.
4. I won’t paddle potentially big conditions tired.
   1. I have recently upped my lifting routine with a third lift day on Fridays. For the last few Saturdays, I have not had nearly the energy I had during the season.
5. I will be very weary of wind with an Easterly component, particularly if there is a chance the winds might get big.
6. I am going to examine my boat strategy for the Bay.
   1. I love the Flex, but clearly, I didn’t have control of it in the conditions on Saturday. I need a boat or boats that I can handle if the conditions get big on the Bay, and that I can chase Dean around on the flat water. Sounding like two boats.
7. I am going to find another leash design that isn’t so complicated and restrictive.
8. I am going to change how I carry my radio and how it is leashed to my PFD.
9. I will not use poggies of any sort in big conditions.
   1. I have Toaster Mittens that keep my hands very warm even after being submerged in the Bay. While in the water, I can take them off, use my warm fingers to use the radio, and quickly put them back on. I couldn’t do that with the gloves I was wearing under my poggies on Saturday.
10. On potentially big days I am going to dress for prolonged immersion.
    1. My gear was fine for a couple of dunks, but inadequate for anything beyond that. (Editor: All of these takeaways are very important but I have added bold here, because I see this one skirted too frequently where this incident took place)
11. I am going to do a better job of researching tide, river flow, and wind prior to a downwinder.
    1. I got up late on Saturday, saw the opportunity for a downwinder, and relied on the chat at Marine Park. I am not sure I would have made a different decision, but I will be more informed for the next.

allipp@…12/12/22 #32846

Thanks Dan. This opens up a lot of other questions. SInce you and Paul seem to peruse the archives of this site, I think you may find that the prevailing consensus was that VHF radios were the ticket and that EPIRBs and other devices may take too long for a response. Now, though, with new technologies, and knowing that DSC GPS points are only sent when the button is pushed, that may change the thinking. Would an EPIRB have resulted in you being rescued more quickly? Would an apple iwatch track GPS location at all times when you push the emergency button, or would it be more like the DSC function?

zach 12/12/22 #32848

Wow Dan - Amazing story of survival in horrible conditions. i learned many useful practical things and will share this with the paddlers I know.

I am curious what amount of clothes you had on, what the temps were, and how long you think you were out there in and out of the water. I know what I wear at various temps, but I have never actually tested it in the way you did.

From your well written account it seems like your brain cells bounced back from the hypothermia just fine!

zach

Brandon Nelson 12/12/22 #32849

Dan, WOW!!! What a story. What a close call. Congratulations and great work on surviving it! So many good takeaways here. I can’t express how grateful we all are that you pulled it off!

Thank you for sharing, and stay safe and warm!
Brandon

Eric Grossman 12/12/22 #32850

Dan,
I’m glad you and your brain are recovered to read your account and fine prose and with you paddle again

While on the beach after Denise arrived and over the 30-45 min that we and our fine Fire Dept were assessing where you might be and surmising how to relay that to Rescue 6 boat I was wondering if and how well the GPS distress button worked and was locating you. It’s a black box to all of us, because we don’t get the feed and instead have faith that emergency responders do. Fire Dept was asking us where you were last seen or could be, so they apparently don’t get the feed.

I’m wondering if (1) we should set up a Google map with shared GPS feeds for big days, DWs, and any other times people want to take extra care and that (2) paddlers take their smart phones and/or real-time tracking device (inReach?) and make sure they are sharing it to the Google map.

Denise and many of us could have shown or called your position to the emergency responders and safety boat and saved at least 30 min maybe more.

There are probably better ways to do this but to get the discussion going. Not sure about the other challenges tossed at you - maybe we revisit the leash thing - I use a shorter dog leash to my waist, easier to remount, for another email.
Eric

John Rybczyk 12/12/22 #32851

Wow Dan, that's a long list of headings and sub-headings! The fact remains, however, that you did nearly everything right that day.

A further reflection regarding your comments and our paddling community; A few years ago, my uncle crashed his motorcycle and barely escaped with his life. After a full recovery, he sold his damaged bike and vowed never to ride again. This, I think, is how many normal people respond to such incidents. But amongst us paddlers, when things go awry, the solution always seems to be that we need another boat!

Reivers Dustin 12/12/22 #32854

Well posted. Man, you had a lot of time in the water. Very similar to my experiences when trouble hits. Every string, button, leash, flap, snap … everything about your equipment will foul itself when the wash hits. People have come up with very ingenious items. But the complications are un-imaginable once in the soup.

One major question: according to the original “Rescue 21” program and the resulting implementation of Digital Select Calling (DSC) the panic button function is described as continuously sending digitally coded position transmit to the equipped Coast Guard station. This transmission is initiated by the button and continues until the battery dies, equipment fails or the Coast Guard station transmits a halt function code to the sending station. You can't stop it. Something is wrong here because I would not think to hit that button more than once. AND MAY NOT BE ABLE TO. Perhaps Bellingham Station (an early adopter - thank goodness) has something different going on. I'm worried because it is very difficult to voice transmit. This is my problem with phones. In the past (before DSC) it was really hard to talk the CG boat to my location. Also, 911 dispatch from your cell is not oriented to marine distress. The news said that's how CG got notified (not via DSC).

Also, regards PLB's, the originals depended on orbiting Sat's with a many-hour latency (disregarding emergency service response times). That has improved and works great for vessels or hikers in trouble (hours not minutes). But we've seen how great these trackers work for events. Bear in mind, the CG legally has 30 minutes to mobilize from first call. They have to assess, assign and orient crew and pre-flight gear.

We've got history with these Easterlies.

rd

beau whitehead 12/12/22 #32855

Just to add more info to all this, Collin Smith stopped by my fire station at Marine Drive/Bennett Ave (around 12:05pm, 911 call came at 11:05) and grabbed a pair of binoculars. His plan was to head out towards Marietta and then Lummi Shore Drive. We both quickly realized that with the easterly wind, no shore based operation from Fairhaven or Bellingham was gonna be worth a s#%t. Our on-duty Battalion Chief was also heading that direction.
(Dan Mosely was scoping out Squalicum Beach & Romo was in charge of Locust Beach)
Within minutes of Collin pulling into Cliffside Park at Marine Drive & Alderwood Ave he watched the CG boat rushing to and picking up Dan.

Toby Cooper 12/12/22 #32859

Thank you Dan for the fully-detailed write-up. The winter ocean, any ocean, is a tough playground but you sure proved your strength and resourcefulness in a survival situation.

I write for the San Juan County papers on a freelance basis, and after this I am of a mind to do a story on the rescue crew – their training, their preparation, how it feels to pull off a successful rescue when it’s really, really needed. “First Responders” can never get too much applause from the community.

Can you or someone get me an initial contact? Also, who took those pictures?

Thank you,

Toby

swellrider62 12/12/22 #32862

A quick thought on last known location, prevailing winds and current… Given an unknown condition as to whether a paddler is still attached or separated from craft can greatly affect search location. Boats move with the wind, a person in the water tends to move with the current. This could potentially be in opposing directions if separated from craft.

Dan Mayhew 12/12/22 #32868

Toby,

I agree, first responders need to know how much they are appreciated. Vince was driving the rescue boat. I believe his last name is Warner. There were two other crew members. If you call 360.734.1692 they will know exactly who you are talking about.

The photos on the CG boat were taken by the crew.

Dan

Paul Reavley 12/12/22 #32870

I'm not sure I have converted Dan's reported coordinates completely correctly??, but I believe you can enter the following in your browser search box or a maps app to see at least close to where Dan was picked up.

48 45.6200, -122 33.2700

Also, one perceptual illusion I tend to fall into is thinking of the usual landings at the upper end of Bellingham Bay as being “north”, when the shoreline is really angled from the southeast to the northwest and you have to kind of head northeast to get to most of them even if you are close to the shore when you pass by Marine Park. - it increases, for me at least, the perception in the upper part of the Bay that I am being pushed west even more than is really the case - when the reality is that most of those takeouts require some paddling toward the east even when the push is primarily from the south. When there is push from the east, it's almost like the shoreline configuration and the push are both working against you for the usual north shore takeouts.

Dan Mayhew 12/12/22 #32871

Having a radio with DSC saved my life in this case. There are other options that may be better as Alan was asking about.

There is some research to do. I hope to have more info and more collaboration to find the simplest, most reliable solution for the Bay and beyond over the next few weeks. For now, I will keep my DSC enabled radio close.

Paul Reavley 12/12/22 #32876

On Mon, Dec 12, 2022 at 08:55 AM, Reivers Dustin wrote:
This transmission is initiated by the button and continues until the battery dies, equipment fails or the Coast Guard station transmits a halt function code to the sending station

The HX870 and HX890 manuals description once DSC is activated:

When the distress signal is sent, the transceiver listens on CH70 until an acknowledgment signal is received.

If no acknowledgment is received, the Distress Alert is repeated in 4-minute intervals until the Distress Alert Acknowledgment is received.

When the Distress Alert Acknowledgment is received, a distress alarm sounds and Channel 16 is automatically selected.

The display shows the MMSI of the ship responding to your distress

Press the PTT button and state your name, vessel name, number of persons on board and the distress situation, then say “over” and wait for a reply from the acknowledging ship

To turn the distress alarm OFF before the radio retransmits the Distress Alert, press the [16/S] key or the [QUIT] soft key.

Is my guess correct that they do send a Distress Alert Acknowledgement? If so, I would like to know whether the CG uses DSC polling to get new position fixes once their rescuers are deployed or whether they have to rely on our resending the DSC alert to get position updates? Notice that if you inadvertently press the 16/S key or the QUIT soft key you will be turning off that DSC 4 minute auto repeat until you press the DSC button again on these Standard Horizon radios.

allipp@…12/12/22 #32877

Would wearing an apple watch with the emergency feature be a viable option? It's on your wrist and easily accessible, but if it goes to 911, then through to the Fire Dept Rescue and/or the Coast Guard will that cause a delay?

Here are the details. Has anyone used this feature?

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT206983

Jeff Hegedus 12/12/22 #32878

Dan, is your radio registered? On the way to Larrabee to pick up dry clothing and a car, the DSC signal was apparently received by rescue personnel, and we received a call asking if you had DSC capability. I'm unsure why the call was made if the radio was registered, and as Peter pointed out, registration might be something not commonly considered. Also, Dan, THANK YOU for such awesome sharing of your story. And your smiley picture :)

Coast Guard Rescue - Safety Takeaways
gsouthstone 12/12/22 #32879

Recently, Apple announced that their new phones/watches are taking the first step toward satellite connectivity by providing this emergency feature. I think it also allows simple text messaging.

Use Emergency SOS via satellite on your iPhone 14 - Apple Support
support.apple.com/en-us/HT213426

The European use of SafeTrx is impressive but I don't see how it could be adapted for the U.S.
https://www.rya.org.uk/knowledge/safety/keep-in-touch/safetrx

A couple of years ago, the Coast Guard newsletter announced the upcoming implementation of a maritime version of “911”. I contacted the local Coast Guard station long after the expected activation date to find out more, they had never heard of it.
G

David Hooper 12/13/22 #32883

Here's a chart from Coastal Explorer, with Dan's position (as close as I could mark it) from Paul's coordinates. Paul's absolutely right about the coastline trending NE after the buoy, making us feel like we're heading out into the Bay even if still going due north. That said, Dan's position was well west of the buoy by the time he was picked up. If it had been a summer low tide, he could have walked home on the mudflats. But tide around noon on Sat would've been about +7 ft., and he was still ~a mile from shore.

paul clement 12/13/22 #32887

I marked the location of where the boat was recovered acording to my Strava track. This gives an idea of the amount of Easterly in the bay that day. There was a tremendous amount of debris in the water from just West of the concrete plant to the western edge of the Nooksack delta.
pc

Dan Mayhew 12/13/22 #32890

Thanks Jeff. As I mentioned in the other sub-thread, my radio is registered.

Morris Arthur 12/13/22 #32893

The conditions, trajectory and experience that Dan describes are quite familiar from a local perspective.

If you're doing a downwinder from Wildcat and the easterly wind component is such that you can't maintain a course east/right of the Post Point buoy, then it's quite likely that you can't hit Squalicum Harbor.

Even if you could make it to the Delta in a non-hypothermic condition, it's not a safe way out.
You or a partner should start arranging for a rescue after passing left of the buoy.

…And DSC worked out well for Dan, but the Coast Guard would also *really* like to talk to you in those situations.

Morris

Tim Niemier 12/13/22 #32899

A few weeks ago I bought the standard HX890 from West Marine and paid a bit more for it than getting it on line. The only slightly more difficult part for me was to set it up for Canada and the US because I paddle and boat up there sometimes. The cost to register in Canada and the US for me was $185 on top of buying the VHF itself. I don't know if is cheaper if you just register in the US.

There were and I suspect are still other options for a small devices that are cheap to buy, where you hit a button and they come and save you however they cost a lot of money like $100 or so every year where as the VHF option,

Tim Niemier

robcasey 12/15/22 #32911

can u operate the watch with neoprene gloves on?

Tim Sturtz 12/12/22 #32847
Thanks for sharing the story and safety takeaways Dan. It sounds like quite the harrowing experience and I'm glad you came out of it okay.

I often wonder about striking the right balance between overheating and immersion preparedness. You mention wanting to be prepared for immersion in the future, but I'm curious what your gear setup was on Saturday. A 3/2 full wetsuit? A shorty? Hydroskins?

Tim

Dan Mayhew 12/12/22 #32853

To answer the gear question, I was wearing a 3/2 NRS farmer john with a Nike dry-fit long-sleeve shirt. I had a 1 mil Vaikobi vest and the new Mocke paddling jacket on as well. I wore wool socks under R4 Patagonia wetsuit booties. On my hands were thin NRS paddling gloves covered by Braca-Sport poggies. I had a thin skull cap on.

I am an unreliable narrator as far as time goes. it felt like a long time after I first attempted to send the distress signal to when the CG arrived. When I spoke with the boat captain he told me it was 10 minutes. Maybe only my last three attempts at calling were successful? I have no reason to doubt the CG's account of the timing.

My Garmin was recording the paddle, but the data was lost when the battery died before Paul's amazing retrieval of the boat. I do have the coordinates of where they picked me up. Those are 48-45.62N, 122-33.27W.

I like the idea of working on methods to reduce our time to rescue. So much of it is knowing when to call for help, and then of course how and using what devices and channels. I am up to contribute to these efforts in any way that is helpful.

I cannot say it enough. Thank you all for your concern and efforts. When you are hanging on the side of a boat in cold, rough water it is abundantly clear that you are alone. But I wasn't was I? Not with what you and the rescue teams were doing. I am very grateful.

beau whitehead 12/12/22 #32858

Dan, the paramedics told me to tell you “sorry” for having to cut some of your gear off. They said they tried to cut as little of the “expensive lookin stuff” as they could.

I told them that getting a wetsuit off is hard, even on the best of days.

Waterman Larry 12/12/22 #32860

Hi all,

As a fellow winter paddler and marine casualty investigator I have followed Dan's story with great interest. Good job Dan, Good job everyone involved!

What are the water temperatures in Bellingham Bay this time of year?

We are at about 44 degrees water temperature now in the gorge and cooling. My self rescue a couple of weeks ago included 5 remounts and approximately 30 minutes total in the water. I was just barely dressed adequately with the following:

4/3 Mateus Dante wetsuit with separate Excel neoprene hood
Full Drysuit over wetsuit
7mm booties with wool socks
black plastic mechanics gloves inside of neoprene pogies.

This rig is adequate for 60 minutes survival conditions at 45 degrees based on me testing for 30 minutes in 45 degree water.

I can't paddle in less than 25 average wind with these clothes as I require constant splashing to keep core temperatures down. Fortunately, the winter downwinders are often in the 30's and 40's keeping me wet and cooled down. (super fun, just like summer).

The hoodie is crucial for the survival swim and can be flipped down letting my head cool off when I am sweating heavily which happens when under 25mph wind.

I will be adding my 1mm drysuit insert over the wet suit and inside of the dry suit soon as water temperatures decrease.
I will be adding my 2mm drysuit insert over the wet suit and inside of the dry suit soon as water temperatures decrease a bit more.

In the wintertime, I paddle in two conditions only:
over 25 mph average downwind with full clothing as above (awesome conditions in winter).
under 10 mph with light gear such as a 4/3 wetsuit only with or without hoodie. In 45 degree water, one 4/3 wetsuit is adequate for sudden immersion shock protection and allows you 10-20 minutes of immersion to remount in 35-45 degree water.

Between10mph and 25mph average wind, I don't paddle in the winter unless a big wind dies on me. Why? I can't wear enough clothes to survive the swim as I will over heat while paddling. So I only paddle flat water and big downwinders all winter. Mostly downwinders as I like to erg as much as I like flat water paddling. Since I can't dress for the swim in medium conditions due to the heat, I just don't paddle medium conditions until April or May.

When my steering failed recently, I was kicking myself for not practicing paddling with no rudder more often. By the end of my self-rescue, my Strava shows I averaged over 3mph with no rudder at all allowing me to exit at Home Valley safely and with boat. At the beginning of my self-rescue, I had come within 20 minutes of abandoning my boat and swimming due to lack of practice paddling with no rudder. 5 remounts during my learning curve. Lack of practice is on me.

This summer, Mary and I plan to become proficient at various forms of self-rescue and assisted rescue techniques.

Thanks everybody for discussing this survival topic!

Larry Goodson