[ricki]

Our kite lines, to date anyway are poor semiconductors. They often melt before the rider is toasted but not before the kite is lit on fire at times. We don't use it in kitesurfing but monofilament line (fishing line) has caused some kite fliers to be electrocuted. Have no doubt about it, if you contact those high tension powerlines with a good conductor you will be electrocuted - that is killed. Either way, the breakers on the transmission lines are opened and a bunch of people are without power and looking to jump on whoever killed the power.

Trouble is sometimes, we don't stay on the ground but are pulleyed right up to the lines. There was the case of the young guy in Dunedin, FL and a particularly nasty accident in England some years back. The kite flies over the lines, contacts them and reels the kiter right up to them. The guy in Duneden was lucky, he was reeled up only part of the way and then dropped on a steel traffic barrier. Could have severed his spine but very fortunately did not. Look at what happened to the guy in England.

"83. Incident # 5 03 1 "Severe Lofting & Powerline Accident" Location: Camber, England, UK
Date: May 2003 Participant account included: Yes Number of independent accounts: 1

Summary

An experienced kieboarder was out in 20 kt. side onshore winds with a 12 m Naish X2 kite. As he was riding towards the beach he was hit by a sudden strong gust that lofted him about 20 m (60 ft.), on to the beach. Other riders were out when the gust hit but this rider was closest to shore and presumably was the only one that couldn't activate his kite leash. He tried to open his unspecified snap shackle but it would not function. As he discovered this situation he was flying at speed towards a rock groin.

The rider considered his two choices including: 1) to take the kite through zenith and ditch it into the sea risking a second lofting (probably onto the groin) or 2) to fly the kite into the beach at the slight risk of the kite going over a set of 3 phase, 240 volt power lines. The rider chose the second option and had flown closer to the power lines. So once he dove the kite to the beach, it had gone over the power lines. At this point he was standing on the ground on one side of the power lines with the kite on the other.

Before the rider could figure out how to release his snap shackle he was hit by a second strong gust. This gust relaunched the kite. The kite pulled the rider up towards the powerlines about 8 m (25 ft.) above the ground. He slammed head first into a bungalow roof on the way up breaking the back of his Gath helmet open and sending it flying off. The kite pulled the rider along the powerlines towards a wooden power pole. He hits the power pole and wraps his legs around it. He then lifts his control bar on top of the pole to where the rear kite lines lay of each side of the power pole. The lines short the powerlines with electrical sparks erupting. With the next gust his control bar breaks in two resulting in the activation of his kite depowering leash. He then slides about 1 m down the power pole, cutting into his hands with the 4 inch nails driven into the pole. He then leaps away from the pole on to the roof of a house and in turn on to a dune behind the house.

The rider suffered head lacerations requiring stitches and other cuts to his hands. He also had some hand burns caused by the electrical short. His Gath helmet was broken apart by the impact, his impact vest was heavily punctured, his wetsuit was substantially sliced, his control bar was broken when a 1 inch section of his spreader bar hook was apparently melted by the electrical arching. His kite was undamaged. The top of the power pole was charred by the electrical short. The rider had stopped using a helmet the week before when he decided to no longer use a board leash. He had cut his head on the garage door the morning of the accident and so chose to wear his helmet that day to protect the cut.

Lessons learned

1. Strong gusts usually are associated with visible weather conditions such as squall clouds. Use care in weather planning prior to riding and continuously monitor conditions while you are out. If unstable weather appears to be on the way in, land well in advance of any change in conditions and thoroughly anchor your kite, take off the lines, etc.
2. Always maintain an adequate downwind buffer zone when you ride. Keeping a minimum 60 m or 200 ft. buffer zone and preferably more is prudent. If you ride near hard objects consistently, one of these days you might be lofted/dragged into them.
3. Always wear a good helmet, impact vest, gloves, whistle, etc. while kiteboarding.
4. Use a well maintained, regularly tested quick release system with a reputation for reliability. Despite these steps you may have insufficient time to open your QR prior to impact or it may simply fail to open. Special consideration, care and maintenance are obviously indicated with regard to your QR.

Commentary

This was a "spectacular" accident and it is remarkable that a fatality or more serious injury was avoided, apparently by luck. If the rider had not worn a helmet on this day, he might have well been killed on impact with the house or seriously concussed with associated substantial brain injury. Many riders conclude that "if you don't use a board leash, you don't need a helmet." This conclusion is obviously FLAWED and not supported by the accident experience. Helmets have helped to reduce or even eliminate injuries on lofting/dragging impacts. On the other hand the helmet shells have failed on several occasions upon board impact. Riders need to use a QR to improve the odds that they will be able to release their bar and activate their depowering leash in case of an emergency. Assuming that your QR will work is not necessarily supported by the accident experience. Special maintenance, testing and care are indicated to improve the odds for proper QR functioning. Then there is the part involving the high tension powerlines. It is almost miraculous that things worked out as they did. The rider apparently wasn't effectively grounded and so wasn't electrocuted. Even more miraculous was the effect of the contact arching conveniently melting his spreader bar hook and thereby allowing the depowering of the kite."



Use your head, pick good locations, check your gear and weather. Avoid powerlines, it isn't that hard to do in a lot of cases.