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Old 02-27-2008, 12:29 PM
Coach Coach is offline
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Join Date: Feb 2008
Posts: 16
Default Lucky to be alive...kitemare gone really bad.

Thanks to the following guys who came to my rescue Tuesday, Feb 26th, at the backside of the skyway. Good friends, quick to respond. Thanks John (Skemp), Bob, Scott, Herb and Toby. I don't ever post on this but it's important that you guys know how appreciative I am. Spent last night in the ER, coming home late last night. Mild concussion, nasty knot on the back of my head, low grade whiplash, 4 inch laceration that needed dermabond, slightly dislocated right hip, bruised ribs in the back. I am fine and home now. Upon finally recalling exactly what went down -- at least this is how others relayed it to me, combined with what I recalled this morning, here is what happened. Figure I explain it now so I don't have to tell it a hundred times. First of all, I don't see how this incident could have been avoided. It was NOT rider error. Apparently, a bridle line(s) snapped - I have not examined the kite yet, but I recall the bridle lines hanging off the kite when John wrapped the kite up. Bridle line(s) snapped when I was about 300 meters directly off the launch area, heading slighly NW towards the skeleton of the boat in the water. I heard a snap and then the kite apparently (according to Scott who watched the whole thing), went into a down loop. Wind seemed to be about 20-25 knots and I was on my 12 Cab SBI, which I always ride in those conditions on my tiny SS Doyle 125 board. Kite went into the most f'ing powered up loops I have ever seen or certainly felt. SW wind, again, pretty healthy. I managed to get out of the hook and I figured, as usual, the kite would eventually crash and stay in the water. I got dragged about 700 yards, at about 25 mph (according to Scott, again) and I was able to get out of the first two safety systems and was getting dragged by my leash, which is very stretched out and the bar/lines/CL were about 4 feet away and I was UNABLE to break the final safety system to break the kite away and let it fly. My harness got spun around and i could NOT access that little shit ass red loop on the Mystic harness, which after further review is a BAD system in this situation, IF you have it hooked up as the handle pass system. Bottom line, the kite did not depower and kept looping, only crashing two times, according to Bob, and only for about 2-3 seconds. They said I was fighting the entire time and that they could see me fighting to break the kite loose. Anyone who has been pulled in these conditions by a hard pulling kite like this knows that when that lease is stretched out and you are attached to it, even a guy as big and strong as me has no chance unless you can break the kite away. Anyway, got pulled under and over the water, almost drowning on the way for about 700 yards. The longer I kept going, I immediately realized that this kite was not going to crash or stay in the water. At one point, Scott said that I had stopped for a couple of seconds and that it lit me up from 0 to 25 again a couple of times. I realized the kite wasn't coming or staying down as I approached the skyway/highway near the little bridge, heading towards St. Pete. I knew it was going to be bad as there are NO trees there, mangroves, anything but a 3.5 foot chain link fence. I knew I had one chance left - that when the kite hit the ground and I got yanked hard onto the oyster laiden rocks and concrete there, I may be able to dive forward and grab that little o-type ring above the CL on the Cabs' that breaks away the kite. ONE LITTLE TINY TREE grabbed the wing tip of the kite long enough for me to do this. I got slammed into the rocks/beach and managed to break it away and it went into into the grass on the other side of the fence a few feet from rush hour traffic. Apparently, as I don't remember much, John was sprinting down the shoreline and arrived first - sorry mate if I don't remember much. Anyway,Bob, Scott, and Herb were soon behind and Toby to follow, riding downwind from the beach. Pretty banged up but happy not to have been pulled into the highway and killed. I have been in many situations in my four years of kiting, some caused by my own stupidity while learning and some not. But this was a first. Aren't the bridle lines about 800 test? Certainly a percentage more than the regular 600 pound riding lines, correct? And this kite is in good shape and not compromised in anyway. I was using the handlepass loop on the mystic harness and a slingshot lease that had NO release point at the harness. The Mystic system with that little red loop/grab does work, but when the harness gets turned around at a 45 degree angle and the kite is pulling you from the back, where it attaches behind the rider, the little red grab handle is NOT readily accessible. I was fighting like crazy to find it but I could NOT. And, the CAB flying saucer type ring that breaks the kite away by the CL was way out of reach as I was being pulled by the leash. I tried to get free of my harness as well but that Mystic fits tight and I was directly connected, as I take the one side hook out and run the straps through instead of using the little hook so it fits better and stays better. I was unable to get out of my harness. Anyway, I am alive - without exaggerating, it was the scariest thing that has ever happened to me - - I had PLENTY of time to grasp what was about to happen to me as I was fully powered up, being pulled by a powerful kite at about 25mph towards rush hour traffic on the skyway, finally crashing down about 12 yards from being pulled into the "shit". Thanks for all your help mates. Thanks for staying with me, looking after me and spending what seemed like a couple of hours watching over me until I seemed good enough to move on. I moved on right to the ER, as I pulled over and heaved out a gallon or so of saltwater and got a massive headache which turned out to be the concussion. I will let you guys know where the bridle lines broke when I inspect the kite tomorrow. Thanks again, John, Bob, Scott,Herb, Toby,Reno, Ryan. Imagine that, Toby to the rescue - I think he rescued my board! If I left anyone else out And thanks for the tons of phone calls I got this morning - Eric, Jeff, Brooke, Randy, Reno, and others. If I left anyone out, I apologize. Still a little foggy. Thanks fellas. Bill Eastburn
 

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