Belize Fatality

[ricki]

A 41 year old man went kiteboarding on June 7, 2005 at approximately 2 pm off the east coast of Caye Caulker, Belize. The conditions were onshore about 16 to 18 kts. and sunny. The man had been kiteboarding for about 1 1/2 years and windsurfing for 6 years. He was self-taught in kiteboarding and was cautious and safety conscious by nature. He was always asking questions about kiteboarding and riding as frequently as he could working up to take an instructors course in the fall. He was the only kiter on the island.



The weather report the rider received before deciding to go kiteboarding instead of windsurfing due to uncertainty over the winds, is reproduced below.* It forecast east winds 10 to 20 kts. with "showery outbreaks." The man launched a 13 m Slingshot kite and rode out to the area of the reef approximately 1 mile from shore. He was then hit by a sudden squall which caused him to lose his board. No squalls had been observed up to that point in the day.



The squalls in the area typically last for 20 to 30 minutes and then pass over. The squalls are called "pass overs" for that reason. A police boat went offshore to render assistance as the looming squall had "white rain" or very limited visibility. The man declined a ride in by boat but chose to body drag in with the boat following along. The man body dragged into shore with building winds, side onshore from the Southeast possibly from the same squall that caused him to lose his board offshore. He was trying to land his kite with an assistant approximately 35 to 40 ft. from the brown wooden building shown in the photo below in ankle deep water.



He repeatedly tried to land the kite to an untrained assistant but given the gusting conditions and lack of the assistant's experience it was unsuccessful. Grabbing and holding on to a kite can be challenging even to experienced kiters in strong gusting conditions. He had been pulled in almost the waters edge at this point. The man hollered to go get the usual guy that helps him to land his kite from a nearby shop.

The man then tried to walk back offshore to continue to try to land the kite to an assistant. The assistant yelled to the man to ditch the kite. The wind gusts have been estimated to be 20 to 30 kts. to 30 to 35 kts. by witnesses. Winds aloft near the kite were estimated at 40 kts. plus during the squall.

The man apparently wanted to try to still land the kite conventionally. He tried to raise the kite to the zenith but was hit by a gust sweeping the lines through a flag pole on the beach. The wind gusted again pulling the man into the side of a tree near the waters edge. A bystander grabbed the man's ankle trying to hold him but the wind gusted even more ripping the man away and into then dislodging the corner wooden post supporting the roof of the single story building shown above. The assistant said he did see the man reach for his harness to apparently try to pull the emergency release and was heard to say "Oh No!" immediately prior to his striking the post. There were two people standing downwind of the kite which might explain the man's reluctance to pull his quick release earlier. The man suffered a severe injury to the back of his head on impact with the post. He was not wearing a helmet. He died shortly after the impact from his injuries.

* BELIZE WEATHER BUREAU
NATIONAL METEOROLOGICAL SERVICE

GENERAL WEATHER FORECAST
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DATE: 06/07/05
TIME: 6:30am
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GENERAL SITUATION: MOIST AND UNSTABLE CONDITIONS WILL SUPPORT SHOWERY OUTBREAKS!
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24HR FORECAST: GENREALLY CLOUDY WITH A FEW SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS MAINLY ALONG THE COAST THIS MORNING THEN OVER INLAND AREAS LATER.
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WINDS: EAST 10-20KTS.
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SEAS: MODERATE;