how

the


fark


was he hit by a boat travelling at 20 knots ?


glad he is ok though

fark take care and get well pete

At approximately 15:23 on the 30/12/2013 I was kite surf training with a mate off Quinns Rocks WA 6030. We were both using 19m Ozone Edges on standard 27m lines.
I was heading toward the shore upwind on a SE heading at 30kmh.
I was looking in the direction of the heading for waves and obstructions when I was hit from above and behind with a huge force, at first I thought it was a shark but as the aluminium hull passed over me I realized it was a boat.
I was dragged under the water towards the rear of the boat and then I was suddenly pulled forward and up the side of the bow hitting the anchor located on the front of the boat where my kite lines had got caught and passed over the anchor (the kite had powered up as it was dragged by the boat and had pulled me forward and away from the propellers. This saved me from the possibility of horrific life threatening injuries). At this stage the boat stopped and now seemed to lurch up and down with the bow hitting me several more times around the head. I managed to kick off the side of the hull away from the boat, the first thing I noticed was the sheer size of the 40ft boat above me and in big letters the word ???RESCUE??? - how ironic!
I was eventually pulled onto the Rescue boat but was unable to do much as I was suffering with concussion. Whitford Sea Rescue called for an ambulance and took me into Mindarie Marina, but I do have to question where they were looking when they ran me down?
The Ambulance crew were great and managed my condition to the Joondalup Campus. Staff and doctors at the campus did more prodding and testing than I can recount. After a number of CT scans and X-ray???s they removed the neck collar to my great relief.
All up I have a good number of bruises a suspected broken bone in my foot and concussion. The doctor said that without the helmet I could have been dead.
The Rescue crew did cut my brand new kite lines :(
The conditions were fine and clear 11-14kts SW and 440m off shore.

Peter there was decent swell that day right? Surely that could be the only reason they didn't see you (or the boats helm wasn't being manned). Surely you must ask for a better than decent explanation? Without the anchor snag you would have been a shredded piece of wheat! Or are you seeing a different picture and just glad you are alive and letting his one go through to the keeper?

ozone do a 21mtr edge, theyd see that

Pete get the police involved

It's their fkn job to get involved!! I'd recover and then complain loudly.

If any other boatie hit another person, it'd make the news and the skipper would be charged.

Would have heard the boat with no helmet???

Shocking story with a great outcome. Best wishes for a speedy recovery.

That is truly unbeleivable.

It is not acceptable that no one takes responsibility for this accident.a mistake has obviously been made and lessons can not be learnt if this incident is just swept under the carpet.

pilotpete said..

Thx for the well wishes guys.
I have not heard from WSR at all since the accident (not even to see if I am still alive). You have to fill out forms for the Marine Safety Complaint Report which goes to the Department of Transport. Its seems that the Water Police do not want to get involved as Sea Rescue is part of the same department.

Glad to hear you are ok, bloody lucky the hook up on the anchor pulled you back up.

Responsibility to investigate is messy, someone can correct me but I think it goes like this...

It's a marine transport incident which means it's a Department of Transport responsibility to investigate. Water Police don't have a charter to investigate it, so unless you carked police can't really touch it. If the worst did happen Police would have the capacity to investigate it under provisions of the Coroner's Act. But Water Police still wouldn't investigate it, but they may offer specialist knowledge to those that do.

VMR's in WA are actually under Dept of Fire and Emergency Services, there is no organisational link to Police but they are used by Police for marine search and rescues. If you went missing because of getting run down it would be a MarSAR under the responsibility of Police to command and co-ordinate.

And to make it even messier, I think the metro VMR's are big enough that they are self-funded and are their own free standing entity away from DFES.

Clear as mud?

I am completely and utterly gob smacked!!! This sort of incident should never happen, especially with the particular parties and the expected experience of those involved. As was previously stated, law of the water is the power gives way to wind, no exceptions (except for emergencies obv). I would be lodging formal complaint and contacting every media outlet you can find, especially the big current affairs programs, no way in hell those responsible should be allowed to get away with something so reckless and life threatening. I hit an wind powered vessel with my boat I would be up on all sorts of chrages.

Warehouse13 said..

I am completely and utterly gob smacked!!! This sort of incident should never happen, especially with the particular parties and the expected experience of those involved. As was previously stated, law of the water is the power gives way to wind, no exceptions (except for emergencies obv). I would be lodging formal complaint and contacting every media outlet you can find, especially the big current affairs programs, no way in hell those responsible should be allowed to get away with something so reckless and life threatening. I hit an wind powered vessel with my boat I would be up on all sorts of chrages.

you wernt there, and neither was I , how can you assume, what is media going to do?, reckless and life threatening, its an accident and the guys fortunate to get away with it, its not like he did it on purpose, you sound like the kind of bloke whod already have his blood sucking solicitor on to it

the most important question pete is your SL63 ok ?