Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

Kayakers lifted out of La Jolla Cove

2.5 million more paddlers means more rescues

"We only take our most experienced paddlers out into the ocean."
"We only take our most experienced paddlers out into the ocean."

On September 24, before 2 pm, Erica was eating lunch at Eddie Vs on Prospect Street in La Jolla; she noticed a fire truck crane extended over La Jolla Cove across the street. So she pulled out her phone camera and started filming. "Two kayakers seemed to have gotten stuck and had to be lifted out," she said to me on September 26.

In her video (reposted by sdfirebrigade on Instagram), the two kayakers and the kayak were hoisted together via a cable out of the cove. Then by happenstance, about 30 feet away from the dangling kayakers, a man is seen kneeling in front of another person standing by a decorated arbor overlooking the ocean. "At the same time, the [marriage] proposal is happening in the background," Erica continued. "Everyone was okay, though. And she said, "Yes."

A fire truck crane extended over La Jolla Cove across the street.

On August 27, San Diego Fire-Rescue Department lifeguards at La Jolla Cove saw a distressed kayaker close by the notorious Emerald Cave. The lifeguards called for backup, and several lifeguards in a rescue boat and a rescue watercraft responded. "Fourteen kayakers were rescued and, fortunately, did not suffer any injuries," reads a fire and rescue social media post. "One kayaker reported an injury which resulted in a response by Rescue 44, the lifeguard cliff rescue vehicle. The injured patient was taken to the hospital."

Sponsored
Sponsored

In 2020, the pandemic brought out an estimated 2.5 million new paddlers, including folks who are now kayaking, kayak fishing, canoeing, and stand-up paddle boarding to the U.S. waters — according to Outdoor Foundation, per the Water Sports Foundation (WSF) site.

"However, it increased accidents to 331 and fatalities to a record high 202 – accounting for more than 26 percent of all boating fatalities that same year." Jim Emmons, executive director of the WSF, assures that boating, in general, is one of the safest recreational activities, and the paddlesports deaths transpired because of a lack of experience and safety training.

The one consistent thing is the unpredictability of the water conditions.

"We know from analyzing U.S. Coast Guard data that in 2020, nearly three-quarters (74.6 percent) of people who died in paddling accidents had less than 100 hours experience in the activity," Emmons continued, "And over one-third (38.8 percent) had less than 10 hours experience."

And while it's not clear if the recently rescued kayakers in the La Jolla waters were beginners in the sport or younger paddlers, the one consistent thing is the unpredictability of the water conditions, even for seasoned paddle-sports enthusiasts.

Coach Chris Barlow and his team, many former lifeguards — of the San Diego Canoe Kayak Team — teach boating safety and train their junior racing team and older folks in the members-only club.

"Most of our on-the-water activities take place on Mission Bay," he told me in a September 26 email. "The boats we paddle are different from the recreational sit-on-top kayaks used at La Jolla Cove, and the shores, and we only take our most experienced paddlers out into the ocean."

The latest copy of the Reader

Please enjoy this clickable Reader flipbook. Linked text and ads are flash-highlighted in blue for your convenience. To enhance your viewing, please open full screen mode by clicking the icon on the far right of the black flipbook toolbar.

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Syrian treat maker Hakmi Sweets makes Dubai chocolate bars

Look for the counter shop inside a Mediterranean grill in El Cajon
"We only take our most experienced paddlers out into the ocean."
"We only take our most experienced paddlers out into the ocean."

On September 24, before 2 pm, Erica was eating lunch at Eddie Vs on Prospect Street in La Jolla; she noticed a fire truck crane extended over La Jolla Cove across the street. So she pulled out her phone camera and started filming. "Two kayakers seemed to have gotten stuck and had to be lifted out," she said to me on September 26.

In her video (reposted by sdfirebrigade on Instagram), the two kayakers and the kayak were hoisted together via a cable out of the cove. Then by happenstance, about 30 feet away from the dangling kayakers, a man is seen kneeling in front of another person standing by a decorated arbor overlooking the ocean. "At the same time, the [marriage] proposal is happening in the background," Erica continued. "Everyone was okay, though. And she said, "Yes."

A fire truck crane extended over La Jolla Cove across the street.

On August 27, San Diego Fire-Rescue Department lifeguards at La Jolla Cove saw a distressed kayaker close by the notorious Emerald Cave. The lifeguards called for backup, and several lifeguards in a rescue boat and a rescue watercraft responded. "Fourteen kayakers were rescued and, fortunately, did not suffer any injuries," reads a fire and rescue social media post. "One kayaker reported an injury which resulted in a response by Rescue 44, the lifeguard cliff rescue vehicle. The injured patient was taken to the hospital."

Sponsored
Sponsored

In 2020, the pandemic brought out an estimated 2.5 million new paddlers, including folks who are now kayaking, kayak fishing, canoeing, and stand-up paddle boarding to the U.S. waters — according to Outdoor Foundation, per the Water Sports Foundation (WSF) site.

"However, it increased accidents to 331 and fatalities to a record high 202 – accounting for more than 26 percent of all boating fatalities that same year." Jim Emmons, executive director of the WSF, assures that boating, in general, is one of the safest recreational activities, and the paddlesports deaths transpired because of a lack of experience and safety training.

The one consistent thing is the unpredictability of the water conditions.

"We know from analyzing U.S. Coast Guard data that in 2020, nearly three-quarters (74.6 percent) of people who died in paddling accidents had less than 100 hours experience in the activity," Emmons continued, "And over one-third (38.8 percent) had less than 10 hours experience."

And while it's not clear if the recently rescued kayakers in the La Jolla waters were beginners in the sport or younger paddlers, the one consistent thing is the unpredictability of the water conditions, even for seasoned paddle-sports enthusiasts.

Coach Chris Barlow and his team, many former lifeguards — of the San Diego Canoe Kayak Team — teach boating safety and train their junior racing team and older folks in the members-only club.

"Most of our on-the-water activities take place on Mission Bay," he told me in a September 26 email. "The boats we paddle are different from the recreational sit-on-top kayaks used at La Jolla Cove, and the shores, and we only take our most experienced paddlers out into the ocean."

Comments
Sponsored

The latest copy of the Reader

Please enjoy this clickable Reader flipbook. Linked text and ads are flash-highlighted in blue for your convenience. To enhance your viewing, please open full screen mode by clicking the icon on the far right of the black flipbook toolbar.

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Ramona musicians seek solution for outdoor playing at wineries

Ambient artists aren’t trying to put AC/DC in anyone’s backyard
Next Article

Escondido planners nix office building switch to apartments

Not enough open space, not enough closets for Hickory Street plans
Comments
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

This Week’s Reader This Week’s Reader