This a*se should be arrested
Discussion
witko999 said:
I haven't seen a video at the end of his swim. Nor have you. The RNLI guy saying he may have hypothermia is probably meaningless. Surfing in the UK in winter means a lot of shivering and white extremities after 2.5hrs (a fairly normal period for a surf session). If he'd been in the water 6hrs I'd be more inclined to believe it.
I made the comment about address publishing because one of the angry commenters actually said that earlier in the thread.
I also mentioned earlier that I don't know whether he was stupid to go out or not. There isn't enough information. All I'm doing is countering the points made by several in this thread, which is that he is an idiot for going out, no matter what. There are many surfers that would've been more than capable of handling the conditions. A knee jerk 'this a*se should be arrested' attitude isn't very sensible.
What video have you seen that enabled you to see how he was doing then? I made the comment about address publishing because one of the angry commenters actually said that earlier in the thread.
I also mentioned earlier that I don't know whether he was stupid to go out or not. There isn't enough information. All I'm doing is countering the points made by several in this thread, which is that he is an idiot for going out, no matter what. There are many surfers that would've been more than capable of handling the conditions. A knee jerk 'this a*se should be arrested' attitude isn't very sensible.
I said before I work with one of the guys who was involved in the rescue and saw him at the end and he said he was an idiot and lucky to have survived.
grassomaniac said:
In all seriousness I read this story yesterday, as someone who is a keen hiker I wouldn't have attempted that climb in the conditions in my full hiking gear, let alone what they were wearing! IMO unlike our surfer friend who was equipped, that is ridiculously irresponsible. Some friends and I climbed Scarfell Pike in September last year, we encountered dreadful weather, which was likely only half what we've had this weekend. It was bloody awful and potentially dangerous due to the winds throwing us off balance. The rain fell so hard it filled my boots up, never known anything like it.
I put off walking up Roseberry Topping near Guisborough on Sunday due to the weather, let alone tackling the highest peak in the UK. Madness!
Off topic, but if you haven't already walked Roseberry Topping, I'd recommend it. Went last year, and liked it. I'd probably wait until spring through.... I put off walking up Roseberry Topping near Guisborough on Sunday due to the weather, let alone tackling the highest peak in the UK. Madness!
Edited by grassomaniac on Tuesday 11th February 12:59
CardinalBlue said:
Off topic, but if you haven't already walked Roseberry Topping, I'd recommend it. Went last year, and liked it. I'd probably wait until spring through....
I haven't, which is why I want to and it's only an hours drive (I see it all the time when going past it on the A1), I've found a route that takes in the Captain Cooks monument too so should be a nice day out, not in a storm though!El stovey said:
BMWBen said:
And the same should apply to anyone who crashes on the road. Clearly.
Clearly not. You could easily have a crash through no fault of your own or through a mistake that maybe lots of other people would make.
Most people would look at the conditions on that day in that location and not go surfing especially on their own.
Most people aren't surfers and are in no position to make meaningful comments on the risks of surfing. If the only problem this guy had was that his leash snapped unexpectedly due to a manufacturing fault and otherwise he would have just surfed his way back into the beach, then how is that different to somebody having an accident on the road that wasn't their fault?
Why is your vice better than his vice? And why do you think you know enough about this particular situation to pass judgement on it?
Edited by BMWBen on Tuesday 11th February 15:49
Nickgnome said:
Disastrous said:
Quite so! Hence why I for one will NOT rest until he sees a firing squad. Endangering our ruddy bloody brave boys like that. Never forget. Thots n prayers.
How exactly are you going to undertake the threat in your post?Are you stamping your feet or something even more pointless?
BMWBen said:
Most people aren't surfers and are in no position to make meaningful comments on the risks of surfing.
Meaningful or not I still think its stupid to go surfing while the county is experiencing a named storm. I recon he has been watch too much Point Break, in fact wasn't the ending in Point Break that he wouldn't come back alive if he went out in the storm.BMWBen said:
Most people aren't surfers and are in no position to make meaningful comments on the risks of surfing.
What would your opinion be of someone out walking along the coast when Storm Dennis hits next weekend, sees a lone figure in a wetsuit out in the water apparently in difficulty, in conditions that the RNLI and Coastguard have strongly advised to be dangerous, but having seen the comments here decides not to alert the emergency services as anyone out in these conditions clearly knows what they're doing.....and then the body of the surfer is found washed up later in the day?El stovey said:
You’ve seen a video of him getting out of the water at the end of his swim where the coast guard tended to him over 7km down the coast? He went to hospital in a helicopter and the RNLI guy said he thought he possibly had hypothermia.
A friend of mine was an adventure scout out camping on Dartmoor or somewhere equally drizzly. Because the weather was s
te they moved their pitch a few 100m up a hill as their planned site was waterlogged. Adult comes out to check up on them, can't find them, calls international rescue and the next morning Biggles kindly turns up in a helicopter to "rescue" them. Man in helicopter waves to the scouts. Scouts wave back. This goes on for a while. Scout approaches helicopter. "Hello?" Man says "we're here to rescue you". Scouts, "err, OK." Scouts enjoy unexpected flight in a helicopter and get dropped off at a hospital to see if they have hypothermia. They don't.El stovey said:
Sounds like there are rules and qualifications and training and stuff. Not much like this bloke and his self risk assessment gone wrong at all then?
Shoreham being the obvious counterpoint. Even the red arrows have ditched a few, and you can't say there's zero luck involved in where the things hit the ground. I think it's a risk worth taking and trust that they are mitigated reasonably. Not everyone would agree, and that's the point.
I've been on the fells often in bad weather. I believe I can sort myself out. So, probably, do all the people who have to be rescued. Am I just lucky? Maybe. Maybe not. Who gets to judge?
eharding said:
BMWBen said:
Most people aren't surfers and are in no position to make meaningful comments on the risks of surfing.
What would your opinion be of someone out walking along the coast when Storm Dennis hits next weekend, sees a lone figure in a wetsuit out in the water apparently in difficulty, in conditions that the RNLI and Coastguard have strongly advised to be dangerous, but having seen the comments here decides not to alert the emergency services as anyone out in these conditions clearly knows what they're doing.....and then the body of the surfer is found washed up later in the day?At the end of the day, you can either leave them to it, or err on the side of caution and call the authorities. Most people would probably err on the side of caution, which I would guess is what happened here.
The whole point of these services is to help people in these kinds of situations, however many seem to be of the opinion that once a person has been rescued, they should be driven directly to the nearest police station to be arrested.
witko999 said:
Well it's up to the person in question to make a decision as to whether to call the emergency services.
My reading of BMWBen's statement is that no-one but another surfer is qualified to decide if a surfer is in a situation where the risk justifies calling the emergency services. Obviously, if it's just a bloke in a wetsuit, with no sign of a surfboard, then it's hard for an observer to decide if he's actually a surfer or just a floater.
Edited by eharding on Tuesday 11th February 17:23
eharding said:
witko999 said:
Well it's up to the person in question to make a decision as to whether to call the emergency services.
My reading of BMWBen's statement is that no-one but another surfer is qualified to decide if a surfer is in a situation where the risk justifies calling the emergency services. Obviously, if it's just a bloke in a wetsuit, with no sign of a surfboard, then it's hard for an observer to decide if he's actually a surfer or just a floater.
Seriously that’s a very valid point. A shore based observer would not be able to tell if someone was in distress or not so should take the precautionary approach.
I do not know the ability of the surfer or why the tether became disconnected but, in my opinion, he should have had a buddy or shore based spotter.
Nickgnome said:
That’s a pretty big floater. Must have been hell of a meal.
Seriously that’s a very valid point. A shore based observer would not be able to tell if someone was in distress or not so should take the precautionary approach.
I do not know the ability of the surfer or why the tether became disconnected but, in my opinion, he should have had a buddy or shore based spotter.
And what makes you “a surfer” able to comment on other surfers?. Seriously that’s a very valid point. A shore based observer would not be able to tell if someone was in distress or not so should take the precautionary approach.
I do not know the ability of the surfer or why the tether became disconnected but, in my opinion, he should have had a buddy or shore based spotter.
I’ve been surfing on and off for over 30 years. I haven’t surfed much in the U.K. but have surfed in Thurso.
I wouldn’t consider myself to be “a surfer” though as I haven’t done it for a year or so now.
El stovey said:
Nickgnome said:
That’s a pretty big floater. Must have been hell of a meal.
Seriously that’s a very valid point. A shore based observer would not be able to tell if someone was in distress or not so should take the precautionary approach.
I do not know the ability of the surfer or why the tether became disconnected but, in my opinion, he should have had a buddy or shore based spotter.
And what makes you “a surfer” able to comment on other surfers?. Seriously that’s a very valid point. A shore based observer would not be able to tell if someone was in distress or not so should take the precautionary approach.
I do not know the ability of the surfer or why the tether became disconnected but, in my opinion, he should have had a buddy or shore based spotter.
I’ve been surfing on and off for over 30 years. I haven’t surfed much in the U.K. but have surfed in Thurso.
I wouldn’t consider myself to be “a surfer” though as I haven’t done it for a year or so now.
I also added I did not know the specifics of the incident and asked if the surfer involved had made a statement.
That seems to have drawn a blank
I did post some basic common sense precautions of the sort we adopted when windsurfing. We generally wear helmets and buoyancy aids as well when in anything other than benign conditions.
Nickgnome said:
I’ve already stated I’m not a surfer but a windsurfer and big boat sailor.
I also added I did not know the specifics of the incident and asked if the surfer involved had made a statement.
That seems to have drawn a blank
I did post some basic common sense precautions of the sort we adopted when windsurfing. We generally wear helmets and buoyancy aids as well when in anything other than benign conditions.
Sorry I didn’t mean you in particular, just what makes someone a surfer, based on the comments made before about surfers only judging surfers.I also added I did not know the specifics of the incident and asked if the surfer involved had made a statement.
That seems to have drawn a blank
I did post some basic common sense precautions of the sort we adopted when windsurfing. We generally wear helmets and buoyancy aids as well when in anything other than benign conditions.
El stovey said:
Sorry I didn’t mean you in particular, just what makes someone a surfer, based on the comments made before about surfers only judging surfers.
It’s cool. I tried surfing quite late on, down at Saunton sands and missed the rig to hang on to. Croyde is a bit for the locals. As an a amateur I’m too old for the big waves now anyway. I prefer the big boat stuff.
eharding said:
witko999 said:
Well it's up to the person in question to make a decision as to whether to call the emergency services.
My reading of BMWBen's statement is that no-one but another surfer is qualified to decide if a surfer is in a situation where the risk justifies calling the emergency services. Obviously, if it's just a bloke in a wetsuit, with no sign of a surfboard, then it's hard for an observer to decide if he's actually a surfer or just a floater.
Edited by eharding on Tuesday 11th February 17:23
Nice swerve of all the other points I made in the same post though...
BMWBen said:
No, that's not what I meant. I meant that people sat behind their keyboards on pistonheads who have no knowledge or experience surfing are not able to make an accurate assessment as to whether his decision was stupid and he should be hanged for it.
Ah ok, in that case, based on this odd criteria, i’m able to make an accurate assessment about his decision. So how do you know if all the other people behind a keyboard have any experience of surfing?
Do you have any experience of surfing? Can you make an assessment about his decision also?
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