The sirens were from many vehicles and went on for so long that probably every person in Richmond Beach and Innis Arden knew that something serious was happening Friday evening.
We published the preliminary police account yesterday, with photos by Marc Weinberg. Today we have more photos, from Matt Mariner Broze, and more details from Matt, from the Shoreline Fire Department, and from an Innis Arden resident named Ross.
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| Cruise ship photo copyright Matt Mariner Broze |
It seems likely that the small aluminum outboard boat was capsized by the cruise ship in this photo. Police reported the accident happened at 6:10pm. At 6:13pm Matt Broze took this photo of a cruise ship from Kyu Kyu Ac Park. Matt commented, that "Although the cruise ship didn't appear to be travelling especially fast, there were no other large ships on the water in that area that might have made a large wake."
Multiple jurisdictions responded, on both land and sea. Shoreline Fire had four fire trucks in the parking lot. On the water, a private boat was first on the scene, followed by the Bainbridge Fire boat, City of Edmonds "Marine 16" Fire / Police / Rescue boat, also, according to Ross,
"a 44' RB-M from US Coast Guard Station Seattle, a boat from the US Coast Guard cutter Henry Blake (a buoy tender based in Everett), and a HH-65 helicopter from the Coast Guard air station in Port Angeles (which must have already been flying since it arrived from the South too quickly to have come from P.A.) all arrived about the same time."
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| The white cabin cruiser was first on the scene Photo copyright Marc Weinberg |
The white cabin cruiser was first on the scene and they picked up two of the men, who had stayed with the overturned boat. They transferred them to the Bainbridge Fire boat, which beached their boat to bring them to the waiting Shoreline Fire and Medics.
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| Men are helped off the Bainbridge Fire boat Photo copyright Matt Mariner Broze |
The third man swam to shore. Shoreline Fire reports that an onlooker swam out to meet him in case he needed help. He apparently not only made it to shore on his own, but walked up the trail to the parking lot.
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| Third man walks up the trail Photo copyright Matt Mariner Broze |
Matt reports that the man in the white t-shirt, center in front in the crowd scene, is the man who swam to shore. The man in blue to the left is a Shoreline Firefighter.
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| Fire fighters and medics with rescued boaters Photo copyright Matt Mariner Broze |
The other two were loaded onto a small John Deere ATV which belongs to the Parks Department, and taken to the Shoreline Fire medics. The three were taken to the hospital as a precaution, but were reported to be "in good shape and safe."
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| The Coast Guard picked up the outboard Photo copyright Matt Mariner Broze |
The wake from large ships is not a mere function of speed, but displacement of water as well. There is a large keel that people do not realize is underwater that displaces water as it moves along, generating a large wake. The ignorance of most pleasure boaters is astounding - and most people do not avail themselves of the free classes offered by the Coast Guard Auxiliary.
ReplyDeleteOn a similar note, Puget Sound is very cold, even a strong swimmer 200 yards off the beach can get into trouble. If you can't reach come to the surface, get your bearings in the wake, and reach shore in less than around five minutes (that is around the time you start to lose your ability to think clearly), then you are in the start of the real life danger zone.
As for lakes and rivers, even though the air temperature is now very warm, the water is still cold, the same principles largely apply as the Sound.
Add alcohol to the above scenarios and you have makings of tragedy. People go out in small craft on the Sound that are too small, beyond their skill level, and bring PFDs but don't put them on or the PFDs don't fit properly. A PFD only buys you time, the cold water still can get you.
Don't underestimate nature and overestimate the limits of your equipment and knowledge, enjoy yourself and be safe.