by Contat Fred - Posted on 12/1/18 || Modifié le 2/19/24
What to do in case of losing your equipment on the lake or at sea?
We can all, one day, have a big problem and have to separate from our kite by releasing it. Then, by a series of events or not, a leash breaks, a bad decision and there goes our kite sailing towards other skies. For those who do foil, we have all experienced the moment when the foil runs away at a crazy speed while we try to relaunch our kite.
We all have the feeling (at least, that's my case) that it only happens to others and that I will never release my precious kite that I acquired so dearly. So, for the skeptics, here is a testimony I received last week from Norman (thank you for sharing):
There was a strong southwest wind, about 11 knots. So, I went out with a 15m^2 twintip.
The Joran rose incredibly fast, without much warning from the clouds over the Jura. In less than a minute, I was overpowered and started to get lifted. Before going too high, I released the quick release (before ending up in the forest or on a rock), but somehow the leash came off. So, bye bye kite. So, not really a big safety concern, the kite goes in the direction of the lake and I was able to swim to the shore without any problem.
Lots of people saw me perform the maneuver and come out of the lake safe and sound. So, I took the car and went down towards La Tène to try to find my kite. I thought I would find it in the reeds or in a tree. Possibly towards La Grande Cariçaie.
My big mistake was not calling the police. While I was going left and right trying to see where my kite had drifted, I saw 4 police boats, the emergency services, and a REGA helicopter circling above the water. Obviously, I immediately understood that they were looking for me and I announced myself. A boat saw a sail adrift and raised the alarm.
So, it seems very obvious in retrospect, but it never crossed my mind at any time to call the police. My instructors never sensitized me to it and several kiters told me that it would not seem obvious to them either. Especially since there was a good chance that the kite would end up in the reeds, given my proximity to the water's edge.
I promised the cantonal police that I would pass on the message and try to do some awareness raising.
Hoping that it will not happen to anyone else...
What we can see in Norman's testimony is that at no point does he think to alert the rescue services because he is not in danger anymore. But now, put yourself in the place of someone who finds a kite drifting with no one at the end. The first instinct for them will be to call for help to find the missing person. And from the rescue services' point of view, the observation is the same, "What if there was a kiter in the middle of the lake beginning to suffer from hypothermia while trying to reach the shore? The police, the gendarmerie is obliged to conduct searches up to the point of certainty, either by finding the kiter, or by having enough information to verify that the kiter is safe.
So, whether you are on the lake or at sea, the procedure is always the same. Once out of the water, rush to your phone to alert the authorities. And then, do not hesitate to post the description of your lost equipment on social networks. We almost always end up finding the gear.