Wind blows kite surfer into buidling

[TV]

goto http://wcco.com/video

They have video of a kite surfer hitting a building.

Tim

[drknap]

a bit more on this incident:
http://cbs4.com/local/Kite.Surfer.las.2.798049.html

hard to tell but doesn't look like he even let go of the bar

[P R Key]

Yeah, I saw that on the news last night.... Pretty scary.

[Tom L]

If you watch the interview with the camera guy you can see dark weather in the background. I hate to say it but this was probably an accident that could have been avoided. Don't take chances staying out on the water till the last second when a front is coming through.

[dave t]

Don't take chances staying out on the water till the last second when a front is coming through.

Especially if they've NAMED it!

[TomG]

ouch hope he pulls though. That is one reason I will always fly a bow kite. not that something crazy couldn't happen on a bow but It seems to me that the bow system flags better. I just feel safer on a bow.

[Bryce]

Luckily, it looks like the guy lived. (http://www.kiteforum.com/viewtopic.php? ... 0&p=543674)

Critical condition. Neck injury although no paralysis.


I've had 5 or more people today send me a clip of that video or stop to talk about it. Ugh.

[Dave Z]

Actually it sounds like there were two incidents yesterday down in FL. One guy fractured his neck (Miami) and everyone's waiting for an update on the now infamous Ft. Lauderdale incident. Hope they both come out of this ok.

Does anyone around these parts have experience riding in Tropical Storm squalls ... based on the wind graphs it looks like the wind speed can vary quite a bit.... like from 10 to 45?

[Dave Z]

Rick Iossi's summary of the Ft. Lauderdale incident:

http://fksa.org/showthread.php?t=7046

[steveb]

We've had squals on Milly. It can create some pretty weird weather patterns.
One year a Tornado went right over the wilderness campground in Garrison while we were happily curled up in bed, one heck of an alarm clock.
Another year we had water spouts chasing windsurfers off the water, pat and Mike did one hell of a job with some last minutes rescues, pulling people out of the water as the spout rushed towards them, quite balsy and no one was hurt.
If you see anything resembling thunderheads it's a good idea to get off the water, freeky wind conditions can come with these clouds.

[scottman]

I couldn't belive what I had seen, what the heck was this guy doing out in a storm like that?? I hope he pull's through, but come on...why? Anyone out in a storm like that needs to get his head checked anyway. Now being Minnesota is the state that if your walking down the sidewalk and you trip and cracked your head they would want everyone to wear a helmit, could you imagine if this happened here at Waconia or worse yet White Bear and someone caught it on video and news company's got hold of it, we kiters would be banned from every lake. I just don't understand what the guy was thinking being out there in the first place, he's lucky to be alive at all, it sounds bad but I can't feel any sympothy for the guy for what happened, it's just unreal.

[Reel Nomad]

Other than the CBS reporter calling this parasailing, it seemed well reported in that they spoke of "the dangers inherent in Tropical Storm-force winds" rather than painting the sport itself as dangerous. Hope the guy is ok.