Whale capsizes canoe off Mass. coast, drowning man

[MFR]

Whale capsizes canoe off Mass. coast, drowning man

PROVINCETOWN, Mass. (AP) -- A man canoeing in the ocean waters off Massachusetts has died after the vessel came in contact with one or more whales and capsized.

The accident occurred Wednesday morning in Cape Cod's Provincetown Harbor. A second man in the canoe survived.

The Coast Guard says a vessel owned by a local boat rental company pulled the men from the water, but paramedics were unable to revive one of them. The man's name was not immediately released.

[amarshall]

DA is investigating.

[Parapapam]

I saw that on the news last night. Not to denograte the dead, but what kind of idiot takes a canoe (not even a kayak), without life jackets, out after whales in April off Cape Cod?

I am extremely doubtful that a whale tried to capsize them. But that is neither here nor there.

Even my kids said "The water is way to cold for doing something that dumb. What were they thinking?"

Canoes belong in ponds and small rivers.... not open 50 degree ocean around 50 foot animals.

My sympathies to the families. But it was a pretty stupid thing to do.

Mike

[ember]

I passed by there on the way home from the codfish grounds just before noon yesterday and wondered why there was truck was on Long Point. Rarely have I seen it so calm,and that many mammals so close to the beach. Im not at all big on canoes,even in a pond,but with the air temps in the high 60's it would have been easy to mistake yesterday for a mid-summer day.

[Parapapam]

I passed by there on the way home from the codfish grounds just before noon yesterday and wondered why there was truck was on Long Point. Rarely have I seen it so calm,and that many mammals so close to the beach. Im not at all big on canoes,even in a pond,but with the air temps in the high 60's it would have been easy to mistake yesterday for a mid-summer day.

Ember,

When a canoe (inherently unstable) rolls, the air temp is a meaningless statistic. It is water temp that matters.

I have not been out yet this year, but Rutgers has the water temp at about 48 degrees.

Can you right a canoe, bail it out and get back in without a life jacket in mid summer? How long will it take? Now how long before extreme hypothermia sets in in 49 degree water?
About 60 minutes.... Without a life jacket, you have about 45-60 minutes to live.

Mike

[ember]

I had 48.5....and I far from disagree with you.

[Captain Greg Sears]

I fell overboard in 52* water temperature 20 miles offshore. It took the crew 15 minutes to rescue me and I was very close to death. There are more reasons I should be dead than alive. In Alaska I was involved in many cold water search and rescues and sadly I saw no one rescued alive. The Cold water is no place for the unprepared or inexperienced. All of the experienced seaman know they are taking their life in their own hands by entering the unforgiving world of the ocean.

As far as whales attacking boats 2 years ago there was a sick male humpback whale that was terrorizing boats by swapping his tail and charging at boats. the same year two charter boats had incidence with a whale smashing the boat with his tale no proof it was the same animal or not. I also was approached by a small humpback a number of years ago that put his chin on my boat and pushed us, scared the crap out of me. I have also seen minky whales play with the anchor ball tugging on the line with their mouth.

I am waiting for some kayak to get eaten by a great white off Monomoy.

[tmack92]

And this is why they have the Darwin awards, if everyone was smart there would be no Darwin Awards......

Terrible to see a life lost, but for some reason I'm thinking alcohol and the whale was just an excuse....

[Capt_John]

PETA is probably preparing a statement explaining thta the whale was just defending itself.

[tomytuna]

I wonder if the SMUCK who sued the So Shore Lobsterman who had his gear taken by a whale is going to sue the estate of dead man for hurting whale?