A tragic accident occurred yesterday in flat water to a kayaker with 20 years of experience.

“She’s been a paddler for almost 20 years. She’s paddled class-four whitewaters. A roll in flat water was a yawn for her.” - Todd Zielinski

The lady, a member of the Philadelphia Canoe Club, apparently tucked her grab loop inside the cockpit which would’ve allowed her to release the spray skirt she had in place.

Like most sports and strenuous work environments, kayakers must be ever vigilant too when they are out on the water. For this to happen to somebody with 20 years experience, and in flat water, illustrates the need for extreme caution at all times.

The president of the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators has some choice words for kayakers out on the waterways: between hypothermia and drowning, kayakers are a ‘huge drain’ and should really be required to take boating safety classes.

The fact that it’s so easy to buy an inexpensive kayak from Wal-Mart, Sam’s Club, etc., and then transport it via conventional car, has really helped the sport to take off across the country.

“It really shouldn’t be specific to kayaking though, since there are plenty of boat owners out there now that haven’t taken any boating safety classes.”

Unfortunately, many people have no previous knowledge of water safety beyond visits to the beach. Once you leave the safety of the water’s edge, a life preserver at a minimum is an absolute necessity for proper safety, and it never hurts to make sure you’re not alone in case something does happen and you need assistance.