Apr 25, 2008 8:13 pm US/Eastern
Coast Guard Warns Against Deceiving Frigid Waters
BOSTON (WBZ) ―
Any time Kevin Horner's paddle hits the water in April, he's wearing layers under his life vest. "I have some 3 millimeter neoprene on, to keep me warm, give me insulation," says Horner, a guide instructor for Charles River Canoe and Kayak. "Over that I have a dry suit, which keeps water out and keeps my core warm."
If that sounds like a lot on a summery morning with temperatures close to 70, it's not. You see, he's dressing for the water, not the air. On a week when the mercury topped 80, the water temperature in Boston Harbor is 48 degrees. That's dangerously cold, according to Coast Guard Petty Officer Luke Pinneo.
"Cold water will take the heat away from your body 25 times faster than cold air will. And if you don't spend a lot of time in cold water, it's hard to relate to that," Pinneo said.
The Coast Guard is issuing a cold weather safety advisory for all early season boaters, paddlers, sailors and fishermen in the inland and coastal waters of New England. According to the Coast Guard, the milder air temperatures and absence of ice on most lakes and ponds are deceptive.
Donning a Coast Guard dry suit, I jumped into the harbor with the Coast Guard's Matthew Haggerty. Without the insulation, Haggerty said, "Signs of hypothermia could be expected to set in within an hour."
Coast Guard statistics for the district, which includes New York and New England, show 59 recreational boating fatalities last year. Almost 40 percent of them involved canoes or kayaks.
Environmental police investigatee these incidents in Massachusetts. They point out that this time of year, a life vest isn't optional.
"It's actually mandated by law to wear personal flotational devices from September 15 to May 15," says Sgt. Roger Thurlow.
That's when the water can be dangerously cold. Take it from an expert paddler like Kevin Horner that anything can happen.
"I've seen people lose their boats, lose their paddles. And some of them are advanced kayakers. So you want to go out assuming you're going to get flipped over."
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