Latest news with #kayak
CTV News
a day ago
- General
- CTV News
Drowning at Sudbury beach claims life of 24-year-old man
One man has drowned & another hospitalized after an inflatable kayak capsized at a Sudbury Beach. Officials stress lifejacket use at Drowning Prevention Week. Police, firefighters and paramedics rushed to Moonlight Beach, one of Greater Sudbury's most popular beaches, at approximately 5:30 p.m. on Saturday following reports of a drowning. A 24-year-old man tragically lost his life, while a 27-year-old man was transported to hospital in stable condition after a near-drowning incident. Moonlight Beach A lifeguard is shown on duty at Greater Sudbury's Moonlight Beach. July 21, 2025. (Madison Marier/CTV News Northern Ontario) Deputy Fire Chief Jesse Oshell commended the swift response of emergency crews, stating, 'They (firefighters) were at the beach with the boat in the water in just around eight minutes, and they had the best opportunity to get to the individuals, get our water rescuers into the water and help get those individuals out of the water.' He added, 'I know that we started performing lifesaving actions and got them transported to paramedic services who were there and waiting.' Timely dispatch and rescue efforts Oshell confirmed that fire services were alerted at approximately 5:30 p.m., dispatching one boat from the Long Lake area and another from the Moonlight water station to the scene. Despite the rapid response, the outcome, he told CTV News, was devastating. Greater Sudbury firefighter uniforms Greater Sudbury firefighter uniforms are hung at a fire hall in this undated photo. (Madison Marier/CTV News Northern Ontario) 'With a community such as ours, we have 330-plus beautiful lakes within our community, and we will respond to all of them,' Oshell said. 'Certainly, it is a matter of travel time to get to those lakes. That is why it is so important that individuals exercise caution.' Inflatable kayak capsizes 300 meters from shore Police reported that the two individuals were believed to be using an inflatable kayak when it capsized approximately 300 meters from shore. The 27-year-old man was alert and conscious when pulled from the water, but the 24-year-old was unconscious upon reaching shore. Firefighters immediately initiated lifesaving measures, but the young man was pronounced dead at the scene. Lifesaving Society warns of unintended drowning risks Stephanie Bakalar, a senior officer at the Lifesaving Society of Ontario, emphasized that many drownings occur unexpectedly. 'A lot of drownings actually happen when the person doesn't intend to get into the water,' she said. 'This could be a fall from the dock, or, you know, you're walking along the beaches and, it could be that you are boating and you're not wearing a life jacket.' Stephanie Bakalar An undate promotional profile picture of Stephanie Bakalar, a senior communications officer with the Lifesavin Society of Ontario. (File photo/Supplied/Town of Caledon) The tragic incident occurred just as the Lifesaving Society's National Drowning Prevention Week kicked off, an annual awareness event that runs from July 20 to July 26 this year. Importance of life jackets and swimming with others Bakalar highlighted common factors in drowning incidents, stating, 'We've seen a lot of drownings happening when people are swimming alone. A lot of people who aren't wearing life jackets when they're boating.' Echoing her concerns, Oshell noted, 'When fire services responds to some of these incidents, you know, one of the things that we see most common, especially around water rescue incidents, is those PFDs, those lifejackets, and they're not worn.' 'Safer Together': A call for vigilance Bakalar urged swimmers to take precautions, including wearing personal flotation devices (PFDs) and swimming with experienced companions. This aligns with this year's National Drowning Prevention Week theme, 'Safer Together.' 'Only 1% of drownings happen in lifeguard-supervised settings,' she said. 'So, this is by far the best place to swim.' Lifeguard at moonlight A lifeguard is shown on duty at Greater Sudbury's Moonlight Beach. July 21, 2025. (Madison Marier/CTV News Northern Ontario) Oshell acknowledged that Sudbury's natural bodies of water are generally safe but stressed the importance of vigilance. 'Taking precautions is very important,' he said.
CTV News
a day ago
- CTV News
Man drowns, another hospitalized after inflatable kayak capsizes in Sudbury
A 24-year-old man drowned and a 27-year-old was hospitalized after their inflatable kayak capsized at Sudbury's Moonlight Beach. Officials stress lifejacket use as Drowning Prevention Week kicks off. Madison Marier reports.
BBC News
6 days ago
- Sport
- BBC News
Canoeist's van fire in France sparks act of kindness
A world champion sportsman said help from friends and strangers after a fire destroyed his equipment has "restored my faith in humanity".Two weeks ago, Eoghan Kelly was returning from winning a gold at the Canoe Freestyle World Championships in Germany, when his van - packed with kayaks, equipment, camping gear, and personal belongings - suddenly burst into flames near the outskirts of Paris."Between me and my girlfriend all we had was a phone - it was a hot day so I didn't even have a T-shirt on," he people, from strangers on the roadside to embassy staff and friends at home, have loaned equipment and helped out to get him back home and back in the water. Mr Kelly, 29, who lives in The Meadows area of Nottingham, is a semi-professional sportsman who competes for the Irish national vehicle, a converted people carrier, was moving six kayaks and related kit, as well as camping equipment and personal had reached the outskirts of Paris before problems Kelly said: "Cars were beeping at us and we thought maybe it was the kayak on the roof."But when we pulled into the side, it was very evident the car was on fire."By the time we got out it was completely alight and because everything was packed in, it went up really quickly and we didn't have time to grab anything."Between me and my girlfriend all we had was a phone - it was a hot day so I didn't even have a T-shirt on."Quite a hassle because the passports were in there too." Mr Kelly admitted he was initially at a loss what to do."It was quite a strange experience standing watching half your belongings go up in a fire," he said."It's stressful and daunting. You think, 'what do I do now?', there's not really an obvious play card for what you do in that situation."But it restores your faith in humanity to see so many people coming to help, complete strangers doing the best they could."A number of "lovely people" pulled over and bought the couple water and even a new T-shirt. Mr Kelly said: "The police were helpful and the embassy staff were extremely helpful and they had an emergency passport with me in under 24 hours."So there were some really lovely things happening in an extremely stressful situation."Competition kayaks are worth £2,000 to £3,000 each so Mr Kelly estimates his losses in tens of thousands of pounds and while he was insured, he said that "only covers so much".But once home, the help has said: "People have been really kind, the canoeing community have really rallied round and a friend has even starts a GoFundMe, which has allowed me to get some new equipment."People have been amazing lending me stuff, including a vehicle - it's been a real lesson in gratitude."I've been back on the water training and fortunately next big competition is in Nottingham, so I don't have to drive far."
The Independent
14-07-2025
- Climate
- The Independent
Unresponsive woman rescued by RNLI after drifting half a mile from shore
RNLI crews have rescued an unresponsive woman, Maria, who was found drifting half a mile off the Norfolk coast in her kayak. Dramatic footage released by the charity shows a boat racing to the kayaker, who was then pulled onboard along with her vessel before being taken to shore. Maria explained that she got into difficulty when the wind changed, leading to what she described as a "perfect storm" of conditions. The RNLI praised Maria for wearing a buoyancy aid and sun protection, saying that these precautions were vital for her survival. Watch the video in full above.
Yahoo
21-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Candy bars, soda and… kayaks? New Virginia Beach vending machines sell something more.
Candy bars, cans of soda, and now … kayaks? Some vending machines in Virginia Beach parks are dispensing something more than snacks and drinks after the addition of a new kayak vending machine at Stumpy Lake Natural Area. Virginia Beach Parks and Recreation installed new kayak rental kiosks last year at Munden Point Park and the Lake Lawson/Lake Smith Natural Area last year, and their popularity spurred installation of a new and bigger vending machine at Stumpy Lake. The city has 12 kayaks available for rental at Stumpy Lake's vending machine, and Munden Point Park and Lake Lawson/Lake Smith each have eight kayaks. The rentals include a single-rider kayak, life jacket and paddle for $25 for up to two hours and $15 for each hour after that. A season pass costs $99. Tyler Deem records on the ' app that he has returned the kayak he rented from the Kayak Kiosk at Stumpy Lake Natural Area in Virginia Beach Friday, June 20, 2025. The app controls payment and the locking mechanism to access the kayaks. (Kendall Warner / The Virginian-Pilot) Brandon Cyphers, front, and Tyler Deem carry a kayak back to the Kayak Kiosk after fishing at Stumpy Lake Natural Area in Virginia Beach Friday, June 20, 2025. (Kendall Warner / The Virginian-Pilot) A kayak available for rent sits locked inside the Kayak Kiosk at Stumpy Lake Natural Area in Virginia Beach Friday, June 20, 2025. Kayaks can be rented for $25, for up to two hours, and $15 for each hour after that. A season pass is also available for $99. (Kendall Warner / The Virginian-Pilot) Tyler Deem removes a kayak from the water to return to the Kayak Kiosk after fishing at Stumpy Lake Natural Area in Virginia Beach Friday, June 20, 2025. (Kendall Warner / The Virginian-Pilot) Brandon Cyphers, left, helps Tyler Deem load one of the two kayaks they rented back into the Kayak Kiosk at Stumpy Lake Natural Area in Virginia Beach Friday, June 20, 2025. (Kendall Warner / The Virginian-Pilot) Show Caption1 of 6The Kayak Kiosk at Stumpy Lake Natural Area in Virginia Beach Friday, June 20, 2025. Kayaks can be rented for $25, for up to two hours, and $15 for each hour after that. A season pass is also available for $99. (Kendall Warner / The Virginian-Pilot)Expand Renters use a smartphone app and scan a QR code on any container with a kayak inside. The rental also includes a set of wheels to help get the kayak to the water. The website lists more than 100 vending-machine locations, but only a handful in Virginia and Hampton Roads. Suffolk has kayak rental machines at Constance Wharf and Sleepy Hole Park, and Smithfield's Windsor Castle Park and York County's Back Creek Park also have a machine. In Virginia Beach, the vending machines — which cost about $100,000 for all three locations — replaced a cumbersome rental process. 'We used to have rentals at Munden Point, but that became very staff-intensive and required cash handling measures,' city spokesperson Ali Weatherton said in an email. 'We also had a third-party contract with a local company at Stumpy Lake Natural Area. That was awarded through the competitive bid process. That proved to be inconsistent. Parks and Recreation then decided to investigate the rental kiosks and found them to suit all the rental needs for multiple locations.' The vending machines have been a hit. Nearly 900 kayaks have been rented at Munden Point and Lake Lawson/Lake Smith since the installation in April 2024. The new kiosk at Stumpy Lake has rented more than 500 in the past three months. And more kayaks are coming: There are more to come to Virginia Beach: A new vending machine is planned when the Bow Creek Stormwater Park is completed in 2026 or '27. Jami Frankenberry,
