18 students safe after canoes capsize in chilly Chiba river

Where wear the coaches or was this something they organized themselves? Practise? Canoes? What on earth for? Why on earth did so many capsize and why on earth did they continue to be out on the water after one went? Silly, silly, silly.

Why were they allowed to do what they do under such conditions? In any case thank goodness they are all safe.

Tmarie,

It got very windy very suddenly in Chiba today. Perhaps they got caught unawares.

Not exactly canoeing season right now, is it? Isn't canoeing generally a summer activity?

Jeff, it depends. People paddle/canoe all year long IF they are training for crew and the like. Not enough info in the article to know if this was a sport thing or a fun thing.

JLee,

Your correct, people shouldnt be in canoes at this time of year UNLESS they are very experienced, newbies need to be doing this in summer when getting tipped can be a learning experience & a chance to cool off not NOW when cold waters can cause death quite quickly.

Common sense Japan now! Please better late then never!!!

wow! a happy ending. great!!!

The problem also occurs in Summer. They worried mostly because apparently they fell in some locations out of view and they feared some kids were caught in the water, wounded, trapped by tree branches. The cold doesn't help, but that's not the biggest issue.

Not exactly canoeing season right now, is it? Isn't canoeing generally a summer activity?

Winter in Chiba is like Spring in my hometown. We'd canoe, row, water-ski, the months when temperatures were not negative at night. The Olympic canoe team trains with ice on surface of the pond. They wear suits.

newbies need to be doing this in summer

If they are in clubs, the noobs started last Spring and trained all Summer and Autumn.

why on earth did they continue to be out on the water after one went?

How do you tell those behind you that you capsized ? A phone call ? How do you stop when you're in the middle of a stream ? Push the switch off button ?

when cold waters can cause death quite quickly.

That's not the case this week. The cold water is never too good if you stay still in it, you have to get out of it quickly and get dry and warm to avoid a bad cold. Not the risk like when the ice-rink breaks and you fall.

if this was a sport thing or a fun thing.

That's both usually. If you have no fun, change of sport.

How do you tell those behind you that you capsized ? A phone call ? How do you stop when you're in the middle of a stream ? Push the switch off button ?

Um, safe boating/water sports... you stay in groups and make sure others can see you but I guess since you know everything, you should have know that. If they weren't together, what idiots were allowing high school students to be out in large numbers without taking care for safety?

That's both usually. If you have no fun, change of sport. For fun and for sport are easily understandable to a native English speaker. One for leisure, one for training.

I lost two high school friends when they went canoeing on a spring flood creek. Glad nobody died this time.

JT already publishes many drowning stories during the summer because students don't learn to swim at an early age. Why were they on the water when it is coldest? A person has to be conscious to take advantage of a life jacket, but the jacket does not prevent hypothermia. It was a foolish decision by teachers and administrators to allow this to even be organized. Fortunately, everyone was saved.

i am glad they are ok

These are long boats used for racing. They are not designed for rough water. When the wind came up suddenly it was blowing lengthwise to the river. Thus, when the leader told everyone to "turn back" their boats needed to be broadside to wind/waves. This is when the boats capsized. At least this is what I made of it this morning after seeing some video shot at the scene as it happened.

I sea kayak on flat water in northern Tohoku. It is not unusual for winds to kick up abruptly and for flat waters to turn turbulent in a matter of minutes. The sea kayak can fend off high waves much better than the racing canoes so I can see how these kids got into a tight spot quickly. In these conditions it be best to abandon boats and head for shore immediately. Hypothermia kicks in quickly.

Leadership should write something down in the contingency folder that in the future when these condition arise that everyone head parallel for the shore instead of trying to turn around.

Nobody seriously hurt .... that's the best part of this story.

The coach should have called the practice off as soon as the wind picked up, great common sense dude!

Those who neged me.............what can I saw you probably dont know anything about canoes or canoeing & perhaps cant understand what cold water can do to someone who suddenly finds themselves in the drink, lucky they were on a river where shore is close by otherwise this'd be potentially deadly!

There are no excuses. This was a foolish decision. Who is the adult here, the coach or the students. Of course the students want to practice.

Just saw this on the news. Idiots. Why did they not have a power boat out with them? Safety issues at that club if they allow that number of boats out at a time with folks that age and no motor boat. None of the clubs I know would allow that abroad. Once again negligence at its best.