Friday
Shark Attack Victim Receives Emotional Farewell
Those in the surfing community will be well aware of the fate met by the unfortunate Kyle Burden last weekend. Whilst surfing in Bunker Bay, the 21-year-old was fatally mauled by a shark. By way of a tribute, over 100 of Burden’s friends, family and members of the wider surfing community attended his memorial service, before around 50 surfers donned their wetsuits and took part in a paddle-out, joining hands at the spot where he was attacked on Sunday.
A Good Time to Cry
Sharon Burden, Kyle’s mother paid tribute to the police and emergency services who had helped the family deal with their loss, as well as thanking friends and the local community for their support. The occasion was labelled a “good time to cry” by police chaplain Keith Carmody, before stressing that it was also “a good time for people to laugh and share memories.” As well as remembering Kyle, the paddle-out also served a reminder of the constant presence of the ocean’s inhabitants.
Vigilance is Key
The paddle-out was joined by sea rescue craft, as there were shark sightings on Monday afternoon around 50 kilometres south of the area. A great white shark is thought to be responsible for the attack on Kyle last weekend. Surfers signed a surfboard in memory of Kyle, whilst all those present felt that the send-off was fitting for a young man who loved the ocean so much.
A Good Time to Cry
Sharon Burden, Kyle’s mother paid tribute to the police and emergency services who had helped the family deal with their loss, as well as thanking friends and the local community for their support. The occasion was labelled a “good time to cry” by police chaplain Keith Carmody, before stressing that it was also “a good time for people to laugh and share memories.” As well as remembering Kyle, the paddle-out also served a reminder of the constant presence of the ocean’s inhabitants.
Vigilance is Key
The paddle-out was joined by sea rescue craft, as there were shark sightings on Monday afternoon around 50 kilometres south of the area. A great white shark is thought to be responsible for the attack on Kyle last weekend. Surfers signed a surfboard in memory of Kyle, whilst all those present felt that the send-off was fitting for a young man who loved the ocean so much.
Tuesday
“Sick Jumps” Capture the Imagination
The rise of freestyle ski and snowboard events that has culminated in the addition of new events for 2014’s winter Olympics is built on the audience’s insatiable desire for thrills. When a competitor has hurtled down a slope to catch “the big air”, the audience usually descend into a silent rapture, which only erupts once the jump has been landed. These so-called “sick jumps” are the cornerstone of events in the Winter Games New Zealand, which concluded last week, and are sure to be among the standout images when the Olympic roadshow touches down in Sochi in 2014.
Courage and Skill
Two of the biggest attributes of a successful freestyle skier are courage and skill. A quick and agile mind is almost as useful as a quick and agile body, as calculations of speed, wind, and distance are needed to ensure the jump is not only landed, but the required tricks and combos are pulled off. Such is the importance put on such events nowadays that nations such as China are providing former divers and gymnasts with ski goggles and ski wear to try to get their hands on some Olympic medals.
Have a Go Yourself
For those of us not fortunate, brave or mad (delete as appropriate) enough to be taking part in the Winter Games, the prospect of strapping on a pair of skis and having a go yourself is not too daunting. With quality ski facilities up and down the country, including flagship centres at Milton Keynes and Manchester, there is no excuse not to blast down a couple of slopes.
Monday
Teen’s Hiking Death Latest in a Long Line at Yosemite
A 17-year-old boy, Kao Kue, was last week rushed to hospital with severe head injuries after taking a plunge in his walking boots at Yosemite National Park – the world famous nature reserve in California, USA.
He was out hiking last Saturday when he lost his footing on the steep, rocky Mist Trail, which is renowned for its difficult terrain, despite its popularity amongst visitors.
After four days of fighting for life, the young man passed away at Doctor’s Medical Center in Modesto, Central California the following Wednesday.
Before Kao, 14 outdoors enthusiasts have died this year alone at Yosemite National Park. There have been six drownings, two falls resulting in death, a car accident that led to a death, and five deaths of natural causes, according to a park ranger.
Controversially, Yosemite will not be including the teenager’s death in its annual statistics for Yosemite fatalities as, although the accident took place within the park, the death itself occurred in hospital and not inside park boundaries, so the official total for 2011 still stands at 14 so far. The official total of deaths within Yosemite park boundaries in 2010 was 15.
Perhaps even more controversially, when interviewed, park officials say they do not feel it is necessary to install more warning signs and/or protective measures to safeguard their visitors.
"We are adamant about educating all of Yosemite's visitors about potential dangers, as well as ensuring that it remains a wild place," said the park ranger.
Wednesday
Hiker in Intensive Care After Rattlesnake Attack
A 47-year-old man from Fayette County, Pennsylvania, USA is currently in intensive care in Ruby Memorial Hospital in West Virginia after he crossed paths with an aggrieved rattlesnake whilst hiking in the picturesque Dunbar Mountains last Sunday with his wife and two teenage children.
The man, who is a resident of Perryopolis in Pennsylvania, was bitten on the hand as he bent over to pick up the walking stick he had just dropped in the undergrowth, according to the chief of Fayette County Emergency Medical Services, Rick Adobato. He was able to hike for another hour to return to his car with his family, who drove until they obtained a phone signal and dialled 911 at around 2.30pm.
The family then drove another mile to the county fairgrounds to meet an ambulance, by which point the injured man was beginning to lose consciousness.
About the incident, Abodato said, "Much longer and this guy probably wouldn't have made it. You got to add to the walking, you've been bitten. Your pulse rate goes up. The venom is circulating through your body even faster at that point.”
The ill-fated hiker, named Richard Lawson, is said to now be in a stable condition.
The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources have advised that, while timber rattle snakebites are certainly rare, it is always wise for hikers to take precautions in the form of high-topped leather walking boots and an eagle eye for snakes before sitting down or reaching to the ground around brushes, logs, or rocks. All of these simple measures are ones that may save your life.
Hiker in Intensive Care After Rattlesnake Attack
A 47-year-old man from Fayette County, Pennsylvania, USA is currently in intensive care in Ruby Memorial Hospital in West Virginia after he crossed paths with an aggrieved rattlesnake whilst hiking in the picturesque Dunbar Mountains last Sunday with his wife and two teenage children.
The man, who is a resident of Perryopolis in Pennsylvania, was bitten on the hand as he bent over to pick up the walking stick he had just dropped in the undergrowth, according to the chief of Fayette County Emergency Medical Services, Rick Adobato. He was able to hike for another hour to return to his car with his family, who drove until they obtained a phone signal and dialled 911 at around 2.30pm.
The family then drove another mile to the county fairgrounds to meet an ambulance, by which point the injured man was beginning to lose consciousness.
About the incident, Abodato said, "Much longer and this guy probably wouldn't have made it. You got to add to the walking, you've been bitten. Your pulse rate goes up. The venom is circulating through your body even faster at that point.”
The ill-fated hiker, named Richard Lawson, is said to now be in a stable condition.
The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources have advised that, while timber rattle snakebites are certainly rare, it is always wise for hikers to take precautions in the form of high-topped leather walking boots and an eagle eye for snakes before sitting down or reaching to the ground around brushes, logs, or rocks. All of these simple measures are ones that may save your life.
The man, who is a resident of Perryopolis in Pennsylvania, was bitten on the hand as he bent over to pick up the walking stick he had just dropped in the undergrowth, according to the chief of Fayette County Emergency Medical Services, Rick Adobato. He was able to hike for another hour to return to his car with his family, who drove until they obtained a phone signal and dialled 911 at around 2.30pm.
The family then drove another mile to the county fairgrounds to meet an ambulance, by which point the injured man was beginning to lose consciousness.
About the incident, Abodato said, "Much longer and this guy probably wouldn't have made it. You got to add to the walking, you've been bitten. Your pulse rate goes up. The venom is circulating through your body even faster at that point.”
The ill-fated hiker, named Richard Lawson, is said to now be in a stable condition.
The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources have advised that, while timber rattle snakebites are certainly rare, it is always wise for hikers to take precautions in the form of high-topped leather walking boots and an eagle eye for snakes before sitting down or reaching to the ground around brushes, logs, or rocks. All of these simple measures are ones that may save your life.
Sunday
Body of Missing Skier Discovered in Washington
Paul Melby, a 40-year-old man from Lakewood in Washington, took his ski wear to the slopes of Crystal Mountain on March 1st and was last seen skiing by himself on the mountain's High Campbell area, a known spot for advanced skiers.
Repeated attempts were made by search and rescue teams to find the missing skiing enthusiast, however the searches were not successful. The mission was temporarily abandoned, but started again at the beginning of June as the deep snow began to melt.
Last Wednesday afternoon the body of the man was discovered in dense woods known to locals as the 'Mine Shaft' at an elevation of around 5,600 feet by an employee who was skiing through the woods and spotted Melby's skis and semi-buried body amongst the trees, said Crystal Mountain Ski Patrol director Paul Baugher.
His remains were discovered in a tree well and it is presumed he fell in whilst skiing and suffocated. The conditions on the day he went missing have been said to be treacherous: stormy and with heavy snowfall.
Baugher went on to say, "This didn't fit the profile where he would go, but the problem is when you're not with anybody you can be anywhere. A guy like that can ski anything.
“The message is not to ski alone. This could have had a different outcome if he'd had someone there," he continued. "When you're by yourself, there's no margin for error. Our thoughts are with all of Melby’s friends and family as they finally get to say goodbye. He will be deeply missed.”
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