I noticed a darker blob out of place slightly to port in what was otherwise more darkness of the water. It was a full moon, but still very dark at 10:30pm as we motored home by the ferry terminal of the Milwaukee Harbor.
Occasionally, a faint return would appear on the radar as well in the same location.
As we got within a quarter mile or so, I shined a spotlight on the object. A faint outline of a kayaker appeared. A few seconds later their white light shined back at us.
“There’s a kayaker over there,” I mentioned to Kristin. I briefly thought being on a kayak on Lake Michigan at this time of night was pretty dumb, but otherwise shrugged it off. Small, human powered craft are merely required to shine a white light when approached by another vessel, but otherwise do not require running lights. No “SOS” came from their light, and it didn’t blink frantically or have a strobe effect. Kristin returned to attempting to get more moon photos with her camera.
Not wanting to create a wake as we got closer, I throttled Priorities’ engine back to her no wake speed.
I stepped over to the port side of the cockpit and lit up the kayaker again with my spotlight more out of curiosity than anything else. Then I heard it over the noise of the engine… a very faint, single cry in the distance… “Help!”
It had been a great evening. Kristin and I had sailed Priorities from our home port of South Shore Yacht Club in Milwaukee the two and a half miles to the Milwaukee Community Sailing Center at McKinley Marina downtown to take some new members for a boat ride during MCSC’s Full Moon Sail event. The breeze was steady, the water pretty flat, and we saw the full moon rise over the clouds as we circled near downtown after nightfall.
After dropping off our guests back at McKinley Marina, Kristin and I motored home across the harbor since the wind had died, leaving glass flat water. The moon crossing behind some small clouds and then reappearing was a cool sight, and Kristin spent much of the short journey attempting to get a photo despite the chill in the air. Nighttime photos on a boat is not an easy task, though.
After hearing the cry for help, I throttled back to idle, clicked off the autopilot, and turned to the kayaker’s position. I mentioned to Kristin they needed help, and she immediately grabbed our life jackets and handed mine to me. I then heard a “Thank you!” from the kayaker. We were about halfway between the Milwaukee Coast Guard Station and the South Gap, so about a quarter mile from land. I noted the seawater temperature on our nav display: 58 degrees.
Lake Michigan water temperatures can be very fluky. The air temperature had been in the 80s and 90s for nearly two weeks (quite warm, even for July). Most of Lake Michigan had warmed to around 70 degrees as well… relatively good swimming weather (for here!). The previous two days, however, had strong west winds. Strong west winds in Milwaukee make for warm air temperatures even at the lakeshore, but also pushes the relatively warm surface water east. To fill in the void, water from deeper below the surface upwells. This deeper water is much, much colder… often 45-55 degrees.
Sometimes the temperature gradient between warm and cold can be very abrupt, leaving a narrow sliver of cold water right along the shoreline. During our Full Moon Sail that night, we raised the main near Veteran’s Park in water temperatures in the mid 60s and air in the low 70s. Within a few boatlengths east of the breakwall, the water was in the low 50s and air probably in the low 60s. 3 miles out, where we turned around, water temperatures were in the upper 60s again.
Within about a boat length of the kayaker, I realized what the problem was: there were actually two female kayakers on separate kayaks, and one had capsized. The capsized kayaker was unable to get back into her kayak and was completely in the water, clinging to both kayaks. I could tell from the stress in her voice she was getting very cold and exhausted, and her breathing sounded irregular. Both were wearing life jackets, fortunately.
Our observed 58 degree water temperature can definitely cause hypothermia, and possibly cold water shock… anything below 70 is considered dangerous by the Coast Guard. The National Center for Cold Water Safety has a well presented website with great information. Apparently breathing is often just as difficult to control with water in the 50s as it is in the 30s.
Despite glass flat water, no wind, and us already traveling under power, it still took nearly two minutes for us to position ourselves in a way for the kayaker to board our boat via the swim ladder. Large waves or wind would have made things far more difficult.
Around the time of our arrival to the scene, another sailboat motored past a few boatlengths away, lit us with their spotlight, and continued on without communicating.
In hindsight, I should have notified the Coast Guard of the situation. I think Kristin and I correctly recognized we were best suited to be the rescuers, but nonetheless, if things had digressed further it would have helped to have more boats and capable hands on scene.
Kristin had a blanket at the ready when the kayaker was aboard. After a quick introduction of names, and prior to recovering the turtled kayak, our new guest asked, “You’re not a blogger, are you?” Hmmm, that’s an odd question to ask first! I figured she was just embarrassed.
She continued, “My friend can just tow the kayak back to shore herself.” Kristin and I both know towing a kayak from another kayak is very, very tricky, but towing a turtled one would be impossible.
We were able to right the kayak and began connecting a tow line for us to tow it, being careful not to foul our prop. While Kristin struggled a little finding a secure spot on the kayak to tie to in the moonlight, the other kayaker said she would just meet us near South Shore Yacht Club. Thinking things were mostly under control, we agreed where to meet ashore, and she paddled away.
Unfortunately, while her heading was directly towards the Yacht Club, there was a breakwall obstructing her route she must not have initially seen. With high water levels, some sections of the rock breakwall are merely awash, making for dangerous conditions in the dark for someone in a kayak. She paddled away from our view.
I kept the tow line short since the kayak was still swamped, and to keep it away from the prop. As we headed home, I began looking for the other kayaker. She definitely had paddled quickly, perhaps in frustration, but I still expected to see her so we could correct her course.
There was no sign of the other kayaker. At this point again, I probably should have contacted the Coast Guard in the event she had gotten into trouble at the rocks. In our interactions with her earlier, she seemed very competent as she helped recover the capsized kayak, so I wasn’t overly concerned. But a lack of concern is what got our kayaker friends in trouble in the first place though, wasn’t it?
I informed Kristin about my concerns about the kayaker that was still in the water, and gave her the spotlight to help search along the wall. Since the Yacht Club was only about 8 minutes away, we continued home slowly while searching the breakwall. Kristin and I coordinated where and how we’d dock: the club’s gas dock offered the best way to get the kayak out of the water, so we’d need our transient fenders and docklines in place. We also kept a lookout for the other kayaker.
The other kayaker met us at the fuel dock, having quickly made it back to shore. One of the SSYC bartenders helped me dump the water out of the kayak and lift it onto shore. The two kayakers were very grateful, and carried their kayak out the front gate. I hope they drove home safely.
Kristin had done an excellent job handling everything. Both Kristin and the bartender looked at me afterwards with a “What were they thinking?” expression. It made for a late night, but it did make for a good story…
Jeff. We;; written. Unbelievable story. It is surprising what some people will do that puts themselves in danger as well as endangering those who attempt to rescue them. Steve (Pelican Preserve)