Happened at Hampton Beach, NH

It is the news we don't like to see or hear, but it happens ever so often. This time it happened over the weekend at Hampton Beach, NH. The following was reported in UnionLeader of New Hampshire by Clynton Namuo yesterday:

HAMPTON – One man died and another man was rushed to a hospital after what was termed a rogue wave struck their boat off Hampton Beach last night.

A boater at sea called in the incident to authorities about 7 p.m., reporting two men had been knocked from a small fishing boat. Soon after the wave struck, nearby pleasure boats converged on the area near Concord Avenue on Hampton Beach, and rescuers pulled one of the men from the water.

A Hampton firefighter then swam out to him and performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation on the man, who was not breathing. The second man was later found dead on shore, authorities said.

"The reports that we have (are) there were two subjects standing up in the boat, and they were hit by a blind wave," said Deputy Chief Steve Benotti of the Hampton Fire Department.

Benotti said the men had been out fishing.

The man pulled from the water was taken to Exeter Hospital following his rescue. His condition wasn't known last night.

The storyline is rather familiar by now. It is again caused by a freaque wave with no specific details. The report also indicated this:

The boat appeared undamaged; among the things on it were two life vests, two fishing poles, a box of bait, and some empty beer bottles.

which is something depressing to know -- life vests were not used. Let's send our pray and condolences to the family of the victim. Here's a scenery picture of Hampton beach:

It can be anywhere in the world. It happens anywhere, anytime when you are least expected. Never ever let your guards down!

Update:

I guess a different but more positive and emphatic way of expressing the sentiment "Never ever let your guards down!" as in the last sentence of my above post could be "Nature must be respected!" That's the title of an article published in the Seacoastonline.com this (Tuesday) morning. It's a good article to read even you are not from seacoast. Here are the relevant comments:

This past weekend was a tragic example of what can result from a failure to be cognizant of the power of the Atlantic. A Plaistow man was killed when his 14-foot boat was hit by a rogue wave off Hampton Beach; another man was hospitalized.

Both men were from the Seacoast, so it wasn’t likely for lack of knowledge that this incident occurred. Partly to blame is a disregard for rules of safety and how quickly the ocean environment can change, even a short distance from the shore.

Reports indicate both men were standing up in the small boat and were fishing when the wave hit, knocking them overboard. Neither, according to authorities, was wearing a life preserver.

A fall into the water just offshore might not have been a problem in warmer waters, but in the northern Atlantic, it quickly turned deadly. That is because the water temperature at the time was reportedly around 56 degrees, a temperature at which hypothermia takes hold quickly.
Hypothermia occurs when the body’s core temperature falls below its normal level of 98.6 degrees to 95 degrees or cooler.

Hypothermia is dangerous because it affects the body’s core — the brain, heart, lungs and other vital organs. Even a mild case of hypothermia affects a person’s physical and mental abilities, and increases the risk of accidents. Severe hypothermia causes loss of consciousness and may result in death.

Cold water is especially dangerous because loss of body heat occurs 25 times faster in cold water than in cold air. How quickly an individual becomes hypothermic depends on many factors, including personality and behavior, environmental factors, dress and physical condition.
The man who died off Hampton Beach on Sunday was in the water for approximately 45 minutes, the N.H. Marine Patrol indicated. His cause of death was determined to be cardiac arrest resulting from hypothermia, and he was 25 years old.

This, and many of the other accidents that occur in New Hampshire’s natural environment didn’t necessarily have to happen. It is a sad consequence of a common attitude that dismisses the real dangers even the most innocuous natural environment poses.

Please read the whole article even you are not from New Hampshire. It will well worth your while.