Big waves engulf Tragumna sea wall

Meanwhile a world over in Ireland we see this big wave picture:

and this report by Jackie Keogh in the Southern Star:

THE coast road at Tragumna Beach was completely closed on Monday morning because 20ft high waves posed a potential danger to life and limb.

Notices were also posted calling on members of the public to heed the warnings issued by the Coast Guard to stay away from the coastline and to avoid exposed coastal and cliff paths during stormy weather.

The Coast Guard issued an orange weather warning for counties Cork, Galway, Mayo, Clare, Limerick, Kerry, Waterford and Wexford because the gale force south to southwest winds were resulting in gusts of 100 to 120km per hour in exposed coastal areas.

Throughout the weekend the combination of gale force winds, surging seas, high Spring tides and heavy rainfall presented an ongoing threat to West Cork towns, particularly Skibbereen and Bantry, but on this occasion they avoided flood damage.

In Tragumna, however, 20ft high waves battered the coastline and resulted in the removal of the stone facing on the sea wall, as well as the partial collapse of the road into the sea.

Members of the local Toe Head Coast Guard station were vigilant throughout the weekend and remained on duty in case of an emergency. 

They reported that the occupants of one car had a lucky escape: the occupants had to abandon their vehicle and run to higher ground after their car was buffeted to the right and then to the left by freak waves.

Tragedy on the NSW south coast

The Canberra Times reported this sad news. The culprit of this sad case is not freaque wave but an equally dreadful rip-current: 

A distraught wife has told how her husband died saving their two young sons from drowning on the NSW south coast, on what should have been the last week of a family holiday.

British man Andrew Priestley, 44, managed to keep the two boys - Matthew, 12, and Daniel, 10 - afloat long enough for others to reach them and drag them to safety. But he was unable to stay above the waves himself and his body was later found floating face down.

Priestley, a businessman from Market Harborough in Leicestershire, had been on a three-week driving holiday from Sydney to Melbourne with his wife, Amanda, and their children when they decided to stop at Burrill Beach, near Ulladulla.

Mrs Priestley said the tragedy began to unfold about midday on Friday, when her husband and the two boys entered an inlet leading to the open sea for a swim while she stayed on the beach with their eight-year-old daughter, Amelia.  

When Matthew and Daniel began to be dragged underwater by a rip, they started to scream. Priestley, who was in the sea himself, reached the boys, held them above the waves and lifted them onto a surfboard, allowing other beach users to pull them to safety.

By the time they came back for Andrew, he had been washed away by these terrible rip currents. His body was found face down in the water. "He died a hero.'' according to his father-in-law. Nevertheless it seems to be an unnecessary loss of an ordinarily could be avoidable case, what a waste!

"I didn't see this huge wave coming."

Here's a picture of  freaque waves damaged vehicle according to this story reported by Lisa Cottrell in ThisisCornwall.co.uk. The driver of the car was miraculously escaped:

A FREAK wave swept a man in his van into a flooded river before plunging the vehicle into the sea below.

Tony Martyn was driving along the seafront in East Portholland on the Roseland when the unexpected wave hit on Thursday afternoon.

It carried the Citroën Berlingo into the river from which he escaped minutes before it was tossed into the sea below.

He said: "A rogue wave came out of nowhere. There was a loud bang and the van and I were flipped straight into the river."

The van was dropped onto its side in the swollen river, making it impossible for Mr Martyn to open the door.

He said: "I had to escape through the window. I got away from the van as fast as I could as I was worried that the van would be carried into the sea."

Minutes after Mr Martyn escaped from the vehicle, it crashed into the stormy sea three metres below.

Fierce waves then battered the vehicle, smashing the roof down, ripping a door and the bonnet off and rendering it scrap.

Witness Lucky Kaur said: "I saw a car being lifted and dropped straight into the ocean - it was deeply shocking. I called the emergency services and the whole community worked with these courageous volunteers to check everyone's whereabouts, in case another vehicle had been similarly pulled into the sea. The waves and wind were extremely high but tragedy was averted."

In severe weather waves frequently break on the East Portholland road. Mr Martyn said: "I was careful to check the sea but I didn't see this huge wave coming." 

Here again, we see the effect of a freaque wave but not what, why, and how was its happening!  O well just be happy that the driver escaped so he was able to tell us that he did not see this huge wave coming!

Waves hitting Euro-coasts

The news my friend Michel Olagnon referred to me yesterday is now reported in detail in Australia's news.ninemsn.com.au , complete with the video. In the same report they also reported this following picture showing a wave hits the lighthouse of Les Sables d'Olonne, France as a storm brings strong winds on January 6, 2014. (Getty)

It's certainly a beautiful lighthouse standing against the assaulting ferocious waves. And also this one:

which shows waves batter the sea wall at Wimereux, France, on January 3, 2014. High tides and strong winds have brought flooding to areas of the UK and northern France. (Getty).

The article quotes Ed Temperley, the editor of wave forecasting website Magicseaweed.com with these useful advises:

"The biggest rideable swell will be at Nazare in Portugal, but some of the coldest and most dangerous will be in Ireland. The Basque Country will be really good as well for a select paddle crew.

"Despite the media coverage big wave surfing gets these days it is still an incredibly dangerous and frequently deadly sport performed by true professionals who dedicate their lives to surviving the horrific forces wiping out and long periods being held down under water."

Well said!

Happenings at Biarritz, France

My friend, Michel Olagnon of Ifremer of France, sent me this link to a video that happened in Biarritz, in the late afternoon of January 5, 2014: http://www.huffingtonpost.fr/2014/01/06/video-noyade-ils-filment-la-vague-biarritz_n_4548392.html. The video has an interesting title that translates as :"Biarritz: they film the wave that killed two people." It seemed that they were filming the occasion when tragedy happened. 

Michel kindly summarized the case as:

3 people went on a forbidden footpath, 2 were washed away, one was recovered alive on the beach a few minutes later, the last one is still missing.

Now he just informed me also this:

. . . another person seems to have been taken away from a bench on a nearby beach yesterday night, and two had already been drowned on a wharf last Sunday. Buoy measurements just off Brest gave 8m Hs, and it seems that the whole French Atlantic coast had such heights. Many shorelines got hurt, though the tide is not exceptional.

At Biarritz, where the accident took place, another wave smashed yesterday night the windows of the room of the one-armed bandits machines at the casino (built in 1929).

So that are all happenings in a coastal location southwest of France.  Are they freaque waves?  Michel did not think so, though it's all unexpected. As usual we wish to extend our sympathy and prayer to the lost souls. Hope people don't ever try to brave the "forbidden footpath" again, no matter how healthy and strong they are!

Frozen Antarctic stuck global warming researtch ship

First picture of note of 2014: a rescue ship was stuck by ice in the Antarctic that was on her way to rescue another ship that was stuck by the ice earlier. The first stuck ship was carrying global warming scientists on their way to gather evidence that the Antarctic ice was supposed melting because of global warming, instead they themselves become solid evidence that there's clearly no global warming in the Antarctic as they expected.  The photographer of this picture is very innovative, it shows the frozen ice like a frozen wave -- Hokusai style!

What I am wondering is whether or not the scientists on the stuck ship still stick to their believe that global warming is going to melt the Antarctic ice???

freaque waves forced capsize and abandoning Atlantic Challenge

Here's a picture of a row boat in the middle of Atlantic, encountering a freaque wave:

I am a little late in reporting this case which was reported from the BBC News England of December 17, 2013:

Two friends taking part in a challenge to row across the Atlantic have been rescued after their boat capsized.

Nick Rees, from Farnham, Surrey, and Ed Curtis, from Anglesey, north Wales, set off on their journey on 4 December.

They first capsized on Friday after a freak wave knocked them out of their boat, their blog said.

But after their boat rolled over again and suffered damage, the team decided with race organisers and coastguards that they should abandon the race.

A statement issued by Atlantic Campaigns, which organises the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge, said the pair reported on Tuesday morning their boat had capsized and suffered damage.

. . .

 On the team's blog, the families wrote: "We have yet to speak to the boys directly but are very grateful for the operations put into place by Atlantic Campaigns to ensure their safety. Come home boys."

So  freaque waves forced the capsize of Mr. Nick Rees and Mr. Ed Curtis' boat, suffered damage, and had to abandon the challenge. But the important thing is that they are safely returned, welcome back!

Breakup and sinking of Texaco Oklahoma – March 27, 1971

Just came across this old news from this Bryant's Maritume News:

Breakup and sinking of Texaco Oklahoma – March 27, 1971

The SS Texaco Oklahoma broke in two after being hit by a freak wave in the North Atlantic on March 27, 1971. The forward section, including the navigation bridge, immediately lost all power. The forward section then collided  with the after section, destroying one of the two lifeboats rigged on the stern section, and subsequently sank, resulting in the death of thirteen mariners. The mariners in the stern section attempted to jury-rig a radio to send a distress message, but were unfamiliar with the process of sending Morse Code messages. High seas carried away the other lifeboat. When the stern section began to sink, the remaining mariners attempted to abandon ship in liferafts. A passing vessel found the survivors the next day. Of the 44 crew members on board when the tanker left Port Arthur for Boston, only thirteen survived. The casualty led to enhanced inspections of cargo tanks and improved methods of calculating hull stress. A memorial service, officiated by Father Sinclair of the Port Arthur Seafarers Center, was held in Port Arthur on March 27, 2011.

It is never too late to remember and record such a true happening that does not seemed to be widely known.  This article detailed the happening especially the results it caused but very little about the freaque wave itself -- just "being hit by a freak wave" and sadly only 13 of the 44 crew members survived, a major disaster for 31 families 42 years ago. I guess the communication was not as well developed as today. Does the Morse Code still required for mariners today?  At any rate today's technological advancement in communications should hopefully prevent this kind of tragic case from happening again.

Sceneries of waves at Grand Haven pier

Here are some Lake Michigan wave pictures at Grand Haven pier found on the Pure Michigan Facebook site:

Five washed into the sea by a wave in Meco, Portugal

An ordinary sandy beach, an early Sunday morning outing, nothing seems unexpected, sadly still unexpected tragedy happened to 5 university students as this Portugal News reports:

Fears are mounting as searches continue for five university students who went missing on a beach in Meco during the early hours of Sunday morning.

Seven students in total were on the Moinho de Baixo beach in Alfarim when they were washed into the sea by a wave.

One has been found dead and another survived the ordeal.

The survivor told search and rescue teams that the group had been sitting near the water’s edge when they were taken by surprise by a freak wave and washed into the sea.

Let's hope and pray the still missing can be found alive. What can we do? How can we prevent similar things from happening again  by just "sitting near the water's edge"?

Exciting new boat design for safer fishing on deadly Bering Sea

I found this following news in the TimesNews.net today encouraging, even exciting, as well as comforting:

ANACORTES, Wash. (AP) — Few professions are as deadly as commercial fishing on the Bering Sea.

Crews face rogue waves and frigid gales that toss around heavy machines and cause vessels to pitch, yaw and roll on turbulent waters. The dangers are so constant that they’ve been made lore on the long-running cable show “Deadliest Catch.”

Over the years, efforts to keep crew members safe have taken many forms, from changing the culture among fishermen to equipping them with emergency gear such as survival suits that can help them survive the icy waters longer.

The latest proposed solution is being built in a dry dock north of Seattle: a $35 million, 190-foot vessel that would enable fishermen to work behind the safety of the hull, rather than out on the deck amid the dangerous wind and waves.

The ship, commissioned by Seattle-based Blue North Fisheries, represents the culmination of efforts to keep fishermen safe, said Chris Phillips, managing editor of Fishermen’s News, an industry publication.

“If he’s out there standing in the elements in 15 degree weather and 15-foot waves crashing on the deck, he’s not very happy,” Phillips said. “But if he’s in a well-lit and heated space, he’s a lot happier.”

According to federal statistics, 32 fishermen died on the job in 2012, a drop from 42 the year before. Still, the profession remains one of the nation’s deadliest with a 2012 fatality rate of 117 per 100,000 workers, compared to 17 for construction crews.

Jennifer Lincoln, an injury epidemiologist with the National Institute for Occupational Safety Health, said the vessel’s design represents an attempt to avoid the hazards completely. “It’s a big deal to engineer out the occupational hazard from the beginning,” she said.

Currently, a crew member is at risk while the long-line is being reeled in. Usually a crew member has to hook the fish being reeled in to process them. That requires standing out on the deck. And sometimes crew members get tossed into the water.

In Alaska, for example, 158 fishermen died between 2000 and 2012; 49 of those fatalities were crew getting tossed overboard, Lincoln said.

Under construction in Anacortes, near Puget Sound, Blue North Fisheries’ new flagship vessel is due to hit waters in late 2014. It will be the first of its kind for U.S. commercial fishing — a similar model is already in use in Norway.

The long-lines of hooked cod will be pulled from under the boat. The opening, described as an elevator shaft by Blue North Fisheries co-founder Patrick Burns, is in the bottom-center of the vessel — a so-called moon pool. The opening goes up two stories to a platform where the crew will reel in the long-line.

The design will work for bringing in cod, but not for crab, the prize haul on the Discovery Channel’s “Deadliest Catch,” which has been on the air since 2005, observers said. From there, the fish will move on to the process line.

Beyond keeping fishermen away from the waves, the vessel is being designed to act as a floating processing plant. Blue North’s goal is to process more than 90 percent of each fish, leaving little to waste. The previous average was about 70 percent, the company said.

In years past, crews raced against each other in a deadly derby, trying to catch as many fish as possible under a tight deadline. Now, cod hauls are regulated under a quota system, which has relaxed time pressures on the crews.

Coast Guard officials also check to make sure vessels weren’t overloaded. “You’re not trying to catch as many fish as you can,” said Kenny Down, Blue North’s CEO. “You’re trying to do the most of you can with the fish you caught.”

The design aims to change the way fishing is done in the Bering Sea.

“Nobody knows if it will catch on,” but I think it deserves a chance,” Phillips said. “I suspect when the Blue North is out and fishing, the rest of the industry will want to follow suit.”

The fans of the TV show "Deadly Catch" are all too familiar with the kind of scenes of working "out on the deck amid the dangerous wind and waves".  If the new design described in this article can be put into practice, those scenes will soon be a thing of the past. It is clearly long overdue, but it is never too late and exciting to see it become a reality. Let's hope and pray that it will!

The above AP picture accompanied the article is presumably the finishing product of what the new fishing boat looks like -- may be all the future fishing boat should looks like this, why not?

Trinida Fisherman Missing at Sea

 This news today in Trinida Express by Susan Mohammed:

A MAYARO fisherman, missing since a rogue wave capsized his boat on Tuesday, is suspected to have drowned.

Matthew Brown, 24, of Eccles Road, could not be found despite several searches by other fishermen in the area, said the Coast Guard.

Two other fishermen—Richard Phillip, 35, and Alexis Cassinare, 40—who were also in the boat were rescued.

According to police, around 8.30 a.m., the Coast Guard were alerted that a pirogue named Zaboo, carrying three fishermen, had capsized off Point Galeota.

When they went to the area, they discovered Phillip and Cassinare floating on the cover for a cooler.

The search for Brown continues today.

Last month, a helicopter crew rescued a fisherman clinging to a rock off Point Galeota after waves swamped his boat. Two other fishermen swam to shore.

Cpl Samlal of Mayaro Police Station is investigating.

So another tragedy identifiably caused by a freaque wave that capsized the 24 year old victim's boat and he went missing and suspected to have drowned. Nothing new really, just another drowning by another identified freaque wave. No more information, no more details. May the victim be rest in peace, sympathies to him, his family and his friends. That's their sad loss. Another case registered for the internet realm, otherwise just another case for the local file.  Life goes on!  The science world remains clueless about the what and why of freaque waves.

A picture of picture rock in Lake Superior

Winter in the winter water wonderland Michigan -- a picture of picture rock in Lake Superior. What a peaceful scenery!

A happening in the Clipper round-the-world race

Here's a news article in UK Independent entitled "Freak wave hits British yacht racer Michelle Porter off Africa":

A British woman injured when her yacht was hit by a “monumental” wave off the coast of South Africa was being treated on Sunday night.

Michelle Porter, from London, was evacuated to a hospital in Port Elizabeth from one of 12 yachts which were taking part in the Clipper round-the-world race. Her yacht was “rolled” by hurricane-force gusts, but she escaped with torn ligaments and severe bruising.

The 11-month race began in London in September and the fleet has so far completed around a quarter of the 40,000-mile course.

Ms Porter said: “I feel a bit numb, a bit sick, and also pretty devastated that I’ve had to leave the yacht.”

Now here's a picture of the rescue effort in the Southern Ocean reported here:

That's the typical scenery we might expected from South Indian Ocean off Africa. I guess the story is not really unexpected either.  At least it's all's well that ends well!

A Bishop Coyne's quote of St Augustine

From Bishop Christopher Coyne

“People travel to wonder at the height of mountains, at the huge waves of the sea, at the long courses of rivers, at the vast compass of the ocean, at the circular motion of the stars; and they pass by themselves without wondering… Now, let us acknowledge the wonder of our physical incarnation— that we are here, in these particular bodies, at this particular time, in these particular circumstances. May we never take for granted the gift of our individuality.” 

– Saint Augustine of Hippo

2013 Thanksgiving post

Who's responsible for the freaque wave occurrence?

I find this news in Taipei Times reported by Shelley Shan upsetting! Politicians hold the Ministry of Transportation  officials "accountable" for the freaque wave occurrence in the recent freaque wave attack in NE coast of Taiwan:

The legislature’s Transportation Committee yesterday passed a resolution asking the Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC) to submit a plan to protect visitors to coastal areas after eight people were killed by a rogue wave on the northeast coast on Saturday, and called for the officials responsible to be held accountable.

How foolish and  irresponsible can politicians be? Arbitrarily blame the occurrence, totally beyond anyone's control, on some administrative personnel.  I guess this is an universal problem of politics in dealing natural disaster with ignorance. People elected them to take care of people's welfare before things happen, NOT to play blame game after it had happened. Their blame game certainly will not prevent something like the happened disaster to happen again.

What's really in need is more research to understand the natural phenomena.  They should appropriate more funding for more measurement and research, a lot more to be effective -- something the politicians will never understand!!! These stupidities are not only confined by Taiwan's politicians.  But Taiwan's politicians seem to be more notorious of this kind of foolishness.

Saint Firmina, the Patron Saint of the Sailors

Saint Fermina (or Saint Firmina, is equivalent) is the Patron Saint of the Sailors, Amelia and Civitavecchia. In Amelia is celebrated on November 24th each year.

I think we can also reasonably pray to St. Firmina for the calming of freaque waves!  St. Firmina, pray for us!

An "all of a sudden out the blue" story in the Yacht Race

This news item from Scuttlebutt Sailing News reported, with video, what happened when a freaque hits:

The infamous Roaring Forties of the Southern Ocean have long been known as being home to some of the least hospitable conditions on the planet for professional sailors, let alone the amateur crew taking part in Race 4 (Cape Town to Western Australia) of the Clipper 2013-14 Round the World Yacht Race. 

GREAT Britain crew, Jim Hendry, Ben Pate and Mark Heywood were on deck when a huge wave crashed over them, knocking them into the cockpit. Jim, who gladly suffered no major injuries recalled: “I was sitting there, talking and singing quite happily, when all of a sudden out the blue, a big massive wave came out of nowhere and knocked me, Ben and the yacht, everything flying.” 

Ben Pate commented: “I’ve looked to my left and Jim is lying there with his head in a pretty peculiar position. It didn’t look like he was breathing. I called his name a couple of times and he didn’t respond. After a while, he gave a little cough and started breathing again.” 

After coming round and being checked by on board medics, Jim is making a full recovery, has now returned to his watch duties and is incredibly grateful for his team mates assistance, saying: “Unfortunately I got hit, but that was it. Thanks very much for the crew for helping me out and getting me back together.” 

There are twelve identical, British registered 70 foot ocean racing yachts, carrying 240 international amateur crew, each under the command of a professional skipper, on the world’s longest ocean race. It is now 10,000 miles out of London on its 40,000 mile, 11 month marathon journey. The fleet left Cape Town on 4 November and is expected into Albany, Western Australia towards the end of the month. The unique event ends back in London in July next year. 

More at www.clipperroundtheworld.com 

Clearly this is a real freaque wave hit case being recorded by a video and told by those who experienced it. For something  "all of a sudden out the blue, a big massive wave came out of nowhere", I don't think there's any doubt there.  

Now this is a real encounter with freaque waves and they all fortunately survived to tell it -- it's just a day in the life of sailors! But what I wish to know is what might this freaque wave looks like on a paper? I mean if the wave can be recorded would it be looks like the Draupner wave???

I very much doubt it!!!

Tragedy at NE Taiwan's Longdong Cape (龍洞灣岬)

This picture from Focus Taiwan sows the waves that caused a major tragedy happened in NE Taiwan:

Taipei, Nov. 10 (CNA) New Taipei Mayor Eric Chu said Sunday that security at northeastern coastal areas will be tightened after eight people were killed and eight others injured by freak waves at Longdong Cape (龍洞灣岬) in the city's Gongliao District a day earlier.

Here's what had happened:

. . . a 26-member group from Shulin Community University that was visiting the Longdong (龍洞) Geopark Saturday to attend an outdoor learning course.

The group consisted of lecturers, students and members of their families. The deceased included six adults and two schoolchildren.

All eight bodies had been retrieved by 7 p.m. Sunday, but none of them could be resuscitated after being rushed to nearby hospitals, including Keelung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and the Keelung branch of the Tri-Service General Hospital, according to New Taipei Fire Bureau officials.

What a terribly depressing tragedy! A nice learning opportunity in a beautiful natural surrounding was destroyed by the freaque wave!  Our heart goes to the eight who lost and their families. May God bless the living and the dead.


P.S.

The local news reports in Chinese called the freaque wave 瘋狗浪.

P.P.S.

This blog post in Chinese has good information and discussions on freaque waves concerning this tragedy http://win588stock.pixnet.net/blog/post/167157105. I am not allowed to copy any of it so for Chinese readers it is worth to pay a visit of the blog!