Was it a freaque wave?

This is a follow-up to the previous post regarding the capsizing of the whale-watching boat. This article in the Province, theprovince.com, by  Jeff Lee of PostMedia News, provided a eyewitness account as told to a rescuer, Frank, who recounted:

“They were saying they were looking at the seals and they saw this real big wave coming, bigger than the rest,” Frank said. “It brought them up and they fell over and just started tumbling, over and over. 

“The next thing they know the boat is full of water and they were all rushing out. The only thing they could see was the life raft, so they all swam for the life raft.”

Now here's a quite good description of wave happening: they can see the wave coming! Clearly there was no time for them to react and prepare when the wave hit them. I have two questions regarding this case: 1). They can see the wave coming, did the wave make any noise? and 2). Is this a freaque wave or just a regular large wave?

Whale-watching boat tragedy caused by freak wave

This tragic news was reported in  the Guardian as:

A freak wave that struck as sightseers crowded to one side of the top deck caused the sinking of a Canadian whale-watching vessel, killing five Britons and an Australian near Vancouver Island, investigators have said. 

Canada’s transportation safety board said that after questioning some of the 21 survivors, including three crew, it had initially concluded that the Leviathan II sank on Sunday after it was hit by a wave when most of the passengers were gathered on the top deck watching sea lions.

The article was written by Chris McGreal.

This is another one of all the tragic cases that was never expected to, and should not ever have, to happen but unfortunately happened. A most unsettling news is what the coroner disclosed: "none of the five who died had been wearing life jackets, although they were available."

I guess no one can emphasize more strongly this advise to the tourists:

 whenever on board a tourist vessel and there're life jackets available, by all means WEAR it! Your life depends on it!!!

May God bless the lost souls, may they R.I.P

Swept off Lighthouse Pier at Michigan City in Southern Lake Michigan

Here's a news from the Times of NW Indiana:

MICHIGAN CITY | A northern Indiana man's body was recovered Sunday after he was swept off the Lighthouse Pier at Michigan City's Washington Park a day earlier by a large wave, officials said. 

Earl Helmuth, 24, of Napanee, his fiancee and two other Amish couples were taking photos at the end of the Lighthouse Pier about 6:30 p.m. Saturday when a large wave came over the rocks and "knocked them off their feet," said Sgt. Shawn Brown, an Indiana Department of Natural Resources conservation officer. 

The six friends were standing on the middle tier of rocks north of the lighthouse as the waves were crashing in, Brown said. There are pilings but no railings at the end of the pier, which is "pretty open," he said. 

"It was a nice day. The waves were neat, and they were just taking pictures," Brown said.
After the group was swept off the pier, three were able to get out on their own. 

U.S. Coast Guard officers, who happened to be patrolling the creek that goes from Lake Michigan into Michigan City, rescued two others — including a pregnant woman — who were clinging to the concrete wall of the lighthouse. 

The Coast Guard and conservation officers launched a search by water and air for Helmuth, who could not swim, Brown said. Ten-foot waves and treacherous conditions late Saturday forced divers to suspend their underwater search until Sunday, officials said.
Helmuth's body was recovered about 8 a.m. Sunday, shortly after conservation officers divers resumed their search. He was found in 12 feet of water, about 20 feet from where he was last seen, officials said. 

Helmuth and his fiance were planning to marry in October, Brown said. Officials initially said Helmuth lived in Shipshewana. Brown said he was planning to move there, but legal documents still listed a Napanee address. 

As every happenings inevitably reckon with sad, tragic consequences, this one is certainly not an exception. It all started with an excited lighthouse outing and taking some pictures. Disaster is always lurking behind all the seemingly routine activities like taking pictures at the lighthouse. Another swept away by a freaque wave, a young bridegroom with a long productive life ahead -- dashed. God have mercy, RIP!

Swept off Pearl Beach of Australia, July, 2014

I guess the common sayings that "All news are local" is quite true, especially when it comes to the news of freaque wave encounters.  I just come across another "swept off" to sea case happened in July at the Pearl Beach, New South Wales, Australia. www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2689667/rescuers-fail-body-boy-fice-swept-NSW-beach.html  Another terrible tragic occurrence did not makes into world wide news cycle: A 5 years old  was swept off NSW beach reported on July 12, 2014, massive rescue efforts were eventually called off with no trace of finding the young boy's body. Any one familiar with the area or have seen a picture of the beach there would certainly marvel the beauty and the seemingly tranquil peacefulness of the area that should not expect such a terrible tragedy to happen. Here's a post by the aunt of the lost boy:

"Devastating news for our family today . . .the passing of our nephew Chayce Kofe . . .Where there areno words know the silenceare carrying the thoughts and prayers of all who love you Charyce."

and

"I will Hold you in my heart forever Charyce . . . Loving you always."

What a tragedy! Time may not heal the loss, a year had passed, little had already back to God's place, but the family's pain of losing him remains forever. May God bless them!

Rugby coach fell freaque wave victim

This case took place about a month ago as was reported in www.mirror.co.uk. The full headline reads: Rob Walton: popular rugby coach killed after suffering whiplash when he was hit by freak wave.

Here's the detail story as reported:

A top rugby coach drowned after suffering from whiplash when he was hit by a freak wave on a family holiday. 

Rob Walton, 36, was overwhelmed by the giant wave as he swam off Labenne beach, near Biarritz, on the French west coast. 

The dad-of-four, known to his friends as Yoghurt, was a talented rugby player-turned-coach, who had played alongside future World Cup winners during a spell in New Zealand. 

A French police source said: “He was hit in the spine by a big wave and suffered whiplash injuries.”The spot where Mr Walton drowned is one of the most popular surfing spots in the area, thanks to the waves that roll in from the Atlantic. 

It is believed he was caught in a giant surge of sea water and was spun around before his body was released by the waves.

Very tragic, "hit in the spine by a big wave" and the wave is clearly unexpected is something that should not ever happen but happens more often than recognized. We feel extremely sorry for him,  his friends, and family. May God grant him RIP.

Now can this kind of cases be avoided? Let's hope so!

Another "swept out to sea" tragedy

Another "swept out to sea" tragedy, this time in Ireland, as this news from irishtimes.com  reports:

A man has died after being swept out to sea by a large wave while fishing in Co Waterford. 

The incident occurred on Bunmahon Beach near Dungarvan at approximately 1.45pm on Tuesday.Dublin Coastguard, which co-ordinated the rescue attempt, received a 999 call at 1.50pm from the man’s friend who was also fishing. 

A spokesman for the coastguard said the man was swept out to sea by a large wave before his friend entered the water and attempted to rescue him. 

He was unsuccessful and returned to shore to raise the alarm. 

The spokesman for the coastguard said that because the man had been reportedly in the water for five minutes, the Waterford-based coastguard helicopter was dispatched, along with the RNLI lifeboat and a community rescue boat.

The helicopter crew located the man but he was found to be face down in the water and non-responsive.

How tragic! Perhaps the following comments one should always kept in mind:

The spokesman for the coastguard urged people to remain vigilant of large waves and not to fish in areas that are not frequented by local people. 

“These waves are often described as freak waves,” he said. “One in every seven waves is a large wave - so they’re not freak waves - they’re large waves.”

I am not quite certain what the last comment means!

Rogue Waves sink Phi Phi cargo ship

Here's a headline from the Phuket Gazette yesterday: Rogue Waves sink Phi Phi cargo ship.

For us outsiders not familiar with geography of Thailand area, Wikipedia has these to say: The Phi Phi Islands are in Thailand, between the largest island of Phuket and the west Strait of Malacca coast of mainland.

Now please check their website for details of what had happened.

In essence, according to the Captain, Mr. Anan, they left in the morning in calm seas, then clearly an unexpected freaque wave, about 3 m high, struck them hard, the boat started to take on water, then another large wave hit it and sunk it.

To a large extent, this is probably a typical case of freaque waves happening with an auspicious ending: Both crew members are being rescued! Thanks be to God!



, where they were being taken care of by Phi Phi National Park officers,” said Lt Col Anurak.

Both men were taken to Phi Phi Hospite received a report from fishermen that they had located the pair and took them to Koh Pai, where they were being taken care of by Phi Phi National Park officers,” said Lt Col Anurak.

Both men were taken to Phi Phi Hospital for treatment, after having been clinging to debris for hours.

“The captain, Mr Anan, said that they departed Krabi at 10am in calm seas. However, a rogue wave, that was about three meters high, struck them hard,” said Mr Anurak.

Happened in Labenne in the Landes region of SW France

This latest news item in Mirror is a depressing happening: "British tourist dies after freak wave breaks spine and causes whiplash" as the headline states.

The man was bathing in a supervised swimming area in Labenne in the Landes region in Aquitaine in south-western France. 

 The 36-year-old suffered whiplash which broke his spine, according to authorities.The man was bathing in a supervised swimming area in Labenne in the Landes region in Aquitaine in south-western France.

How terrible!

The article also has this:

Facing the open Atlantic, the 60 miles of Landes beaches are famous for large waves.

The area contains the largest number of surf spots in Europe.

So care should be especially observed in famous tourist places! It is really upsetting to see  a life lost like this. On the other hand, some may regard this to be a romantic way to go. May God bless the victim, RIP.

Dog rescued from crushing waves by tourist at Honolulu rocky shore

This UK Daily Mail article tells a story of a tourist rescuing a dog that was crushed by large waves at Honolulu China Wall cliff with pictures and a video clip. Here's main story line:

This is the incredible moment a brave tourist rescued a small dog after two powerful waves crashed into it and carried it out to sea

.
The video and the online pictyures pretty much ca[ptured the whole drama well worth a watching!
Note that it was two large waves, not necessarily freaques.  But are there any differences?

When a pummeling wave struck

Here's the happening:

A young surfer used her surfboard leg rope as a tourniquet to stop the blood flowing from a gaping fin wound after in a freak accident.
She was bleeding on a deserted Waikato beach at night with no cellphone reception to call for help.
Leah Cameron, a 22-year-old intensive care nurse, was out for a twilight surf off the rugged west coast beach of Ruapuke this week in what started as calm, 3ft conditions, when a pummeling wave struck.
It toppled the surfer, embedding her beloved 5'10" Fish board into the sand and sending the fibreglass fin deep into the surfer's inner left thigh.
"Conditions were perfect, quite small and it was like a freak wave that shut down on me. I ended up in the wrong place, wrong time. It was quite surreal.

The story was published in stuff.co.nz/waikato-times/news/ a few days ago. What I was particularly interested in this report is the new term used -- a pummeling wave struck! I am intrigued! A new way to describe a freaque wave, hmmm, was a pummeling action can be considered as something freaque? Well, why not?

Hazardous during full moon and high tide!

Here's an interesting article in Irish Times entitled "Coastlines 'hazardous' during full moon and high tides" which I think provides useful information and warning:

When the moon is full and tides are high, the coastline can be a more hazardous location than being out to sea. 

Parts of the Atlantic seaboard are particularly exposed to the swells and surges, rather than freak waves, which are associated with such strong tidal movements, Irish Water Safety (IWS) chief executive John Leech has pointed out. 

While there is a public perception that “offshore” is synonymous with danger, the statistics show that most drownings occur during bathing or walking along coastlines or riverbanks.

It reports these results:

 A 25-year analysis for IWS from 1988 to 2012 found that of some 40 per cent of drowning cases with an identifiable cause, 10 per cent were associated with bathing, and another 10 per cent with walking. 

Some 7 per cent were associated with boating, 6 per cent with commercial fishing, 4 per cent with shore angling and 3 per cent with road traffic incidents.
Ability to swim is no safeguard in certain circumstances and the majority of drownings here still occur on inland waterways, the report found.

And their concluding advise that people should always wear a life-jacket and maintain a safe distance from the water's edge is certainly well taken and should be be observed by all. Anyway watch out for the hazards during full moon and high tides!

Whither freaque waves?

With Google taking over the Blogger system and turned it around to something I no longer recognize, I am having trouble access my blog now a days. Nothing is forever, may be Freaque Waves blog has ran long enough with a good showing. I don't know how long I can still keep it up like the good old days. I like to thank readers and followers of this blog sincerely, I hope I can continue, but what ever will be will be. A sad lesson to learn in this life is what I just said: Nothing is forever!

Did the disciples encountered a freaque wave?

The Gospel reading today:

Jesus Calms the Storm

(Matthew 8:23-27)

Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!”

He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.

The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!”

Also: 

(Mark 4:35-41)

On that day, when evening had come, Jesus said to the disciples, "Let us go across to the other side." And leaving the crowd behind, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. Other boats were with him. A great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped. But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke him up and said to him, "Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?" He woke up and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Peace! Be still!" Then the wind ceased, and there was a dead calm. He said to them, "Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?" And they were filled with great awe and said to one another, "Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?" 

So freaque waves had happened in the biblical time 2000 years ago. Now an interesting question would be: Did the disciples encountered a freaque wave or waves in that instance?  I don't think anyone can affirmatively provide an answer to this question.  The only thing that I can surmise is that if the instance happens somewhere in US today, one or two things might happen: (1) US main stream media will probably not going to report it, because Jesus is politically incorrect, and (2) if it become known by local people and Coast Guards and may be some journalists, in their general discussions on the case the term will most likely to bring up ( without mentioning the "Peace! Be still!"! of course!

A dog lost to Sea in New Zealand.

Here's a report from New Zealand:

A witness spotted a Jack Russell swimming for its life while being battered by massive waves off Dunedin.

People continue to comb the beaches between St Clair and St Kilda after the 15-year-old dog disappeared in heavy seas at about 2pm on Sunday.

Graeme Newton said he was walking in the area when he saw a woman on the beach, which was hit hard by heavy waves, "and I thought what the bloody hell is she doing?".

Later he spotted a dog in the water, "and it was getting hit by the white water again and again".

"I saw the dog trying to swim towards St Clair and I thought, 'good luck to it'."

He estimated the dog had been in the water for 10 minutes and later lost sight of it.

Those same waves had earlier brought down a large sand dune, "and just scoured huge chunks off".

He later scrambled around a slip to talk to the woman, who was obviously upset.

"I went up to her and said 'are you missing a dog'."

"She asked me if I had seen it and I said 'yes, but you are not going to like the outcome'."

The Otago Peninsula resident told him she had been on a dune when it gave way.

Another witness Anthony Legg also talked to the "distraught lady", later helping search for her dog.

He said the track [between the beaches] needed better signage from both ends to prevent people walking in the area, "because it could have been a kid who got washed away".

The track was clearly signposted from the southern end of St Clair beach.

Dunedin City councillor Andrew Whiley said the council was aware of the incident.

Contractors were repairing the area, he said. 

O.K. the story here is a dog was swept out by a freaque wave and did not survive on a beach that was hit hard by large waves. Was that a freaque wave?  That's not easy to say. So this may or may not be a freaque wave story.

  

Queen Mary's 1942 encounter revisited

I came across a reading material from Milwaukie High School entitled "Swallowers of Ships" with this description:

 1942: The clouds of war seem at their darkest for America and her allies against
Hitler's awesome Nazi military machine. Allied hopes hang on the slim thread of ship convoys
moving across the North Atlantic from the United States to Britain.

 Nazi U-boats constantly threaten Allied shipping. But in the late winter of 1942, Atlantic
storms are more menacing than anything the enemy can throw at the convoys.

 On this particular day, the English coast is wracked by a vicious gale. Some 700 miles
westward, the 81,237 ton liner Queen Mary labors through the storm toward England. On
board are 15,000 American soldiers. The majestic liner pounds her way through an
unrelenting train of 20 and 30 foot waves. Her captain and crew are grimly determined. They
have weathered North Atlantic storms as fierce as this before.

 Suddenly the sea seems to drop away alongside the Queen Mary. She is drawn into
the deep trough of a giant wave coming at her broadside. Looking up, the men on the bridge
cannot believe their eyes. Although they are located high above the ship's waterline, the
mountainous wave rises so high they cannot see its top. As the mass of water comes down
on them, its crest tears away in an avalanche of sea. The upper decks are under water. The
greater liner lists to one side. She is within inches of capsizing!

 At the time the London newspaper The Daily Mail reported: "...those who had sailed in
her since she first took to sea were convinced she never would right herself. Her safety
depended on no more than five degrees. Had she gone those inches farther to port, the
Queen Mary would have been no more."

 Miraculously the Queen Mary did not go under. A disaster worse than that of the
Titanic was narrowly avoided. Yet many ships since then have encountered giant waves and
have not been so lucky.

 Liner Queen Mary encountered a freaque wave is well known and legendary, but I never really noticed these much details ever given elsewhere as those reported here, especially that what they encountered was a deep trough! That's not something well known to my knowledge. Yes, deep trough is an integral part of freaque waves. Not all freaque waves are of Draupner type! That's something people may have difficulty to comprehend especially those nonlinear physicists thinking ocean freaque waves can be solved in optics!!

As a matter of fact, Dr. Al Beeton, our former beloved Director of GLERL also encountered a deep trough in Lake Michigan in the mid 1950's when he was a young scientist, piloting a small research vessel in eastern Lake Michigan near Luddington, Michigan when all of a sudden a deep trough appeared in front of his route and his boat just dropped into it. Fortunately no disaster ensued, so he can told me all the details about the encounter years latter. That's some valuable life's experience not many can expect to have and surviving a freaque wave encounter can not be appropriately and prominently listed as a life's accomplishment  -- but it WAS!  I really appreciate when Al learned about my interest in study freaque waves then eagerly told me all about it. Thanks, Al!

Waves at Game of Thrones set

I just noticed this Euronews news item that was happened ndwhich somehow I missed when it happened at a Maltese island in February of this year with this following picture:

There's also an interesting video attached to the article that makes it well worth to pay a visit. As a matter of fact, watching those videos convince me that it is sufficient to look at the videos to appreciate the power of those waves. One might even question: which one is the real freaque wave?

 

Sweeps off cliff's edge

This news happened in Ireland's Aran Islands as reported in Good Morning America on April 15, 2015. The incredible video below the report is a must watch. You have to watch it to believe what sweeps off cliff's edge is about and how lucky was that the rescue over a real freaque wave encounter took place!  Here's the story:

A woman visiting Ireland’s Aran Islands was saved by a young couple after a giant wave knocked her off a cliff and into the sea.

Apu Gupta, 21, from London, was taking video from the cliff’s edge last week when she was knocked 40 feet down onto rocks by the wave.

“I tried to run, but it pushed me straight down. It was like being in a waterfall and that probably cushioned the fall,” Gupta told the Irish Times. “I was so scared because I thought the wave was going to come again.”

“My ankle was completely smashed and the pain was bad,” Gupta, who was visiting the islands with her mom, told the newspaper.

Two other tourists visiting the island saw Gupta’s fall and immediately sprang into action, according to the Times.

“We could see her almost being swept out to sea, so I took out my phone to dial 999 but there was no reception,” Seamus McCarthy, a paramedic, told the newspaper.

The other tourist, identified by the Times as Fionnuala Quigley, a teacher, ran to the nearest house to get help. The pair, by now aided by others, fashioned a rope out of a jacket and a backpack and lowered it down to Gupta.

Gupta tightened the backpack around her waist while her rescuers pulled her up the cliff to safety.

We have to believe that somehow God's hand is right there handling the whole thing!

Unfinished

This is the picture I captured from a newspaper article showing am coastal freaque wave in action. I have since lost the article connection, just this picture to marvel for now. I'll finish it if I can find the article! 

ThunderSnow and Lightning

Hmmm. . .  "thundersnow" is a new term for me just noticed from this article in MalaysianDigest.com: entitled "THUNDERSNOW and Lightning very very frightening!"

STORM-HIT Britain was last night lashed by 50ft super-tides as 80mph winds and thundersnow battered the nation.
Massive waves clattered coastal towns while the screaming gales caused chaos across the UK.
The “weatherbomb” resulted in tragedy as one man was swept to his death off the seafront at Scarborough, North Yorks.
A freak wave dragged the man in his 30s into the water as he walked his dog along the seafront – despite desperate attempts by his pal to pull him to safety.
The friend was left clinging to the sea wall as a monster wave whipped up by gale force winds crashed against him. The other man was recovered unconscious from the water about 40 minutes later, but died in hospital.
More than 100 flood warnings were in place across the country yesterday with gales, lightning, thunder and snowstorms due overnight and into this morning.
Forecasters at The Weather Network warned of “further spells of wet and windy weather and snow on the higher ground”.
Meanwhile thundersnow – a rare phenomenon combining lightning with snow flurries – pelted down in western Scotland and Northern Ireland yesterday.
And there was road chaos in the Lake District as drivers lost control in treacherous conditions.
One incident saw two people cut out of a car after it ended up on its roof after a “number of collisions”, on one dangerous stretch. Volunteers from Langdale and Ambleside Mountain rescue service cared for the pair until ambulances arrived.
Leon Brown, forecaster at The Weather Channel UK, said another cold front will smash into the UK on Thursday, just in time for the weekend.

Good to noticed this article from the internet. It may be too much to expect US' reporters to understand that there's a whole wide world out there outside of Washington D.C., Whitehouse and Hollywood cesspool. This article reported a tragic case, being rescued is still not enough, so sad!

I must admit that I have never heard of thundersnow during lightning with snow flurries, it is frightening!  Nature seems never tired of surprising us mortal humans!

The deadliest wave on the planet

When one sees a title like "THE DEADLIEST WAVES ON THE PLANET" it most certainly screams for a click! It's an article from Sydney, Australia's Daily Telegraph, an article about surfer and surfing waves. The title may have succeeded  in generating shock feelings. But it's a compilation of world's dangerous surfing sites according to surfers.  Click it and be enlightened or entertained!