Community, Newsletter: Coordinator's Column
June 2010
Summer has finally arrived with all of its tradition; heat and humidity. But hey, that is what is so great about paddling. You can escape the dreariness of this heat and humidity and go paddling! Is there any better way to spend a Saturday and/or Sunday then going out to paddle with friends or make new friends on a CPA trip?
As we “gear up” for the summer paddling trips, I want to point out again that the CPA sponsors and participates in many different swim support or kayak support events. These events are just beginning for the most part now. I want to thank all of the volunteers for their valuable time to assist the organizations that request, and frankly, need our help to hold these events.
Part of our mission as the CPA is to educate the community to kayak safely; what better example to show the fulfillment of that mission then to volunteer for one of these swim supports or kayak demo supports. Our participation in these events shows the public at large and the paddling community how to offer the support to these organizations in a professional manner.
For example, I have participated in the Great Bay Swim several times; there are always swimmers that need our help and they are very grateful for our participation as well as our abilities. The same thing can be said for the multiple triathlons and the demo days where we act as safety boaters to make sure that new kayakers do not get into trouble.
It is clear from the explosion of these events that the CPA’s involvement in these events are much appreciated. It may be nice to get a tee shirt and a sandwich (or two) for your efforts, but I believe that the real appreciation comes from those that receive our help. They are always appreciative and thankful and that is thanks enough.
Since we are talking about safety, I wanted to raise another issue this month; that is first aid while on paddling trips. On a recent club trip, a member fell into distress immediately after the paddle was completed. The other participants on this trip acted swiftly. One person was directed to call 911. Other members created a shield from clothing to keep the hot sun off this paddler while help arrived. Several others turned the paddler so that the paddler’s breathing was not obstructed. Although the paddler was taken to Shock Trauma by chopper, he was all right and released. This is a testament to the quick thinking of the trip leader and the other participants on the trip.
As it turned out, three of the trip participants including the trip leader had recently taken the Wilderness First Aid course offered by the club in conjunction with the American Red Cross. This is the second time that this course has been offered to club members and hopefully we can offer it again in the future. Since there are many trips that the club sponsors that are not always close to medical help, I would encourage everyone to take at least a basic first aid course, practice it and be prepared for when an unforeseen medical emergency arises.
Remember, keep paddling, and keep paddling safely!
Ed Hershon