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Lost Kayaker
11-Feb-2007
An Australian adventurer trying to kayak from Tasmania to New Zealand is lost. His upturned, empty kayak was found yesterday about 80km off the NZ coast.
This is sad. I hope they find him, but it doesn't seem likely. I feel very sorry for his family. His parents, his wife. But I do have a couple of questions about this sort of thing, and here they are.
• Shouldn't this risky behaviour only be undertaken by people without partners and children?
• Why should the NZ taxpayer pay for the search and (hopefully) rescue mission?
The solution: I'm all for risky behaviour, within limits. I think it should be undertaken only by people without family responsibilities, who have - before they begin - arranged sufficient capital in the form of a bond to cover any possible rescue attempt. It is selfish behaviour, after all - how many operations would the search and rescue have paid for? And think of all the lives devastated by the man's death.
Comments
I agree, 100%. Prepare for the very worst, hope it doesn't happen all you like, but to expect that other people should pay for your misadventure is just plain wrong.
This is a tricky one. I agree that perhaps it should not be left to NZ taxpayer to look for people who have met with ill fortune through their own recklessness, but as for the wife and kids part, when I think of all the great people who have attempted and achieved goals while the family have waited at home.....well.....
Off Topic: How's Dolores Claiborne...haven't read it yet. You going all out SK aren't you Russ? =P
We had the same debate here when Tony Bullimore was rescued (twice) by our navy (and the damned man is on the sea again, does he never learn?). I do agree that once you have a family you should reconsider undertaking such risky behaviours, do it when you're young and foolish, but don't leave children to go on without you. Yes I know that crossing the street can sometimes be a dangerous activity, but odds are a little different I believe. I feel that it takes a certain kind of selfishness to do these things.
On another note *insert long wail of grief here*....those b****y englishmen, win one match all b****y season then turn around and win the b****y finals!!!!! Where were our fellow ANZACS when we needed you, if you had won a match then we could have played you instead - what were you doing, drinking tea??? On a beach????
Oh well, at least we still have the Ashes *rubs hands in glee and scurries away, chuckling*.
BTW, for those who don't understand, we lost the cricket finals *sigh*.
On another note *insert long wail of grief here*....those b****y englishmen, win one match all b****y season then turn around and win the b****y finals!!!!! Where were our fellow ANZACS when we needed you, if you had won a match then we could have played you instead - what were you doing, drinking tea??? On a beach????
Oh well, at least we still have the Ashes *rubs hands in glee and scurries away, chuckling*.
BTW, for those who don't understand, we lost the cricket finals *sigh*.
Of corse Jo, I knew it was our fault. Such an Australian way of looking at things. If you win, it's all your doing. If you lose, quick, who's to blame? Course, it wasn't us whose loss to England set them up for the finals.
Dolores Claiborne was good. I think I may have seen the movie.
Still no sign of the kayaker. Now the Australian government is telling NZ not to stop the search. Are we being blamed for another Australian loss?
Dolores Claiborne was good. I think I may have seen the movie.
Still no sign of the kayaker. Now the Australian government is telling NZ not to stop the search. Are we being blamed for another Australian loss?
Perhaps before we ask if risky undertakings should or shouldn't be taken by people who have family... we should ask if that family minds.
Don't assume that they do. Some women - and men - are attracted to adventurous types. Many parners would never want to see the person they love stop chasing their dreams or abandon the activity that brings them joy.
Sometimes it's less cruel to allow someone to go out and have the adventurous life they want. Wrapping them up in cotton wool to rot with boredom and frustration all their life, just so you don't have to endure worry or grief, is just as selfish.
But I do agree that purchasing some kind of bond to cover rescue attempts is a good idea.
Don't assume that they do. Some women - and men - are attracted to adventurous types. Many parners would never want to see the person they love stop chasing their dreams or abandon the activity that brings them joy.
Sometimes it's less cruel to allow someone to go out and have the adventurous life they want. Wrapping them up in cotton wool to rot with boredom and frustration all their life, just so you don't have to endure worry or grief, is just as selfish.
But I do agree that purchasing some kind of bond to cover rescue attempts is a good idea.
Agreed, trudi, certainly about the partner. But I'm not so sure that children, especially young children - who tend to suffer most when they lose a parent - can be consulted in a meaningful way.
Interesting.
Interesting.
I agree with you Trudi about not preventing a partner from fulfilling their dreams, but that's adults. Russell beat me to the punch in responding, I've seen the devastation on my son's face when he thought he lost me in the supermarket, I don't even want to imagine how he would cope with being told I was never coming back!! On the whole, kids don't get a say in the big things that impact their lives, which is why it's the responsibility of their grown-ups to not do things that have the potential to hurt them, either emotionally or physically.
Sorry about the rant, in case you didn't guess, I feel really strongly about this topic :)
Please consider my previous rant about cricket the outpourings of a wounded soul, I don't really blame NZ, there have been minor problems with our one day team for a while, but to be beaten by the English..... (Linda/Gillian, please note that I didn't apologise to Russell that time!!)
Sorry about the rant, in case you didn't guess, I feel really strongly about this topic :)
Please consider my previous rant about cricket the outpourings of a wounded soul, I don't really blame NZ, there have been minor problems with our one day team for a while, but to be beaten by the English..... (Linda/Gillian, please note that I didn't apologise to Russell that time!!)
Ahhhh sweet revenge. Aussie shouldn't have thrown the game to England so they could meet them in the finals :-)
(don't throw things I am kidding Jo (not!))
(don't throw things I am kidding Jo (not!))
Don't worry Linda, you're safe...I throw like a girl... :)
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