Boatcop
06-12-2006, 11:26 AM
By now you've all probably seen those new rafts that "fly" behind boats, called "Mantas" or "Kite Tubes". They just started showing up on Lakes this year, but have already been credited with 1 death and numerous injuries.
Below is an excerpt from an email I received from officials at Lake Powell:
In the past three weeks we have had to Airvac four serious injured people from Lake Powell that were engaged in a new water activity called Kite Tubing. This activity involves a large round inflated tube that is towed behind a boat at 20 to 40 mph. The user holds onto the kite tube as it rises into the air to a height of 15 to 60 feet. Controlling a kite tube is extremely challenging and the slightest upset in its balance cause the tub to dive down into the water at a high rate of speed. The individual on these tubes impacted the water at both the forward tow speed of the vessel and then at the downward accelerated speed, which can be as high as 70 MPH.
As a medic I have responded to three of these calls in a one week period and my Kite Tubing patients all had to be Airvac to Level I Trauma Centers. A 29-year-old male who suffered a broken neck (double Fx of C-2) and a 26-year-old male with a hemopneumothorax produced by broken ribs. My third patient a 14-year old female suffered a whiplash injury and was released from the hosipital. Several weeksÂ’ earlier another Medic had a similar case at Lake Powell involving a young man with a severely punctured lung. Several local hospitals have reported recently seeing Kite Tube patients with simular injuries from people that have self transported to their facilities. Taking with other water enforcement agencies they are seeing Kite Tubing injuries and I have heard of one fatality in Texas. This death was due to a transected aortic commonly seen in deceleration auto and airplane type accidents.
Interviews with friends and family members of patients have shown a disturbing trend with this use. In all cases at Glen Canyon NRA, multiple minor Kite Tubing injuries occurred with other members of the boating party prior to the incidents that required advanced life support. All victims stated they were using the kite tubes as directed when they suddenly lifted to dangerous heights, became unstable, and plunged up side down into the water. Friends of the victims that did not immediately report their injuries advised that they had coughing up blood, had torn muscles, whiplash type injuries and broken ribs.
Go to the following Internet link and then click on the video section in the upper right hand corner. These clip show graphically what can happen with these devices.
http://www.kutv.com/video/?id=16155@kutv.dayport.com <http://www.kutv.com/video/?id=16155@kutv.dayport.com>
http://www.break.com/index/tubingtakeoff.html
If you have one of these or plan to buy one for the kids, please consider the dangers that the manufacturers don't tell you about.
Below is an excerpt from an email I received from officials at Lake Powell:
In the past three weeks we have had to Airvac four serious injured people from Lake Powell that were engaged in a new water activity called Kite Tubing. This activity involves a large round inflated tube that is towed behind a boat at 20 to 40 mph. The user holds onto the kite tube as it rises into the air to a height of 15 to 60 feet. Controlling a kite tube is extremely challenging and the slightest upset in its balance cause the tub to dive down into the water at a high rate of speed. The individual on these tubes impacted the water at both the forward tow speed of the vessel and then at the downward accelerated speed, which can be as high as 70 MPH.
As a medic I have responded to three of these calls in a one week period and my Kite Tubing patients all had to be Airvac to Level I Trauma Centers. A 29-year-old male who suffered a broken neck (double Fx of C-2) and a 26-year-old male with a hemopneumothorax produced by broken ribs. My third patient a 14-year old female suffered a whiplash injury and was released from the hosipital. Several weeksÂ’ earlier another Medic had a similar case at Lake Powell involving a young man with a severely punctured lung. Several local hospitals have reported recently seeing Kite Tube patients with simular injuries from people that have self transported to their facilities. Taking with other water enforcement agencies they are seeing Kite Tubing injuries and I have heard of one fatality in Texas. This death was due to a transected aortic commonly seen in deceleration auto and airplane type accidents.
Interviews with friends and family members of patients have shown a disturbing trend with this use. In all cases at Glen Canyon NRA, multiple minor Kite Tubing injuries occurred with other members of the boating party prior to the incidents that required advanced life support. All victims stated they were using the kite tubes as directed when they suddenly lifted to dangerous heights, became unstable, and plunged up side down into the water. Friends of the victims that did not immediately report their injuries advised that they had coughing up blood, had torn muscles, whiplash type injuries and broken ribs.
Go to the following Internet link and then click on the video section in the upper right hand corner. These clip show graphically what can happen with these devices.
http://www.kutv.com/video/?id=16155@kutv.dayport.com <http://www.kutv.com/video/?id=16155@kutv.dayport.com>
http://www.break.com/index/tubingtakeoff.html
If you have one of these or plan to buy one for the kids, please consider the dangers that the manufacturers don't tell you about.