Be careful of the rough waters

[peregrina2000]

I just saw a news report that a French pilgrim is missing from a beach near Fisterra, the Playa O Rostro. His backpack and all documentation were found on the beach. Unfortunately, this will not be the first death of pilgrims who took ill-advised swims. The article describes terrible sea conditions and all sorts of alerts, such a tragedy.
http://www.abc.es/espana/galicia/ab...cido-playa-fisterra-201601012058_noticia.html

 

[ivar]

I saw this on the news the other day. We have had winds of up to 120km/h and a lot of rain the last few days... and on the coast I imagine even worse... it seems this pilgrims went down to the sea in a difficult area... the helicopter was looking for him for about an hour the other day, but has since needed to come back due to bad weather.

The Finisterre area has a lot of currents normally, these days I imagine even worse.

 

[domigee]

Came on here to post the same.... Please pilgrims, stay safe.

 

[gypsywind]

I saw this on the news the other day. We have had winds of up to 120km/h and a lot of rain the last few days... and on the coast I imagine even worse... it seems this pilgrims went down to the sea in a difficult area... the helicopter was looking for him for about an hour the other day, but has since needed to come back due to bad weather.

The Finisterre area has a lot of currents normally, these days I imagine even worse.

Ivar, I am sorry, I am having a hard time wrapping my mind around how to use your web site. How do I start a new question thread? I hate to change the subject in other peoples threads!

 

[SYates]

So sad, may Santiago welcome him and carry him to a better place ... SY

 

[William Garza]

Prayers for the missing.

 

[Madidi]

I just saw a news report that a French pilgrim is missing from a beach near Fisterra, the Playa O Rostro. His backpack and all documentation were found on the beach.

What a terrible conclusion to this poor man's camino. This beach is not directly on a camino but is close to and overlooked from Castrexe on the Finisterre - Muxia way. Given the weather on the Galician coast last week and the likely sea state, it is hard to imagine any other outcome to swimming there, particularly alone.

Thoughts and prayers are with his family.

 

[zzotte]

My prayers to his soul and family

Zzotte

 

[Al the optimist]

May he soon be discovered.

Ivar, I am sorry, I am having a hard time wrapping my mind around how to use your web site. How do I start a new question thread? I hate to change the subject in other peoples threads!

Click on Camino de Santiago Forum at the very top left. Scroll down to and click the forum you want. On the right you will see "Start a New Thread".Click on it and there you are.

 

[ivar]

Ivar, I am sorry, I am having a hard time wrapping my mind around how to use your web site. How do I start a new question thread? I hate to change the subject in other peoples threads!

Have a look at some instructions here:
https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/how-to-post-question-comment-in-the-forum.20844/

 

[gypsywind]

Have a look at some instructions here:
https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/how-to-post-question-comment-in-the-forum.20844/

Thank you, I FINALLY got it, I am a bit techno slow

 

[Saint Mike II]

Having grown-up in the sea here in Oz I have always had a respect for its power. Given that the Nth Atlantic, even in summer, has sea temps of less than 15'C I cannot understand why anyone would want to "swim" in it during the middle of winter (it would be near zero!).
If as a pilgrim you were trying to replicate the actions of pilgrims past then by all means take you shoes off, roll you pants up and go for a paddle. You will soon find out how cold that water is.
For the family of this young man I have deep sympathy.

 

[SYates]

... Given that the Nth Atlantic, even in summer, has sea temps of less than 15'C I cannot understand why anyone would want to "swim" in it during the middle of winter (it would be near zero!). ...

Which would, sadly, suggest a suicide, SY

 

[newfydog]

We have similar "sneaker waves" in Oregon. They come up from the side and behind and sweep a few people away each year--- not swimmers, but people walking on the beach.

One of the legends of the origin of the scallop shell of St James, is that a sneaker wave swept a pilgrim into the ocean. The others prayed to St James, and the next big wave washed him up on the beach, covered with scallop shells.

I'm hoping for a similar miracle.

 

[SYates]

That would be truly an answer to many prayers here! SY

 

[Theo]

Hi,

Denis is a Breton pilgrim from the French Finistère ; he is used to walking on the beach by the worse weather along the Atlantic coast (very similar to the Galician coast ... ) where he is living in Penmarc'h Brittany ...

He is member of the Breton St James Association.

Very sad news ; I'm keeping my fingers crossed for him that he'll be found very soon.

Théo

 

[Madidi]

Denis is a Breton pilgrim from the French Finistère ; he is used to walking on the beach by the worse weather along the Atlantic coast (very similar to the Galician coast ... ) where he is living in Penmarc'h Brittany ...

Theo, Thank you for these details. Can you please pass on our sincerest condolences to his family at this sad time.

Take care, be safe.

 

[BrianForbesColgate]

Which would, sadly, suggest a suicide, SY

Or, quite simply, lack of awareness. After all, we have seen many photos of pilgrims walking/diving into the sea once they reached to ocean. One might assume that a pilgrim, on reaching the shore after walking for 30 or 40 days might think they could conquer the world.
I remember a young Mum bouncing her baby into the water on the west coast of Vancouver Island on a particularly hot but still Spring day one year, and her baby screaming, not joyfully. The water of the Pacific Ocean there is rarely more than a few degrees above freezing at that time of year, and the Mum, standing on the shore in boots, had no idea what she was doing.
Where ignorance is bliss ... does not always hold true.

 

[Isca-camigo]

I have done it myself at Finisterre on a bad weather day at the end of a November, decided to ignore the driving rain and freezing winds and leave my clothes, backpack in a pile on the beach and go into the sea, to purify. Seems stupid from the comfort of my front room, but after weeks of walking you are in a different place.
My thoughts to his family.

 

[newfydog]

Here is a video of a recent sneaker wave. These things are nasty!

http://videos.oregonlive.com/oregonian/2016/01/sneaker_wave_south_of_coos_bay.html

 

[Isca-camigo]

You forget about waves like that, I was on the same beach as the Frenchman, if a wave had come in like that I would have been in trouble and no one would have seen it.

 

[Theo]

Hi,

In Brittany some days ago :

http://bcove.me/9pwnrgml

The three people saved ... by a fourth one !

Take care ...

Théo