A nightmare scenario unfolded for a teacher and a group of young people who were paddling in the Gulf of Mexico near the mouth of Suwannee River on Saturday (see “Georgia teens” article right). As a teacher and outdoor trip leader who regularly takes groups of young people on trips, I found this story struck particularly close to home. Hindsight shows the group was ill-equipped (some of them were paddling open deck canoes rather than kayaks, no VHF radio, no wetsuits despite 58 degree water temperatures, inadequate lights for night paddling), and ill-informed (they ventured out into the Gulf despite the small craft advisory and 2-4 foot seas. The trip leader was apparently an experienced guide who perhaps had gained false confidence because he had led groups of young people on the same trip several times before.
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