Tim Polaski
79429
From the Sunfish Worlds website:
CHARLESTON, South Carolina—Charleston Harbor had the appearance of a mill pond when the international fleet of 98 sailors launched their boats today at the Charleston Harbor Resort & Marina, but by race time shortly after 2:00 p.m., a steady 8 to 10-knot southeasterly breeze had materialized. After a brief postponement, the race committee managed to orchestrate two five-leg races as 1.9 knots of flood tide moved across the racecourse.
The first contest witnessed a tragic incident at the start. David Thompson, a 55-year-old racer from Bridgton, Maine, fell into the water just seconds after the starting gun, and floated face down. It’s still not clear whether Thompson suffered a heart attack, but his close friend and fellow Sunfish racer, Dave Stewart, said later that Thompson was taking medication for a number of ailments. Almost immediately, fellow competitor Andres Cano-Alva of Peru jumped off his Sunfish and into the water to assist, as did a volunteer from one of the nearby judges’ boats. Thompson was eventually transferred to a U.S Coast Guard boat and sped to shore where he was met by a team of paramedics and taken to East Cooper Hospital. Unfortunately, the medical professionals were unable to resuscitate him. A brief memorial was held for him that evening, and the competitors observed a moment of silence in his honor.
My heart and prayers go out to David's family and friends in their time of grief.
CHARLESTON, South Carolina—Charleston Harbor had the appearance of a mill pond when the international fleet of 98 sailors launched their boats today at the Charleston Harbor Resort & Marina, but by race time shortly after 2:00 p.m., a steady 8 to 10-knot southeasterly breeze had materialized. After a brief postponement, the race committee managed to orchestrate two five-leg races as 1.9 knots of flood tide moved across the racecourse.
The first contest witnessed a tragic incident at the start. David Thompson, a 55-year-old racer from Bridgton, Maine, fell into the water just seconds after the starting gun, and floated face down. It’s still not clear whether Thompson suffered a heart attack, but his close friend and fellow Sunfish racer, Dave Stewart, said later that Thompson was taking medication for a number of ailments. Almost immediately, fellow competitor Andres Cano-Alva of Peru jumped off his Sunfish and into the water to assist, as did a volunteer from one of the nearby judges’ boats. Thompson was eventually transferred to a U.S Coast Guard boat and sped to shore where he was met by a team of paramedics and taken to East Cooper Hospital. Unfortunately, the medical professionals were unable to resuscitate him. A brief memorial was held for him that evening, and the competitors observed a moment of silence in his honor.
My heart and prayers go out to David's family and friends in their time of grief.