8/6/2019 Chain of Events

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Eastwood Park

BayfrontPark

Carroll’sPoint

DundurnPark

Woodland Cemetery

Royal BotanicalGardens

Willow Point

E

Pier 4Park

Eastwood Park

BayfrontPark

Carroll’sPoint

Woodland Cemetery

Royal BotanicalGardens

WestLanes

North Shore Lanes

Willow Point

403

403

HamiltonPolice ServicesMarine Unit

LeanderBoat Club

LeanderBoat Club

Dozens of high school, university and club rowers

train on the bay, usually at sunrise and sunsetwhen the water is calm. Traffic in the harbouris carefully regulated and crews staywithin well-defined rowing lanes.

SOURCE: LEANDER BOAT CLUB Dean Tweed, Jeff Green / THE HAMILTON SPECTATOR

West Lane return:Crews in the west lanesmake it safely back to

harbour by hugging thecoastline, sheltered fromthe heaviest winds.

7:05-7:15 a.m.South Lane return:Bishop Tonnos womennotice weather changes

while in front of BayfrontPark. They returnto Leander at 7:10 a.m.

7 a.m.

A Hamilton Police ServicesMarine Unit crew respondsand rescues four rowers

and a coach.

7:40 a.m.

Where the rowing crews werebefore the weather turned …

… and how they responded

Reconstructing the chain of eventsAn internal review of events that led to 18 rowers and one coach being stranded in Burlington Bay, as well as ninehospitalizations, sheds light on what happened when a sudden squall blindsided 139 athletes on the morning of April 28

LaSalleMarina:300 m

Winds reportedgusting as highas 83 km/h at airportweather station.

7:15 a.m.

Winds are blowing at a

modest 18 km/h when the airportmeteorological station, 14.5 km away, reportswinds from the southwest gusting to 63 km/h.Those winds would reach the bay in just under 14 minutes.

7 a.m.

WESTERN LAKE ONTARIOWNG: GALEWND: LGT 28 / 10Z S25

Gale warning:winds 34-47 knots(63-87 km/h)

Light wind:At thetime, winds werelight, under 10knots (18 km/h)

Date:April 28

Time:Reference to ZULUor Universal Time(10z = 6 a.m. EST)

S=southWinds fromsouth, 25 knots(46 km/h)

3 a.m. The warningEnvironment Canada issues a gale warning for 6 a.m.forecasting high winds. The warning was never seen.

• 5 clubs• 86 rowers• 16 rowing shells• 7 coaches

These relatively shelteredlanes are also the busiest:

WEST LANES • 2 clubs

• 41 rowers• 8 rowing shells• 3 coaches

Rowers in these laneswere at highest risk:

NORTH SHORE LANES

• 1 club• 12 rowers

• 3 rowing shells• 2 coaches

Rowers closest to Leander Boat Club:SOUTH LANES

All rowers and coachesare safely out of the water.

8:15 a.m.

J a m e s S t . N

.

Y o r k B l v d .

N o r t h S h o

r e B l v d . W .

N o r t h S

h o r e B l v d . W .

P l a i n s R d . W .

P l a i n s R d . W .

6:30 a.m.TOTAL NUMBERSON THE WATER• 8 clubs• 139 rowers• 27 rowing shells• 12 coaches

ALDERSHOT

ALDERSHOT

A

F

B

J

C

H

K

G

I

D

6:55 a.m.Row Ahead:Feeling the weatherchanges, Bishop Tonnos’s coach sendsthe five-man crew ahead to return toLeander while he stays back with thenine-man crew in need of repair.

7:05 a.m. Wind on the Water: The five-mancrew decides to leave rowing lanesand take a direct line. They areslammed by a wall of wind and wavesbroadside as they move into moreopen waters, forcing them northeast,away from Leander.

A

B

7:15 – 7:20 a.m. Swamped:The broadside waves dump waterinto the boat, and the crew attemptsto reach the protection of the northshore. Boat is swamped in the effort.

7:20 – 7:30 a.m. Rescue:Two coach boats head out for theswamped shell and pick up the fivedistressed athletes.

7:40 a.m. Shell be gone:Two coach boats return to try to

salvage the boat, but the attempt isabandoned because of high winds,forcing the coaches to find safetyat Willow Point. The wrecked rowingshell is found the next dayat LaSalle Marina.

C

D

E

BISHOP TONNOS MEN

BISHOPTONNOS

WESTDALEMEN

RESCUEBOATS

WESTDALE MEN

F 7 a.m. Direct route:The boys’ crew sense the changingweather, point their boats in a directline for Leander across open water.

7:05 a.m. On your own:Headwinds toss Andrew Sliasis’aluminum coach boat back, making itimpossible to stay with his crews.The coach boat – and all safetyequipment for the 20 rowers crossingthe bay – ditches for the north shore.

7:15 a.m. Water aboard:Two crews start to take on waterfrom 2-foot waves and strong windswhile trying to cross the bay,completely exposed.

7:20 a.m. Cut in half:Two of the four Westdale crews makeit to Leander. Six coach boats leave ina rescue effort for the two remainingcrews who are swamped with water,drifting northeast.

G

H

I

7:30 a.m. In the water:The rowers are instructed to get inthe water and hold on to the flippedshell before entering the coach boatone by one. Four are rescued by theWestdale women’s coach. Five moreare taken by the Leander coach boat,leaving four in the water, withhypothermia setting in.

7:40 – 8:15 a.m.Rescue and Retreat: Police dispatchtwo large marine rescue boats – witha combined power of 1,200 hp – andsend the small coach boats back toLeander. The boats drift in towardthe four rowers, who are alreadyhypothermic, and rescue them.After a nearly hour-long rescue effort,all 13 rowers are rescuedfrom the water.

J

K

Waves reported crestingas high as 6 feet. Policemarine unit reportedwind gusts of over100 km / h.

8:15 a.m.

2-foot wavesreported.

7:10-7:15 a.m.