Tropical Storm Fay

[Carl Christensen]

MIAMI (Reuters) - Tropical Storm Fay swept into southwest Florida from the Gulf of Mexico on Tuesday, dumping heavy rain but causing little damage after failing to strengthen into a hurricane as forecasters had predicted.

Fay's top sustained winds rose to 65 miles per hour (105 km per hour), making it slightly stronger than it was when it passed over the Florida Keys and came ashore in southwest Florida but still below the 74 mph (119 kph) threshold at which tropical storms become hurricanes.

The storm killed more than 50 people in the Caribbean, most of them in Haiti when a crowded bus tried to cross a rain-swollen river and was carried away by the current.

In Florida, one of the few serious injuries occurred when a powerful wind gust picked a kite boarder up like a rag doll and slammed him into the beach and then a nearby building in Fort Lauderdale.

[Weston Youd]

Yeah, the video is making it's way around our office right now. I'm not looking at it, but everyone is asking why I do this... Well, because I like it, and wouldn't be out with a kite in a TROPICAL STORM!!!
Safe kites with safe conditions!

[jason morton]

There is no such thing as a safe kite! Don't be led to believe that the new kites are safe. They are better than the old kites but far from safe. If you are caught in a situation where you need to release your kite it might be too late.

[tjacques]

too bad . hope he is okay. this is not funny. this is one way you will not be able to kite at many launchs soon. one bad accident and they close the beach too all kiteboarders, no matter how good you are. hope he recovers and our sport can survive.

[Josh Shirley]

Here is the link:

http://wjz.com/watercooler/caught.on.tape.2.798896.html

[Weston Youd]

Thanks for the clarification Jason. I agree, there is no completely safe kite. There are risks always. I'm pretty new to this, and mostly wanted to express that it's the equipment between the ears that needs to be working 100% to limit (not remove) the risk of this great sport.

[RickHeninger]

I agree Todd... Scary...

However, what is funny is that last night while I was at the gym, I saw this on the FOX 13 news at Nine... Well, I heard them say, "A windsurfer was injured in Florida when he was picked up and... the windsurfer blah blah..." YES, they called it windsurfing like 5 times!?!?

[bigwavedave]

Windsurfing in a tropical storm sounds fun to me. Kiting in one . . that's a death sentence!!

[tjacques]

rick i was so mad a fox last night , andrea fujji totaly blabbed that it was dumb windsurfer and he was a idiot. i wanted to email her and tell her to get her facts straight. for one it was not a windsurfer. and the other is the guy did not think this would happen to him. he is really messed up. we all make mistakes, how many, bikers, skiers , hikers, etc ....do you know that have made bad decisions? this does not make you a idiot, although we windriders are not the sharpest tools in the shed when it comes to judging wind. dave you are right windsurfing probably would have been the call at the time, i was not there and hope he survives and others learn from his bad ordeal.