Rowers Transported to Hospital After Grounding Crew Shell
Ocean City High School crew team members were transported as a precaution after getting wet in 36-degree water.
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Members of an Ocean City High School crew team rowed into 20 mph west winds with an air temperature of about 30 degrees on Wednesday afternoon. When their eight-man shell got stuck in the mud near Waterview Road in Merion Park, they ended up wading through 36-degree water to get to shore.
Nobody was injured, but seven cold and wet students were transported by two Ocean City Fire Department ambulances to Shore Medical Center as a precaution, according to Capt. Dave Weeks.
The team's shells are stored and launched from under the 34th Street Bridge, and the boat was stuck in the mud about 20 feet from shore a few blocks away, according to Ocean City Police Capt. Steven Ang.
The Fire Department responded with police to the 6:16 p.m. water rescue call and found all students on shore and a boat against the pilings at 3728 Waterview Road, according to Weeks.
He said firefighters helped secure the boat at Waterview Road and warm the rowers before transporting them. Some were released to parents.
The bay water temperature at the Bayside Center (off the 500 block of Bay Avenue) was 36 degrees at 7 p.m. Wednesday.
CTA
6:18 pm on Thursday, February 21, 2013
Not many high sch crew teams have gone on the water yet this season. I wonder who made this decision? Safety of the students must be first..weather was nasty that day....was there a launch in attendance while they were rowing? I seem to remember that a New York City college lost several crew members to hypothermia in the70's.
Alexandra Moffatt
10:32 pm on Thursday, February 21, 2013
I rowed for Ocean City High School for 3 years, and not ONCE did we ever go out on the water before March. We never went out on the water in weather below 45 degrees or rowed in wind above 15mph. I wanna know 1. If there was a launch out there with these students, and if there was why in their right mind they would even ATTEMPT to take students out in those weather conditions. 2. How did the students even get to the shells? When I rowed for Ocean City we could not get access to the shells without a coach opening the gates for us with a key that only the coaches held. Finally 3. HOW were they having a practice without a coach? Practices were not allowed if there was not a coach when I rowed for Ocean City and that was 3 years ago. If the students did this on their own I hope they learned their lesson because that was very dangerous. There was definitely lack of experience here regardless if it was students acting with or without a coach.
Marlin Magnet
9:48 am on Saturday, February 23, 2013
Before long, if there is not more dredging done in the back bay, we will be able to walk to the mainland and flooding of OC will be all the more a common occurance.
Colin Stewart
7:00 am on Sunday, March 3, 2013
The coach was there in a launch with them trying keep the boys calm while trying to get the shell out of the mud. I am on the team, we would never go out without a coach. He was there with them the whole time.