My sympathies to the family,

but as a news item, definitely a 1st world problem.

this is a case of a millionaire seeking an exotic experience getting in over their heads.

It is not uncommon for people to start a day on a calm lake and drown when a sudden wind whips up large waves.

here is an article about his conservation efforts that he had committed his life to. Interesting fellow.

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/dec/09/douglas-tompkins-billionaire-behind-north-face-dies-after-kayak-accident

It was his second home and to call him a rich tourist seems misguided.

The article said Mr. Tompkins was in the water for an extended time before rescue. 40 degree water will sap the energy out of most people in minutes.

As a kayaker, I wonder what precautions his tour took? Did they wear dry suits?

Lake Superior claimed a solo kayaker whose boat sprang a leak on after hitting a rock on the way to some Channel Islands near the Soo. Water was in the 40s. His boat didn't sink, but his body couldn't keep warm enough, even while paddling.

...but still. I suppose he couldn't reenter if the weather was bad enough. What a shame.

From what I can gather, the group were in two-person kayaks. That is more difficult to recover and re-enter in a capsize. However, not all boats overturned.

Tompkins was in the water a long time, per reports. Even five minutes in 40-degree water can be fatal, not always and not for everybody, though.

Why were the other kayaks unable to render assistance in that time? If he and the others could hold on to the hull, they could've paddled him to shore and returned for the boat and paddles.

Did the emergency team do more than give Tompkins a blanket? I remember cases where people suffering from hypothermia where others in the group provided warmth until they arrived at shelter or hospital.

Perhaps Tompkins was the most experienced paddler. Once he was incapacitated, the group may have been without the knowledge needed to save his life.

Some of the photos of the guy in Patagonia show him wearing light clothing and jacket -- no life preserver and no dry suit. Given that he owned a company specializing in outdoor gear, I'd expect him to wear, if not supply, the best gear for the worst conditions.

One rule of thumb: Don't paddled if the air and water temps total less than 100-degrees. Most can survive long enough to figure a way out of the jam.

This Daily Mail piece has about the best photos I've been able to find:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3353137/Police-probe-Douglas-Tompkins-founder-North-Face-died-kayak-accident-did-not-tell-authorities-plan-trip-area-known-extreme-climate.html

PS: My dad was a Navy doctor, stationed on a base in the landlocked Midwest. One late fall or early winter, 1963 or '64, one of the local town's elder doctors had been fishing and fell in the drink as he prepared to dock his outboard. He was unable to pull himself up out of the water, but he did manage to hold on to the dock piling until help arrived an hour or two later. The doc was frozen solid, my dad told me, from the waterline down. But he was a tough as nails guy and he held on as the hospital ER team managed to raise his temp. Just one of those things. I always remember the doctor when paddling in the cold.

I mean...?

I bought my first backpack at North Face. Patagonia doesn't seem that great in comparison.

Rip about the founder, died doing what he loved.

and it was appreciated though guiltily

Their 1968 road trip was epic. Besides, friendly competition is healthy

It is best to die doing what you enjoy, then to whither away in old age.

Thanks.

I am sorry to hear this. He was a great friend of the Land Institute in Salina, KS, which is an important leader in sustainable agriculture. I have seen him at their Prairie Festival.

The co-worker said there are no 'accidents' in kayaking. IOW, he wasn't as prepared as he should have been.

I'd pretty much agree with him if it wasn't for the fact that 6 others were with him when it happened.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]I'm always right. When I'm wrong I admit it.
So then I'm right about being wrong.[/center][/font][hr]

so beautiful, it's unreal.

for example:

These are some of the things he did with his time and money:

Creating one of the largest national parks in the western hemisphere:







http://www.conservacionpatagonica.org/home.htm

Creating one of the largest national parks in Chile:








That's Doug Tompkins.

http://www.theconservationlandtrust.org/eng/pumalin.htm

Creating one of the largest national parks in Argentina:









http://www.conservacionpatagonica.org/aboutus_otrs.htm

72, yes, but considering that work that needs doing, definitely gone too soon.