www.abc.net.au/news/2015-03-23/windsurfers-body-found-near-wa-margaret-river-beach/6340038

RIP. Does anyone have any more details?

Yeah not a good outcome.
He is an active forum poster on here.
Rest in peace brother.

sorry to hear about this sad news

A sad day.

RIP and condolences to his family

It is a tough morning reading of the tragic loss of life yesterday. The collect heart of WWA goes out to the family and friends of Simon Burnell as they dealing with their sudden loss today.

www.abc.net.au/news/2015-03-23/windsurfers-body-found-near-wa-margaret-river-beach/6340038

Oh No - this is terrible news. Condolences to his friends and family.

Thoughts and prayers for the family and his friends RIP

A very sad day indeed. Condolences to his family. RIP

Heart goes out to his family and friends

Very sad. It's wild country down there. He sounded quite experienced too.

I'll be moving there in a couple of months, and have often thought that it's not the most hospitable place. This has made me rethink whether it's worth the risk.

RIP brother.

Very tragic loss

Heartbreaking news to lose one of our own. RIP brother.

A grim reminder that this sport is dangerous, and it can claim even the most experienced. Look after yourself and each other, people.

So sad, SB was a good guy. He will be missed in the windsurf, wine, WA and SA scene. Condolences to his family.

still in shock and tears.........

Sad news fellow sailor RIP!

Sad news, Condolences to Simons family and friends. Will be remembered and missed for his passion to his sport. RIP Burnell.

Sad loss indeed, however was doing what he loved. Thoughts and condolences to his family.

More info here

www.bunburymail.com.au/story/2963187/tribute-gallery-south-west-mourns-willow-bridge-estate-winemaker-simon-burnell/?cs=278

Super sad news to hear of Simon's passing , condolences to his family.

I was watching around 4pm and the lads on kites and windsurfers were ripping ...really going hard .
exciting to watch . Next thing around 10 pm was a chopper overhead our neighbourhood .
RIP Simon .

Very sad news. Our condolences go to Simon's family.

Condolences to all affected,

Hi Folks,

Simon's death is indeed a shocking reminder of how fragile life is. I was sailing with him on the Saturday at the Point, and then for some time in the afternoon at Boaties on Sunday. Watched him drive up, lovingly unload his trusty old Labrador from the back of the ute, and head out. To give the rest of you some context, Sunday at Boaties was pretty challenging. Biggest swells I've sailed this season, with sets regularly at 1.5 mast high, but reasonably well spaced. What made it more challenging was the gusty nature of the wind. Howling SEs that varied from glassy holes to close to overpowering ca 25-28 knots I guess. I was sailing on my 5.0, and certainly didn't want any more area. Simon was a big bloke, and hanging onto his 5.7, which must have been a handful on the wave, where the apparent wind gets very strong in these cross off conditions. The waves were a bit of a wind/swell angle lottery. If you hooked into a big one, and the wind dropped (which it often did in the morning) you were in for a hell of a sweet, smooth ride. On the other hand if you hooked into a beast as the SE roared up to 28 knots you were in for a bumpy, stepped take-off, and had to be prepared for a challenging ride down the line, where turns were just not an option, and there was an ever present risk of being bumped off. This was hard enough on a 5.0, I can't imagine how it would have been doing this while wrestling a bigger sail. Simon headed out after lunch and was amongst it like usual till I went home at about 4 pm with no idea of what was about to unfold. RIP Simon, we'll be thinking of you when next looking out at the Point, sitting at the Mezz on the bench dedicated to those surfers that have caught their last wave.

Jens

Thanks for an update Jens. Very sad news.

I windsurfed there many years ago in similar conditions, and I must admit, it was pretty scary, mainly because we never get surf like that around where I live. Here is another article that gives a little bit more information.
RIP

www.adelaidenow.com.au/nocookies?a=A.flavipes

so sad, kitted with him on sat at the point, was stoked when he and others scooted past after a tumble and hold down to see if I was ok, we need to look out for each other, Im at a loss that we couldn't save him..... Peace SB

Simon will be remembered with a service and gathering in MARGARET RIVER ON SAT 28TH MARCH 2015 at 11am

Followed by an afternoon evening wake

All welcome to attend and or either to chat about the good times on and off the water




With out going into to much detail ..........

Simon was separated from his equipment at the boat ramps left hander,out the back, inside and on the take off .

His equipment washed way inside and he found himself in the channel between the boat ramps left hander and the bommie right hander .

As Jens has described above, due to the nature of this large swell and gusty wind, the bay was draining out and surging from the large volume of water created by these set waves, a very strong current, draws right into and through the Bommie right hander.

It must be mentioned the heroic efforts of one windsurfer to provide assistance in such surf before also getting drawn in to the Bommie danger zone him self.

Unfortunately Simon did not immediately resurface after a set of waves at the bommie, but later drifted peacefully through the night, down through the main break, to be found at the river mouth at dawn,

For all involved in the late afternoon / evening water/land search and recovery

God Bless

Select to expand quote

king of the point said..
Simon will be remembered with a service and gathering in MARGARET RIVER ON SAT 28TH MARCH 2015 at 11am

Followed by an afternoon evening wake

All welcome to attend and or either to chat about the good times on and off the water




With out going into to much detail ..........

Simon was separated from his equipment at the boat ramps left hander,out the back, inside and on the take off .

His equipment washed way inside and he found himself in the channel between the boat ramps left hander and the bommie right hander .

As Jens has described above, due to the nature of this large swell and gusty wind, the bay was draining out and surging from the large volume of water created by these set waves, a very strong current, draws right into and through the Bommie right hander.

It must be mentioned the heroic efforts of one windsurfer to provide assistance in such surf before also getting drawn in to the Bommie danger zone him self.

Unfortunately Simon did not immediately resurface after a set of waves at the bommie, but later drifted peacefully through the night, down through the main break, to be found at the river mouth at dawn,

For all involved in the late afternoon / evening water/land search and recovery

God Bless

Thats Terrible ,Was just talking to a mate and i think we use to hangout in S,A is he originally from that way?

Select to expand quote

Gestalt said..
this got me thinking of the big wave guys.

http://www.towsurfer.com/towstore/showProduct.asp?lCat=6&pID=99

Very sad to hear about Simon - what a tragedy - for him and those he left behind!

Who knows if that vest would have saved him .... but it's probably a good idea in big waves or if one feels like the conditions warrant it.

Can picture the scenario - gusty S.E. winds and a big swell out at Gnarabup and the evil looking bombie downwind. Such heavy waves!

Not much room for error in those conditions. Not sure about the currents - it would have seemed counter intuitive to swim out to sea and all the way to the river mouth - a big swim that you would feel safer doing in a vest?

He died doing something he loved doing - that's a very small consolation.....

R.I.P.

Select to expand quote

king of the point said..
Simon will be remembered with a service and gathering in MARGARET RIVER ON SAT 28TH MARCH 2015 at 11am

Followed by an afternoon evening wake

All welcome to attend and or either to chat about the good times on and off the water




With out going into to much detail ..........

Simon was separated from his equipment at the boat ramps left hander,out the back, inside and on the take off .

His equipment washed way inside and he found himself in the channel between the boat ramps left hander and the bommie right hander .

As Jens has described above, due to the nature of this large swell and gusty wind, the bay was draining out and surging from the large volume of water created by these set waves, a very strong current, draws right into and through the Bommie right hander.

It must be mentioned the heroic efforts of one windsurfer to provide assistance in such surf before also getting drawn in to the Bommie danger zone him self.

Unfortunately Simon did not immediately resurface after a set of waves at the bommie, but later drifted peacefully through the night, down through the main break, to be found at the river mouth at dawn,

For all involved in the late afternoon / evening water/land search and recovery

God Bless

Haven't sailed the in the area for many many years so excuse my lack of knowledge of local spots, but when you say 'boat ramps left hander' KotP, are you referring to the break closest to Gnarabup beach boat ramp? Was very lucky to escape from a nearby bombie back in the 90's so curious to know if it was the same one.

My thoughts and prayers go out to Simon's family and to all of his mates who lost a good buddy.

RIP Simon.