Windsurfer Dead - Margaret River

> 10 years ago
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silvec01
silvec01
WA
645 posts
westozwind
westozwind
WA
1418 posts
WA, 1418 posts
23 Mar 2015 8:36am
RIP. Does anyone have any more details?
Greenroom
Greenroom
WA
7608 posts
WA, 7608 posts
23 Mar 2015 9:39am
Yeah not a good outcome.
He is an active forum poster on here.
Rest in peace brother.
stringer
stringer
WA
703 posts
WA, 703 posts
23 Mar 2015 9:44am
sorry to hear about this sad news
elmo
elmo
WA
8890 posts
WA, 8890 posts
23 Mar 2015 10:17am
A sad day.

RIP and condolences to his family
WindsurfingWA
WindsurfingWA
WA
811 posts
WA, 811 posts
23 Mar 2015 10:18am
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
AUS1111
AUS1111
WA
3621 posts
WA, 3621 posts
23 Mar 2015 10:23am
Oh No - this is terrible news. Condolences to his friends and family.
pyro
pyro
WA
27 posts
WA, 27 posts
23 Mar 2015 10:44am
Thoughts and prayers for the family and his friends RIP
Stuthepirate
Stuthepirate
SA
3591 posts
SA, 3591 posts
23 Mar 2015 1:33pm
A very sad day indeed. Condolences to his family. RIP
Relapse
Relapse
VIC
620 posts
VIC, 620 posts
23 Mar 2015 2:09pm
Heart goes out to his family and friends
nebbian
nebbian
WA
6277 posts
WA, 6277 posts
23 Mar 2015 11:50am
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.
hardie
hardie
WA
4133 posts
WA, 4133 posts
23 Mar 2015 11:53am
Very tragic loss
Trousers
Trousers
SA
565 posts
SA, 565 posts
23 Mar 2015 2:46pm
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.
Darvio
Darvio
SA
163 posts
SA, 163 posts
23 Mar 2015 2:54pm
So sad, SB was a good guy. He will be missed in the windsurf, wine, WA and SA scene. Condolences to his family.
king of the point
king of the point
WA
1836 posts
WA, 1836 posts
23 Mar 2015 12:54pm
still in shock and tears.........
stroppo
stroppo
WA
748 posts
WA, 748 posts
23 Mar 2015 1:10pm
Sad news fellow sailor RIP!
EB
EB
SA
492 posts
EB EB
SA, 492 posts
23 Mar 2015 5:11pm
Sad news, Condolences to Simons family and friends. Will be remembered and missed for his passion to his sport. RIP Burnell.
Mickymoo
Mickymoo
WA
163 posts
WA, 163 posts
23 Mar 2015 3:13pm
Sad loss indeed, however was doing what he loved. Thoughts and condolences to his family.
westozwind
westozwind
WA
1418 posts
OESaustralia
OESaustralia
SA
300 posts
SA, 300 posts
23 Mar 2015 6:32pm
Super sad news to hear of Simon's passing , condolences to his family.
Ruds
Ruds
WA
44 posts
WA, 44 posts
23 Mar 2015 7:12pm
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 .
Ride
Ride
WA
236 posts
WA, 236 posts
23 Mar 2015 8:51pm
Very sad news. Our condolences go to Simon's family.
wildrover
wildrover
WA
76 posts
WA, 76 posts
24 Mar 2015 1:33am
Condolences to all affected,

Jens
Jens
WA
348 posts
WA, 348 posts
24 Mar 2015 11:13am
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
NR
NR
WA
517 posts
NR NR
WA, 517 posts
24 Mar 2015 11:33am
Thanks for an update Jens. Very sad news.
coastflyer
coastflyer
SA
601 posts
SA, 601 posts
24 Mar 2015 7:04pm
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


Jared888
Jared888
WA
389 posts
WA, 389 posts
24 Mar 2015 9:36pm
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
king of the point
king of the point
WA
1836 posts
WA, 1836 posts
25 Mar 2015 11:18pm
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
waveboy1
waveboy1
VIC
236 posts
VIC, 236 posts
26 Mar 2015 12:02pm
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?
Hausey
Hausey
NSW
325 posts
NSW, 325 posts
26 Mar 2015 10:07pm
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.
GazMan
GazMan
WA
848 posts
WA, 848 posts
26 Mar 2015 7:17pm
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.
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