An Englishman was separated from his packraft while attempting a two-kilometer lake crossing in Argentina. “Nahuel Huapi took them by surprise with violent waves, hit their boats and threw them into the water.” A second boater was able to recover her boat, presumably re-enter, and paddle to shore. She was hypothermic when she reached help.
The paddlers were two weeks into a bikepacking trip. The article does not discuss prior experience but mentions that they had life jackets and insufficient insulation layers given the water temperature. The geography of the lake system provides 30 km of wind fetch before the crossing point. One-meter waves were reported on shore after the accident.
This is the third open water packraft fatality on record, highlighting the danger of open water crossings.
https://thingstolucat.com/2019/08/15/packraft-fatalities/
https://www.bariloche2000.com/noticias/leer/una-travesia-que-termino-en-tragedia-en-el-nahuel-huapi/125234
