Thursday, January 15, 2009

Windsurfing to death

Early in the morning Leonardo had been able to catch a large cabrilla fish.


Cabrilla is one of the best tasting fish available in the Sea of Cortez near rancho Punta Boca del Salado, Baja California, Mexico.

But Gumaro Gonzales of Rancho Punta Boca del Salado refused to eat the cabrilla.
While normally he loves fish.
He showed a face distorted like he had to eat a mix of bird, cow and dog pooh.

Why was Gumaro having a grunt towards this particular cabrilla?
What was wrong with the fish?

Two days ago there was a very strong wind along the coast where Rancho Punta Boca del Salado is located.
These strong winds are the consequence of the Santa Anna Winds that blow this time of year in California, USA.
The winds are coming from the northwest and can blow for days.

Most people are not so happy with these vicious winds.
Except wind surfers.
They get on the sea with their boards and sail.
Able to reach very high speeds.
Even doing some acrobatics and jumps using the waves as a launching platform.



About 15 kilometres (10 miles) north from Rancho Punta Boca del Salado is a bay called Los Frailes.
Where tourists come to dive and windsurf.
Like two days ago.



But this windsurfing is not without dangers.
The sea can be rough and the high and strong waves can make the windsurfer loose control of his board.
Or the strong winds can take the windsurfer too far out from the coast.
Making it difficult or impossible to come back.

Yesterday an accident happened.
A non-Mexican windsurfer didn’t come back.
He was eventually found dead.
Drowned.
Near the place where the daily swimming used to take place in the warmer days.
Close to the Rancho Punta Boca del Salado.
And close to where Leonardo had been catching this cabrilla fish.

The idea that this fish had been swimming in the same waters as in which a dead body had been floating was too much for Gumaro.

Each year a few tourists die along this coast.
As the windsurfer did.
Or getting a heart attack while diving.

Once the dead body was spotted, the police in La Ribera was informed.
A team, included El Charro, the police husband of Cristina Gonzales, came in a police pick-up truck.
They loaded the body in the bed of the truck and took it to a mortuary.
In Los Frailes his friends were informed and his possessions gathered.
Knowing now who he was, his family in the USA was informed and they are now responsible for what has to happen with the body.

Meanwhile, everything continues to go on as usual.
When the winds start blowing again, new windsurfers will come to beat the waves.
And if they don’t drown, Gumaro will eat fish again.





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1 comment:

George Markopoulos said...

just came across your blog. very nice. keep it up.