Sadly, chanel 7 news just reported that a Windsurfer drowned at Caloundra this afternoon around 4 pm, footage showed the Caloundra bar/passage and a RRD board, there was no other details known at this stage.
I just saw the same thing! Moffat Beach I think they mentioned, but gee! I heard kiter too but was windy harness I thought.
Condolences to his family, loved ones, friends, and fellow riders especially at this time of the year. 
yep sad day for his family, Im sure witihn hours there will be an update here wether it was a local guy or holidayer, rip.
It happened at caloundra rivermouth, feel so sorry for family and friends. i was kiteboarding at the time and watched the whole thing unfold.....i saw a kiteboard and two windsurfers laying on the sand next to where they were trying to resusitate (not sure how to spell that). Although i am not sure what he was riding or how it happened. Thoughts go to family and friends.
just saw an update on ch 7 it was a windsurfer(not a kite) blue sail , white helmet????
hi guys,
he was a windsurfer from Cairns holidaying down at caloundra with his family, his wife is also a windsurfer and they have a young son. I've enjoyed many sails with him over the years and more than a few windless trips and laughs, he was one of the nicest blokes you'd ever meet and will be dearly missed.
I'm guessing he suffered equipment failure and got stuck in the spin cycle.
It's a very possible and not uncommon scenario when the conditions are tuff and ripping out tide.
Its very sad to hear about, but its devastating to have been there when it happened.
We passed each other many times.
All I can say is if you are unsure of the conditions or the location ask a local.
Or just say G'day and a chat.
Please!
Our deepest condolences to his family and friends from us all.
Its something you dont want to hear at this time of the year is it?.
Especially when its a sport we love. Kinda hits home a wake up call for us all to stay safe and not to become complaciant because we do it so often.
Anywho sorry to those who have been directly affected by this incident.
RIP
Having survived a serious windsurfing accident recently I have learnt how precious life is. Take care every one. Thoughts to friends and family.
An absolute tradgedy.
One of the most genuine and decent blokes that I have ever met. I was fortunate enough to enjoy quite a few years sailing with him and his lovely wife at Green Island and Yorkies Knob.
My sincerest condolences go out to his wife, son, family and friends.
He will be deeply missed.
Makes you realise you never know when that last moment with family and friends will be.
A tragedy that touches everyone
Condolonces too all
Caloundra mouth is a very dangerous place to sail, many people have been helicoptered out of there, there should be some danger signs there about the rips and the currents, for new people.
The peculiar condition there that makes it dangerous, for those who dont know, is that on an outgoing tide the current carries you out at maybe 5 or 6 knots and runs into the waves breaking on the bar. The current makes the waves stand up more. If you crash in the break zone the waves try and wash you to shore while the current trys to wash you out to sea. You can get stuck there just getting pounded and pounded and because you are all the time trying to recover you quickly get exhausted. If you are tired and in the water I think the thing to do is just hold on and wait to get washed north towards Kings beach. Once you are out of the current you can get to shore reasonably easily.
I found being stuck there for 10 min bloody tiring. I heard of a bloke who was stuck there for 45 min. I think its a reasonable thing to wear a buoyancy vest out there. One of those thin kiting ones would be the go.
Anyway I dont know if thats what happened this time. Maybe he hit his head on his gear or had a hard catapult or something. It would be helpful to know.
I too extend my sympathy to his family. That is just so unlucky.
This is so sad, I'm really feeling for Craig's wife Sharon, his young son, family and friends.
Craig was a very friendly decient bloke, who will be sadly missed by all who knew him.
Craig was fit, strong and had many years experience, sailing at many spots around Aus with Sharon.
RIP Craig
Condolences to all his family and friends. I was out at Golden Beach yesterday and saw the ambulance arrive. (didn't realize it was for a windsurfer) I noticed there were 2 windsufers out at the bar with all the kites, I did a few runs around there, but came back as the tide was ripping out so strong, huge tide yesterday. I have been caught in the rinse cycle for about 15min and was totally exhausted, I luckily had a friend come and rescue me. I have also broken gear and only just got back to shore, it is really a tricky and dangerous place in an outgoing tide with a big swell, agree there should be some signs. Have seen many windsurfers rescued from there over the last 10 years or so.
I still can't believe it, I was sailing with him at Golden Beach Christmas day and we had a good chat afterwards. First time I had seen him and Sharon since the Green island days 7 years ago. Very very sad.
I never met Craig, but from what I have heard he was truly a great person and will be missed by many, it was truly a sad day to hear what had occurred.
My condolences to Craig's wife Sharon, his young son, family and friends.
I and his many friends from Far North Qld are shocked and saddened.
R.I.P. Craig.
All of the sailboarding community have been saddened by the loss of Craig cherry in the tragic accident on Boxing day. It is important that we stick together and assist Sharyn on her return to Cairns in the next few weeks. The funeral is being held on Thursday at 11am at Gregson and Weight funeral chapel in Caloundra. The details appeared in the cairns post on Saturday.
For those of us who have sailed, camped and chatted with him over the many years he has lived in Cairns he will be sadly missed.
My thoughts go to Sharyn & the young one especially at a time of year when things are supposed to be festive. A terrible thing to happen. I have, & always will have, fond memories of the Green Island & Lake Tinaroo days with Craig & Sharyn ( & the many others up there).
R.I.P Craig
Just a note to say I would like to be at the funeral but can't due to the distance
I will be thinking of him on the day
He always liked a laugh even at his own expence
I have fond memories of me flying past Craig in light winds
and him going past me in strong wind like I was towing a sea anchor
We will all miss him
Greg
I've only recently learnt of the tragedy.
As with everyone my sincere condolences to Sharon and his young son. Although not a close friend as such, I still regarded him as a friend, and enjoyed talking to him whenever we met on the beach for a sail. Due to work, I've been away from the beach for awhile now, however, the last time I got back to Yorkeys, I caught up with them there, which was good. We talked till late in the afternoon whilst his young fella ran around with Craig keeping a close fatherly eye on him My families thoughts go out to Craigs family.
I've pasted a copy of a letter (below) I sent when I got stuck in the same location. It's just a reminder I suppose. as to how trecherous the conditions can get in the mouth at Caloundra. I can honestly say, if it wasn't for the fact I was training at the time for a triathlon , with swiming etc, I would've fallen victim to that location. To all windsurfers and kiteboarders, and to ones with families, be careful.
Had a sail the other day (July2001), got into all sorts of strife. Went down to Caloundra on the river, there weren’t too many people sailing there, but I saw a whole heap in the mouth near the sand bar. Had a chat to a few of them there regarding “the best and safest places to sail” They all said just to watch out for the sand bar and be careful of the all the water running out into the ocean.
I went and did a few runs, no problemo, did a few smaller jumps and thought I’ll just go out a little bit further, and it wasn’t very far at all. I fell in and that was then end of that. I tried to get the sail out of the water, I managed to get it out but the wind had died and I couldn’t fly the sail. I just got on the board when a wave comes over and pushes you back in the water. No real panic yet. I saw another fella in the water near me having the same sort of trouble. I looked at him and yelled out something like “Gee this is a bit f*&ed”, jokingly.
Still no major panic, but the water coming out of the river on the out going tide is pushing us further out into the rougher water, the beach which looked like 200 metres away was like 2 Ks away now. I tried several times to get the sail to fly but the waves were impossible, I got one big wave that threw me around, when I got up I saw a lower panel blown out and a baton piercing the top panel. Now things weren’t looking good at all. The waves were getting bigger, no sooner you get dumped by one you look around cause you can hear another coming. I can tell you I was hanging on to the rig for dear life. One big wave I was pushed through the sail myself, I was real worried about getting forced down into the water and getting stuck in the rip on the floor, I don’t know if this is possible but I was really starting to panic. I decided to dump the rig cause there was no was I was going to get the sail to fly now. Plus like I said I didn’t want to be pushed under the waves because of the rig. The other fella that was stuck, turfed his rig aswell. Trying the get back was nearly impossible; I was hanging onto the board for life now. Cause your already tired from fighting the waves with the rig, when you catch a big wave it drives you back into the water. I was just hanging onto the uni joint cause I didn’t want to let that board go, cause I reckon other wise I would’ve come a lot closer to drowning.
Don’t know how long we were out there for. But someone raised the lifeguard’s from one of the apartments cause they saw we were in trouble. Me and the other fella eventually got out of the water as the life guard got there. I was f*&%ed, I couldn’t talk because of all the salt water I swallowed, I felt like I had run 100 miles then swan another 100 miles, I was rooted and sore. One wave literally ripped the helmet off my head.
The life guard on seedoo rescued the last fella out there, when they got him back to shore they put him on the oxygen, he was rooted and had a fair bit of bark taken of from him.
The lifeguard retrieved my rig, the sail was absouluty f*&%ed, but I got the mast boom etc back.. That was last thing I was worried about. The most important bit of equipment came back, me.
Channel 7 came around and interviewed me, there was a bit of the incident on the radio and in the paper the next day, nothing major.
I can tell you true fully, for a awhile, or should I say for most of the time I was out there, I thought I wasn’t going to come back. I reckon that if I had lost my board, I would have been struggling to stay out there.
I can tell you I’m not going to sail back in that spot ever again. It was just a bit of bad luck and wrong place wrong time. All up there were 4 of us stuck out there.
I’m glad I got out of it.
Your story sounds very familiar and I believe that I was the other guy out there who dumped his rig. I thought that it was February 2001 as I made a note of when I replaced my sail. There were three of us caught that day and I believe that it was a combination of king tides which resulted in a very strong current running out at the bar, a decent size swell that was dumping badly because of the strong tide (wind against tide situation) and fluky winds that dropped off in the surf zone. I also found it impossible to keep my sail out of the current & there was not a lot of wind to waterstart. After I dumped my rig it still took me probably 20 minutes to paddle into shore – I would catch a wave and go maybe 15 metres but by the time the next wave came the current took me back out again. My rig was found on the rocks half way towards Kings Beach. The sail was ripped but mast & boom were OK. I would not hesitate to dump my rig again in that situation.
I never sail at the bar now with an out going tide. I visited Bulcock Beach (the bar) the day of last weeks incident and saw a couple of guys sailing but decided that with the gusty wind (12 to 18 kts) & the tide about to turn it wasn’t worth it. I prefer to go to Neil St (Dicky Beach) where there is no river mouth & bar - just the usual rips and long shore currents. Dicky Beach was closed for surfers that day because of the rough seas, but about four or five windsurfers (& a couple of kitesurfers) got out through the shore break before the wind dropped & swung more southerly. They had a great sail in mast high waves out at the outer reef. The conditions certainly weren’t for the faint hearted but at least there were no incidents.
As windsurfers we often get very blasé about the conditions and the risks involved. A death at our local beach certainly brings everyone back to earth with a thud. My condolences to all of Craig’s family and friends
