Feb 23, 2021
Family Of Minnesotan Presumed Dead While Kayaking In Florida Propose Aqua Alert System
This news has been received from: cbslocal.com
All trademarks, copyrights, videos, photos and logos are owned by respective news sources. News stories, videos and live streams are from trusted sources.
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — A Minnesota family is turning personal tragedy into a cause for positive change.
David Schink is presumed to have died over the weekend while kayaking in Florida. He was 61. Judy Schink is his wife.
“I thought, ‘He’ll be here any minute, he’ll be here any minute,’” Judy said.
The Champlin couple was vacationing in Destin.
They had a sunset stroll on the beach planned for when David, an experienced kayaker, got back — but he didn’t return.“It was downright scary,” Judy said. “There’s nothing to describe it. Your stomach is in a gut-wrenching knot.”
The United States Coast Guard searched 9,000 nautical square miles over 50 hours before calling it off for rough conditions. They found the kayak and half a paddle, but not David. Tom Schink is his son.
“You’re always hoping for good news, and we never got it,” Tom said.
He will remember his dad as always being quick with a joke, and someone who passed on life’s lessons.
“He was always there for you, so you really couldn’t have asked for a better father,” Tom said.
David Schink (credit: Judy Schink)
The Schinks are now raising money for a number of water safety initiatives, including beachfront surveillance cameras and better signage. They would also like to create an AMBER Alert-like system specifically for water emergencies, called Aqua Alert.
“The local boats in the area, those guys’ phones will light up, and if they’re out on the water they can go to that area and start looking right away,” Judy said.
The Schinks are working with the Coast Guard on it, where officials say better coordination between agencies, and the public, would help in their searches for missing boaters. Paul Barnard is a recreational boating safety program manager with the Coast Guard.
“I admire their courage,” Barnard said. “It does take a lot of courage to take a terrible personal tragedy like this and try to turn it into some kind of a triumph.”
Judy says their family is leaning on their faith, and it’s a great comfort knowing God has David now. She’s enthusiastic about the Aqua Alert idea.
“This family will do everything possible to make sure that this doesn’t happen to anybody else,” Judy said.
Click here to donate to the Schinks’ cause.
More On WCCO.com:
- Some Users Of Minnesota’s Vaccine Connector Site Put Off By Personal Questions
- 20 Years Later, Boy Who Froze To Death And Came Back Reflects On ‘Second Chance’
- Third Stimulus Check: Will Your Next Relief Payment Be $1,400?
- Police: Man Dies After Being Shot While Driving In Northeast Minneapolis
News Source: cbslocal.com
Tags: united fc golf minneapolis news st paul news united fc golf florida local tv missing minneapolis news st paul news personal tragedy
Brian Cashman willing to play dangerous Yankees pitching game
Next News:
Dingell: Well See the Schools Re-Open When Money from COVID Bill Enters System, Teachers Are Vaccinated
On Saturday’s broadcast of the Fox News Channel’s “Cavuto Live,” Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-MI) stated that when the money in the most recent coronavirus relief bill enters the system and “we get the teachers vaccinated,” we’ll see schools re-open.
Dingell said, “We’ve had to get the teachers vaccinated. Has anybody really thought about what it’s like to re-open these schools, the requirements for PPE equipment, if you have a bus, you can’t load the bus the way that you used to. So, you’ve got to use extra personnel, when you’re in — what you have to do in the bathrooms, what you have to do to keep the school clean? Increased cost to these schools.”
She added, “I think that when this money goes into the system, we’re going to start to — and we get the teachers vaccinated, and we’re doing things, we are going to see the schools open.”
Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett