Event Site/Sand Bar - LOST & FOUND ITEMS

Pepi · Wed Feb 23, 11 9:43 pm **Event Site/Sand Bar - LOST & FOUND ITEMS**

During today's meeting of the Waterfront Rec Advisory Committee with the Port of Hood River, it was brought to my attention (as the Rep for the CGKA) that there has been a sort of lost and found issue for the Port with kite gear being left behind at the Event Site and the Sandbar.

Yes, people have actually been leaving gear behind, and not just a ton of pumps, but boards and kites.
Each of the items that ends up in the Lost & Found dept is tagged by the location and date from which it was found.
Sooooo........if you have ever lost or left something behind at the Event Site or the Sandbar, it would be in your best interest to call or email the Port of Hood River Office with the date, location and a full description of what your lost item is.
Email : PORTHR@GORGE.NET
Phone : (541)386-1645

*Since this is a courtesy service, we ask that you please be polite and do not attempt to take advantage of the Port's good faith by trying to scam free gear via the lost and found dept. They're not dumb and you won't succeed.

**Additional learning opportunity - it is always a good idea to put your name and phone number on your kite items, maybe even the word 'reward' which can be anything from a handshake to a half rack of beer.

If you have any questions please feel free to pm me.

kitezilla · Since 22 Jun 2006 453 Posts gorge Obsessed

Two things. The first is a simple question...the second (lost objects and the law) could go on and on, as it has for about 3000 years.

(1) Does the stuff that floats up at the dams get sent to the Port Authority, or the local police, or do the dam operators decide what to do with it?

(2) A few years ago I took it upon myself to research the "Finders-keeper"-"Salvage Rights"-"Possession-is-9/10ths-of-the-law" issue...and here is what I found:

If you find an object along the side or a road, or floating on the water (international or inland or otherwise...it doesn't make any difference)...that object does not then, belong to you. The title to that object does not pass to to you. Even the case of a "ghost ship", floating in the open ocean, or a "grounded" and imperiled ship, where most people would think that "salvage rights" would dictate that the finder becomes the legal owner...this is not the case. There are internationally accepted rules, that go back hundreds of years, which are used to determine whether or not the floating or sinking object was officially "abandoned" rather than "lost"... and most of these cases have to be determined by special courts all over the world..."Courts of Admiralty". In the USA, these specialty courts are located in several locations in the US. A legal historian could go on and on about all this, but the interesting thing to me is that the basis for the determination of ownership rights of any kind of "lost" object goes waaaaay back in history to times of the Code of Hamurabi and Justinian law and Byzantine/Judaic law… and nothing much has changed in the last few thousand years. This expression of ownership rights, taken from Jewish law, sums it up best for me, and states: "The finder of a lost object has the right to 'keep it in his pocket' until Elijah comes"…

I won't go on and on about the details of who Elijah was, how he left (Hint: think 'big boost' kiter style load-and-pop), and what it means when he returns (nice landing!), but to make a long story short it means that if you find something, you don't get the right of ownership, until someone official (like Elijah) determines that you have that right.

So, the bottom line is: If you find something, you should take that something to an official entity, like the Police or an authority related to the police, like the Port, who should have legal (lost and find) rules to follow in the storage, protection and final disposal of such items, and will make a "reasonable" attempt to contact the owner of the 'lost' object.

Please correct me on anything that I have mistakenly stated above…it's been a few years since I looked into this very interesting subject.

I should note that the 'tradition' in the Gorge, over the past 30 years, has been to take anything of value, which has been left at any of the river launch areas…to one of the Windsurfing or Kiting sporting goods shops…and I think that this has worked out pretty well over the years. When I find something, I leave a note in a zip-lock bag duct taped to a rock or post, at the location, so that the owner, on returning to look for the object, can then read the note and be informed of who to call or where the object has been taken for safe storage.

Gman · Since 11 Feb 2006 4911 Posts Portland Unstrapped

the dam operators have become really good kiters and appreciate your generous donations (true)

mcsailor0303 · Since 18 Mar 2009 184 Posts The Dalles Stoked

Could not agree more!

When I worked at a local shop, we would have people turn in lost or forgotten gear all the time, and the majority of the time it was returned to the owner (who was always stoked!)

I love the gorge/kite/windsurf community, and how there is tons of good ju-ju!

On this whole topic....HOW THE HELL DO YOU FORGET YOUR KITE OR BOARD??!! Come on!? I can maybe understand a rigging tool, pump, harness...

Windance Crew · Since 18 Apr 2008 473 Posts Hood River Kite Shop Obsessed

Scotty, I know how YOU forget gear......1st you have a beer after a good session while your kite is drying......

ldhr · Since 21 Jul 2009 1489 Posts Hood River XTreme Poster

hey - I've seen people leave the sailing beach and forget their kids and dogs.....

Pepi · Thu Feb 24, 11 3:39 pm