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AROC Take Aylott to the SPQ Finish

Rob / 28.09.2004

With the Subaru Primal Quest finished and the racers still gathered on Orcas Island there was a last chance for them to come together to honour Nigel Aylott, and at the request of his AROC team mates this took the form of a memorial paddle.

The racers took to the water on Rosario Bay on a perfect day and formed a channel with their kayaks for members of AROC and Montrail to paddle through. Then they fell into line behind them to come ashore.

Nigel’s brother, Micheal, paddled with AROC and his mother was waiting at the finish line to receive Nigel’s ashes, which had been carried in Matt Dalziel\'s dry bag.

John Jacoby of Montrail, who was injured in the fatal accident, has already returned home and has been talking about what happened to the Geelong Info. He describes how the boulder came loose beneath his hand, gashing his leg and falling to hit Aylott, who was 100m lower down.

Jacoby plans to resume racing soon and said of the accident. \"Being out there is a calculated risk. It\'s just one of those things . . . it happens.\" A nd he added; \"Some wanted to blame organisers but to me we had been up gullies like that millions of times. I can\'t afford to dwell on it, I can\'t change it, but I will be reminded of Nigel every time I race.\"

Aylott’s family have also now announced details of a memorial service in to be held in Melbourne. It will take place at 2 pm on October 5th, at St. Marks Anglican Church, Emerald.

You can read Gordon Wright’s touching description of the memorial paddle on the SPQ website and the full interview with John Jacoby in the Geelong Info.