Modifcation of nature...

[PAC]

We recently had another tragic event on the lower yough.
The 2nd this year - but two different locations (A kayaker at Entrance at higer flow 7.5' and this rafter at Dimple at 2'). This is leading to renewed calls for modifiation of the river. I just thought I'd bring this issue up since many of you have paddle this waterway.
As in the case of any lose of life I am saddened and my thoughts are with those who have lost a loved one and friend.

http://www.post-gazette.com/localnews/2 ... 0708p1.asp

Take care and be safe.

[aldenb]

Did this fellow's boat have a guide? It sounds like not all trips have guides on that river. Perhaps they should make guides mandatory for commercial trips, like on the Ocoee. And then make sure that their guides can miss Dimple in their sleep. It's kind of strange to me that on such a dangerous river that a commerical company would want to risk it's name by allowing unguided trips in its boats

Alden

[CosmikDebris]

I'm also sorry to hear about this. As I understand from your post that they are considering altering the river to make it safer? I feel rather strongly against this, although I can understand why there would be a push to make alterations from friends/family of those lost. I feel that paddling has inheirent (sp?) risks invovled, and that extreme respect for the river is needed in any situation. If the respect isn't there then you shouldn't be on the river.
This seems to be all to much of a problem with humans, one dating all the way back to our beginning. If something threatens our lives, we change it. That has lead to the destruction of uncountable numbers of natural systems, be it rivers, mountains, whatever. I havn't paddled either section of the Yough, but hope to someday paddle it in its somewhat natural state. Just some late night ramblings...
Will

[Space Canoe]

I think of all the near misses that I've had on all the different types of water that I've been on. Instances where just a little difference in one of a myriad of things could've led to a lot of damage, or conversely, could also have saved my butt instead of chowdering me. Either way, I came out the other side OK. Water is just SO FORGIVING, and then every once in a while, it isn't.
I taught a class on the lower Yough the first year that I was back there teaching. We spent the entire morning at the pool at the put in working on strokes and controlling your lean, and then after lunch we went down the river. We had the entire group scout every big rapid and at Dimple, as I recall, there's a quick little S turn to the right to go around the notorious rock. I had about half of the class eddy out in the little eddy at river left (just above the rock), and then peel out and let the water push them river right and around and through the S turn. The second day we ran it again and even more students performed the maneuver without incident. I have no idea what the level was, but there was no indication of any dangerous undercut at all, as I recall. It's real interesting to hear about it, given the fact that I treated it so nonchalantly, I have to admit.
All sympathies to the deceased's family, and all apologies, but since several witnesses said he never went underwater, and at five feet 11 inches and FOUR HUNDRED POUNDS (“his physical condition was good."!!??), how can the rock be blamed for anything except flipping the raft, which could've happened on numerous rocks on that river and any other river? With only a very few exceptions, in almost every instance I'm with Cosmik on this one.
RT

[PAC]

It looks like they powers that be are not blaming this particular situation on Dimple Rock. I think the fact that he came up out of the water and was able to grasp the front of the safety boat (along with the fact he weighted in at 400 pounds ) played a roll in this finding.
A couple things to note on the Lower Yough there is not a one to one (guide to boat or guide in every boat) ratio. However, as far as I can tell, there are usually a lead and sweep boat with only a guide and a couple of safety hard boaters in on every trip. For larger trips additional guides are added (I’ll have to find out now ).
At Dimple a guide almost always is standing on the Rock giving directions and physically pushing inflatables off the rock.. Not to say rafts don’t flip there. In fact, I think the natural reaction of the rafting public is to lean upstream at this rock and even a guide in each boat would have trouble with some of the mass (overweight weekend warriors) that shifts in some boats.
I also want to point out (from what I was told by some one who was there and I respect as an emergency responder) the guides and private hard boaters on the scene did an excellent job working on this gentleman. It’s just a shame this accident occurred, particularly with his family on site.
The Lower Yough is a class II – III river, that for the most part is user friendly. As for Dimple it is a simple and straight forward class III with an S turn in it. It also has consequences (as we all know even flat water can kill).
RT is right on about the rapid and how you can use the eddies to pick your way through this rapid (rafts of course run it straight on). I used to play (in my OC1) in front of this feature surfing back and forth across the flow front of Dimple, until a few years back when a 15 year old girl was pinned under the rock (life jacket snag on trees). The park then went in and removed the deadfall up under the rock and that has changed the flow – a flow whose “feel” I don’t like. So I usually miss that eddie now since it’s on my off side. (But now that I’m working on my leftie paddling (different thread) I might start hitting again .)
Removing the deadfall and inspecting the site showed that there is a large cavern / room under the rock feature about 2’ below the surface at average flow (2’).
If I remember correctly (corrections please) there have been 19 to 20 deaths on the Lower since 1976. Of those 4 have occurred within the last 3 years at Dimple, two involving private inflatable paddlers (duckie and raft) that were “larger” (from my stand point) in terms of size.
I’ll try to keep you posted on what I hear and I’m sure AWA will be keeping an eye on this as well. The concern is by fixing the problem (moving, dynamiting, concreting the feature) something more dangerous will take its place. Take care.
PS: Will, or others, anytime you’re in the area let me know.

[Space Canoe]

His family was there? Somehow that makes it even worse.
AARGH in all the bad meanings......