This is what happens...

[the great gonzo]

... when you leave kayakers without adult (single blader) supervision :

http://www.globaltvbc.com/video/index.h ... UTPskn_CEC

I weas one of the friends who found em...

TGG!

[PAC]

Ouch... I take it they are in the program with you! Hard to live that one down! Are they going to be billed for it all or caulk it up to training for all parties involved?

[madmike]

Is there some reason the boaters could not continue down river on day 2? Was a chopper needed (no walk out option?) So often the SAR response is way out of proportion to the problem. I am glad everyone is OK.

[Creeker]

Wow that was great that they were portrayed as responsible adventurers moderately prepared for when "it" hits the fan......a rare public reporting for sure......I only say modertately prepared cause they forgot the LCD wide screen to see the Packers win the super bowl.

But seriously results like these are the ones we should applaud. That river in flood is sketch....did you see that tight helmet cam footy and then how much water was in the wide section.....dam!

[Mike Moody]

Here is a link to the local one of the local Kayak forums talk on it.

http://www.vankayak.org/forum/index.php?topic=3753.0

[Larry Horne]

without reading everything here, i'm guessing they were just fine and needed no rescue.
Spending a night out is a very commmon occurance and no big deal if you're prepared. I keep reminding my wife of that, so she won't freak if I don't make it home.

[TheKrikkitWars]

Funny this should come up, as a group of teenagers (none more than 18 ) posted this up going "Look how awesome we are, pushing the sport forwards*; This is definately something that just happens so often" rather than "Look how close our friend came to killing himself** by misjudging his skills".


*I know the couple who own the posh hotel overlooking this rapid (they're paddlers too) and this rapid has been run pretty much every time it's in spate since the early 90's; By their accounts of running it, it's easier to paddle, but more dangerous when high.

**Round the corner, there's another Class V and a Class VI gorge, and this is the biggest flood in a good two years.

Edit: Made link more glaringly obvious

[the great gonzo]

The level was to high for them to paddle out, as it rained over night and the river was to my knowledge still rising.

When we located them we could not communicate due to noise from the river and no access. We saw 3 headlamps so we knew all 3 were moving around and most likely not hurt. We thought we heard them yell that they were ok, but that can mean many things. We could not establish whether or not they had lost any gear.
The forecast was for more rain during the night. Neither them nor us who went looking for them had run the river before, all I knew about the Norrish was from websites and from talking to people who had run it before, and everyone had said that once yopu are in the gorge, you are committed, no way out.
Based on all that we decided to call in SAR and I would still decide the same way in a similare situation. I would much rather have people unnecessarily rescued than underestimating the situation and then having to answer griefing parents why I thought it was not necessary to notify the authorities.
It turned out that based on the water level, they would most likely not have been able to paddle out the next day. Theuy would have tried to hike out through the canyon, which may or may not have been possible and would have exposed them very challenging and hazardous terrrain.
Their decision to put on under the circumstances was questionable, but after that they did everything right.
The cost of SAR is covered by the public, as long as it is initiated by either a call to the police (911) or to PEP (Provincial Emergency Program, 1-800-663-3456).

TGG!

[PAC]

Thanks for the update... sounds like everyone did this one by the book. Everyone is safe, healthy and home... doesn't get any better than that!

[marclamenace]

Their decision to put on under the circumstances was questionable, but after that they did everything right.

Exactly my thought. Putting in so late, a small group with limited knowledge on the flooded section wasn't a great move for sure.