Sad to Report: RIVER DEATH!

Always check out river conditions and bring the correct equipment for such conditions. High flows mean faster water, more unfamiliar hazards and differences than you may be used to on the river, and there will likely be many more dangerous strainers. Use wetsuits/drysuits if the water temperature is below 52 degrees F., faster water means colder temperatures no matter how hot the air temperature is. Remember RULE120: If Air Temperature plus Water Temperature is less than 120 degrees F., wetsuits and drysuits are required/advised. Longer swims are likely in faster moving water and may allow hypothermic results to set in more quickly. Even when it's marginal it's better to wear a wetsuit/drysuit than not to, you can always take a dip in the water to cool down. Never sacrifice safety for comfort or trying to be macho (stupid). Hypothermia means your reaction time and reasoning (level of consciousness) decreases quickly and dramatically. Wetsuits are still recommended with swiftwater / high water.

Helmets should be worn in faster water to prevent head injuries even on rivers less difficult than Class IV. With helmets, it's recommended you always use them if you have them, but always on Class IV or higher. Think about a boat flip throwing yourself and other participants against a rock and then slamming into you. If you have an oar boat, think about oars and frames hitting you unexpectedly. High water, swiftwater means swimmers must be more prepared to practice self-rescue and get out of the water on their own. Boat rescues will likely take longer than ususal and require more skillful maneuvering. Remember your life is more important than any equipment, paddle, kayak, or even a raft. Save yourself first!

Never boat alone, you always need at least another boat to back you up or help out. And make sure you have rescue gear, throw bags, flip lines, first aid, and safety to handle most situations whether it be a "dump truck", flip, or wrap. Boats should always stay in the line of sight of each other. Know the river before attempting to run it, talk to others who have and who are aware of special or current conditions. Special situation statement on South Fork American.

Buying an Inflatable

Greenhouse Watch!

2011: River Departures

• February 19th: Walnut Creek, two teens take Sevylor raft they found at home on a rafting trip wearing helmets but no PFDs, single boat.

2010: River Departures

• July 7th: Deleware R., Philadelphia, PA, 2 missing after 37 people in amphibias DUCKW BOat collides with barge.
• June 10th: Caddo and Little Missouri R. flash flooding at campground kills 20.

2009: River & Water Departures

• August 8th: Hudson R., NY, 9 killed when helicopter and plane collide and crash into Hudson River.
• June 27: Snake R., Wyoming, Boy Scout leader falls out in Three Oar Deal Rapid, Craig McCuistion of Rexburg, ID. AP News Article
• June, SFAR, foot entrapment @ TroubleMaker Rapid
• January 15: Miracle on the Hudson, Captain Sully Sullenberger successfully lands Continental jet on Hudson River after both engines were knocked out shortly after takeoff by flocks of geese.

2008: River & Water Departures

2007: River & Water Departures

2006: River & Water Departures

• August 12: 35 year old male, 300 lbs., Bouncing Rock rapid, SFAR lower gorge run.
• July: 13 year old girl, foot entrapment in MeatGrinder rapid, SFAR
• March 20th: Texas creek claimed a female victim when her car was swept into a flooded creek in recent flash flooding.
• March 5th: Car overturned in American Canyon Creek near Vallejo, CA. 3 fatalaties included two teenage girls, one middle-aged adult male. Bodies recovered 50-150 yards from car, no seatbelts used per California Highway Patrol.

2005: River & Water Departures (Big Natural Disaster Year)

• October 29: India, hundreds die as train plunges into a flood swollen river where the bridge had already washed out.
• Kashmir earthquake and rain/monsoon afterward.
• Rita Flooding damage.
• Katrina Flooding damage.
• August 22-25: Germany (1 man trying to raft down a flooded river), Bulgaria, Romania, Switzerland: fatalaties due to flooding along Danube and other rivers in the region.
• August 9th: Phoenix area, record rainfalls cause flash flooding and a 2 year old that was swept away was found in strainers, while a 65-year-old man in his pickup truck was also killed when his vehicle was swept over into a riverbed.
• July 29: Yosemite, male adult visitor swept over Vernal Falls.
• July: Tuoloumne R., Paddler in Grave's Grindstone.
• June 24, Yellowstone R., 13 year old Boy Scout swept away.
• June: Tuoloumne R., veteran Kayaker lost in middle of Dinosaur Rock, after Clavey's, body never recovered, believed caught in funnel in Dinosaur Rock.
• May 29th, Sunday: Marcos Medina, 30's, from southern California, drowned in a raft flip and strainers. He was part of a group of 6 persons in 3 rafts that put-on at the Mok R. Day Use Area near the fish hatchery off McIntire Rd. and not all the participants had life jackets.
• May 27: Rock Creek, El Dorado County, CA, 12 year old girl and father attempting to rescue her were both killed at bridge crossing on Rock Creek.
• May 27: Yuba R, 41 year old rafter swept under dam.
• May 20: Russian River, Robert White, 17.

2004: River Departures (No big melt)

• December 26 (Sumatra & Indian Ocean rim): Worlds biggest modern day natural disaster including water, 9.0 earthquake and tsunami kills hundreds of thousands in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Maldives, Somalia, Kenya wiping out islands and villages, leaving millions homeless as waters recede.
• June 16: Deb Martin was swept into undercut rock, trying to help out another kayaker in a swim on Fordice Creek.

2003: River Departures (El Nino Year)

• Sept. 26th, Saturday: A 13-foot purple Aire boat with R5 crew successfully ran the rapids above the put-in of the Cresta Section, below Cresta Dam. This same crew however had an upset in the 3rd rapid after County Line. First time rafter in boat flip at Cow Catcher rapid, Cresta Section, North Fork Feather, was sucked into an undercut rock with a 30 ft. underwater cave at 1:30 pm PDT. Skilled boaters and rescue professionals were unable to save the unfortunate boater, recovery did not occur until the next day, Sunday around 11 a.m. after the water level had lowered 13 feet. The rapid has been renamed Cave Rapid. Pictures of the rapid and incident, including the ill-fated boater's last run may be found at RAFTWEB: NFeather 9/26/2003.
• Sept. 1st: 5 killed in raging floodwaters of Hudson R. as car overturns, 4 kidds drowned strapped in their seats.
• August 26th: 2 die in car overturn in flash flooding Mohave Desert, near 29 Palms, San Bernadino, CA. 1 rescuer also killed, 1 other person succumbed to flood waters in another incident.
• August 13th: 4 boys die in New York at Adirondek Falls, 3 trying to save the first who slipped and fell into the falls, all strong swimmers: Adam Cohen, Santin...
• August 2nd: Teenage Female drowns in river in Yosemite Park.
• July 19th: Middle Fork Tuoloumne Falls, Camp Towanga counselor, 21 year old female slipped and fell 30 feet into the falls.
• June 7th: Idaho, two boaters killed, one in a car accident on March Creek.
• June 6th: California, Justin Julen, Driver of car, trying to avoid oncoming traffic, lost control and car plunged into Mokelumne River, two adult males, Justin and brother escaped, but Justin's 24 year old girlfriend, her kid and Justin's two kids (three children aged 1, 2, and 3) were killed as the car was swept away despite a raft rescue attempt, swiftwater was too much. Bodies were recovered after a helicopter was used to move the car to shore.
• May 31st: S. Fork Yuba, CA, hiker swept in and drowned near Scotchman's Creek, another hiker tried to cross S. Fork Yuba and was swept into the rapid and drowned.
• May 11th: California, 11 year old fell from rock into Kaweah R.
• May 10th~: California, S. Fork Yuba & Scotchmans Cr., hiker crossing river

2002: River Departures (Greenhouse Effects?)

• August 24th: 1000+ killed so far in flooding of Yangtze R. and tributaries and lakes in China.
• August 13th-16th: Worst flooding ever in North Eastern Europe. 88 killed in flooding in Prague. 60 killed in flooding in Western Russia. 150 year flood level of Elbe River near Dresden. Danube R. flooding also.
• July 8th - Body recovered from the American River near Highway 160 in Sacramento. The person identified was David Estes, 56, a sight-impaired individual who has been reported missing for 2 months.
• July 6th, Saturday - Swimmer in N. Feather River drowned.
• Week of July 1st - At least 7 killed in flooding of the Guadalupe River, Texas.
• May 26 - At least 14 killed on Arkansas River, barge driver blacks out, barge hits bridge on I40. Bridge collapse, several vehicles, cars and trucks fell into the river, near Weber Falls, Oklahoma.
• May 4 - Flooding in Appalachia, Knox Creek near Hurley, VA. 5 inches of rain in 6 hours on Thursday, May 2nd sent streams and rivers surging out of their banks in the mountainous five-county area where West Virginia, Kentucky, and Virginia meet. The flash flooding left at least four people dead and 14 missing.

2001: Departing our Ranks in the new Millenium

• August 26 - South Fork American River: A man in his mid-forties died on the South Fork, just upstream from Lotus Ledge, on Sunday evening, August 26. The water level was very low, around 150 cfs. He was swimming and boogie boarding with friends, and was quite familiar with this stretch of the river at low flows. He dove off a rock into a relatively deep pool, but misjudged, struck a rock at the bottom and did not re-surface. Neighbors near the scene were able to recover the body about 25 minutes later, approximately 100 yards downstream of his entry. They administered CPR for about 30 minutes, until medical personnel on the scene pronounced him dead. Just a reminder to everyone that it's easy to misjudge the depth of a pool, even when you're familiar with it. It only takes one rock sticking up to change the outcome of a dive, so please be careful. The river is a dynamic which constantly changes, it is also different at every water level. Therefore, as a general rule, NEVER jump into a river head first.
• July 9 - North Carolina, 3 fatalaties, military helicopter crashes in river.

2000: Departing our Ranks at the end of the Millenium

• Dan Dunlop in Ecuador.
• May: S. Fk. Yuba River backpacker crossing river.
• September: South Fork American, MeatGrinder, 10-year old.

1999: Departing our Ranks: In Memorium

• March 12-13: A body was recovered from the Tuoloumne River, later suspected that this was a possible witness related to the three tourists visiting Yosemite who were later found murdered.
• April 24: North Fork Yuba, Goodyear's Bar Run, Two-Pair Rapid, boat flip in river left channel where there's a keeper with an undercut rock took the life of an ETC volunteer guide, Dorothy "Dot" Robertson. The boat was R7 and flipped over on an exposed thumbnail rock. Only six of seven surfaced after the flip. Mark Hoffman in an oar boat was in safety position and first to get to the swimmers and overturned boat. An autopsy later revealed that Dot's neck was broken with minimal water in the lungs. Funeral services were held 4/29 in San Anselmo, CA and a memorial to "Dot", one of ETC's "camp moms", will be built at ETC camp off Highway 49 in Coloma, California.
• May 9: S. Fork Yuba River, two hiker fatalities. One male, 23, fell into the Yuba river and a second male, 24, swam in to rescue him, both succumbed to 42 degree waters and drowned. Alcohol consumption was reportedly involved and the rest of their group was reportedly impaired in being able to assist or respond.
• May 27: Clavey Falls on the Tuoloumne River, a male kayaker was pinned on Dinosaur Rock at high flow (6600cfs) and drowned.
• May 30: S. Fork Yuba River, above Washington, male hiker trying to cross the river to get to creek waterfalls, slipped and was swept away. S. Fork Yuba was running high at 2600 cfs.
• June 6: Church Van on way home from weekend outing has a tire blowout, and rolls over several times into Russian River with 14 kids and 2 adults, at least 3 fatalities.
• Week of June 14: Kings River fatality, no further information.
• Week of July 4th: Kings River fatality, running in an inner tube, no further information, 60+ year old rafter, John Stofle, with minor concussion on Wild Plum section of N. Fork Yuba R., later died of brain hemorrhage. For information on the John Stofle Memorial Fund, please contact SOC: (530)885-1844.
• July 13th: Bitterroot River, Montana, rafting accident. Brian Jay Buckley, 14, of Novato, CA. Brian's web site motto: "Life is short; make the most of it."
• Week of July 26th: [Initial Report] Interlaken, Switzerland: 15 canyoneering fatalities in flash flooding rivers, 11 male, 4 females killed, including 3 guides. Canyoneering is the European form of river rafting.
• July 27th: [Final Report], Lutschine R., debris-filled flash flood hits canyoneering party of 53, 21 total fatalaties. Saxet Canyon, Interlaken, Switzerland. Article Maxim.
• August 1st: A teenager visiting from Mexico, Sergio Markovich was visiting Yosemite and swimming in the Merced River when he was swept away a drowned. This was the 4th accidental death in the park this year.

1998: Leaving the Ranks: In Memorium

• January 16, 1998 - Non boater fatality on Black River, Ohio
• April, 1998, two skilled boaters killed, 10 EVAC'ed out of Green Wall on the Illinois River in Oregon.
• May, 1998, two boaters killed on S. Fork Yuba River.
• June 6, 1998 - OARS guide killed at Graves Grindstone, Tuoloumne River on 6/6/98, 9000 cfs reported. Boat flipped, 4 paddlers ok, ran right side into the big hole, "dry" drowning.
• Week of 6/13/98 - drowning on Kern River, 13 year old.
• 6/18/98 - rafter fatality on Lower Stanislaus, no further details.
• 6/18/98 - rafter killed on Klamath River, no further details.
• 6/17/98 - rafter killed on Upper Kern River, no further details.
• 6/17/98 - 6'3", 300 lb. private boater flipped his boat at Meatgrinder on S. Fork American, swam a long way, possible head trauma, body found in strainers above Triple Threat. One additional EVAC.
• 6/20/98 - 2 recreational fatalaties on Chico Creek. Chico residents Faye Gettis, 47, and Richard Campbell, 12, drowned in Chico Creek in Butte County after toppling from the air mattress they were riding, said Assistant Sheriff Perry Reniff.
• 6/20/98 - Kayaker drowning above Satan's Cesspool on S. Fork American River, also 1 EVAC heart attack, swimmer, Adventure Connection participant, also above Satan's.

  Joann Welte, 41, of Long Beach, drowned Saturday on the south fork of the American. She was knocked overboard and swept two miles downstream after her raft overturned, authorities said.

• 6/21/98 - Brenda Cerone, 27, of Vallejo, was critically injured when she fell from a raft on the south fork of the American and was trapped underwater against a tree. She was taken to Marshall Hospital in Placerville, where her condition was listed Monday as critical. Sadly, Brenda past away on Wednesday.
• 6/21/98 - 3 rafters bodies recovered, 2 near Consumnes Falls on Consumnes River. Hydrolic forces reportedly stripped all of their clothes. This was a solo boat trip. Three Sacramento-area men drowned after their raft overturned on the Cosumnes River between Sloughhouse and Wilton. Two of the victims have been identified by the coroner's office as Heath J. Hodgeson, 30, and RoyAllenJohnson III, 26, both of Rancho Cordova. The identity of the third man was not immediately available.

  Sacramento County Sheriff's Sgt. Richard Madrigal said the three men set out from Rancho Murieta on Sunday morning, and had planned to meet their families downstream at Wilton several hours later. When they failed to show up, their families searched unsuccessfully, then reported them missing about 11:30 p.m. One body was found about 4 a.m. Monday, about 100 yards downstream from an abrupt 4- to 5-foot drop in the river. A second body, tangled in rope, was found later that morning under an overturned raft in churning water at the foot of the drop. The third body was nearby on the bottom of the river. "Their raft just kept tumbling and tumbling and tumbling," with the water creating a washing-machine effect, said Larry Wooster of the Drowning Accident Rescue Team, or DART. "You have to be very lucky and very skilled to get out of a situation like that." Two of the Cosumnes River victims were found wearing life preservers. The other victim's flotation device was found near his body. "The current is so strong it just stripped away the clothing they were wearing," Madrigal said.

1997 Departures

1996 Departures

• 2 California boater fatalaties, 6/2 - Rafter and kayaker on Arkansas River.
• Carson Falls on the Forks of the Kern. The left-of-center chute, to the right of the pointy partially submerged boulder in the first picture. Just under the surface lies a wicked rocktrap, where rafter/IKer Melissa Toben died.

1995 Departures

1994 Departures

1993 Departures

1992 Departures

1991 Departures

• 3 California boater fatalaties.
• Train derailment, herbacide tank car spills and kills the river @ Dunsmuir, CA on Upper Sacramento R. Thousands of fish and wildlife are poisoned.

1990 Departures

1989 Departures

1933-1935

Call for Entries / Photos / Submissions

Class V Calendar 2005 We are looking for photos for the new Class V Calendar, must be a picture of a Class V rapid with a boater in it, kayak, canoe, raft, cat, I.K., or other whitewater vehicle. Photos must be of high quality, 8X12, and we may need to borrow your negatives if selected. Contact Luis Saravia. And you can preview our calendar here. Spasibo, The X-Stream Dream Team™

Project Whitewater Russia / USA

Kak Dela?
International and Multi-National Effort
Russkie i Amerikantsy

RAFTWEB: www.raft.org