# Lost NRS throw rope on #5



## Opes

I lost a NRS throw rope after a swim on Arkansas Number 5.

Thanks,

Josh


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## teletoes

Crossposted in "Safety Alerts". 

I hope nobody gets stuck in the rope you put in the river.


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## heytat

*Thanks for the heads up.*

Don't mind teletoes, it seems like everyone on this forum lately has a case of the assholes.....


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## streetdoctor

heytat said:


> Don't mind teletoes, it seems like everyone on this forum lately has a case of the assholes.....


bullshit… leaving an entanglement like that in the river is a big deal. Unless he was injured and needed medical attention he should have gotten it out on the spot.


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## teletoes

heytat said:


> Don't mind teletoes, it seems like everyone on this forum lately has a case of the assholes.....



Seriously? Someone leaves a deathtrap in the river, then posts in "_lost and fucking found_" that they want it back? And I'm the asshole?

People need to hold onto their goddamn ropes. They should go thru extraordinary efforts to retrieve lost ropes and inform others when they've left them in the river.

Remember when two people in two days were killed by uncovered ropes in Gore? Probably not, but I do!


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## streetdoctor

teletoes said:


> Seriously? Someone leaves a deathtrap in the river, then posts in "_lost and fucking found_" that they want it back? And I'm the asshole?
> 
> People need to hold onto their goddamn ropes. They should go thru extraordinary efforts to retrieve lost ropes and inform others when they've left them in the river.
> 
> Remember when two people in two days were killed by uncovered ropes in Gore? Probably not, but I do!


To help out anyone with a little added paragraph structure. 

_*"A kayaker, running third in a group of four, ran a different chute and slammed into an underwater rope that had strung itself across a chute. He was violently peeled from his boat and forced to swim. The two paddlers below chased him and his gear. 

Matt Classon, 27, ran next. He, too, hit the rope hard. His boat floated free, but his body did not. Gobers group made an extensive search of the entire area, checking eddies and probing the upstream faces of rock. In the process they found a pinned kayak. Thinking that their friend could have been pinned underneath it, they pulled it free using a Z-drag. They found nothing. Eventually they paddled out and notified authorities. 

Rescuers began a search early the next morning, and Classons body was found miles downstream, near the takeout. His helmet had been torn off and he had a serious head wound. This is not the first death resulting from an abandoned throw rope in the river."*_

heytat is right though… a rope possibly strung across one of the rapids that usually creates the most carnage on one of the most popular runs in the state (or country) is no big deal.


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## DoubleYouEss

Maybe the rope is neatly stuffed and closed, having only washed out of the abandoned boat during the swim?

Well? Is it stuffed and closed or was it lost after a toss?


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## Captain

OP, if you cannot get there to retrieve your rope, call AHRA/Colorado Parks in Salida to let them know of the hazard.


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## Swank

Opes is the rope neatly stuffed in the sac or was it deployed and lost?


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## Opes

The rope was tightly in the bag. I took a bad swim at #5 and the rope that was clipped in my boat on the Pilar was gone when I finally retrieved my boat. If it was deployed a I would have spent considerable time trying to retrieved it and would have notified the park service. Thanks for the safety tips. Next time I will get a search party and will not rest until the securely stowed bag is found.


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## Opes

I called the park service yesterday and notified them of the lost rope too btw.


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## Opes

teletoes said:


> Crossposted in "Safety Alerts".
> 
> I hope nobody gets stuck in the rope you put in the river.


You can cross post my reply if you like too.


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## David Spiegel

To the OP–

If you lost your rope, then it was not stowed securely enough.... 

I know you're probably feeling attacked by some of the posts here and that is why your replies sound annoyed/sarcastic, but this is a very serious issue which is why folks are so fired up. 

No excuse for losing a rope, ever. Yeah shit happens and there is no point being nasty after the fact, but we should all strive to make sure ropes don't go in the river. 

Even a well stuffed/packed rope can come undone after a lot of time in the river.


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## lmyers

Lock the damn thing in better or don't fucking boat at high water. I don't give a shit how anyone feels about my attitude....losing a rope in the river is unacceptable, period.


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## glenn

Since I'm feeling contrary today I'll disagree. The rope was stowed and clipped to a part of the boat. The boat broke apart but it's just as likely to deploy from a bulkhead as it is from a boat missing a bulkhead. It sucks it got lost and it does represent a real hazard but there are lots of other hazards man made and otherwise. I agree we should all be diligent about maintaining our gear and rigging in a responsible manner. However I don't think what the OP did was negligent. Had the rope been loose in the boat or lost after/during a throw I would feel differently.

https://www.google.com/search?q="ro...dIc60yATO9oDIBw&start=0&sa=N&biw=1600&bih=809

For the number of ropes that get lost it's surprising how few incidents happen. Many of these seem preventable.


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## lmyers

The center Pilar in a kayak is generally not a solid piece of the boat, usually it is a piece of plastic or foam attached to the frame with a clamp and 2 screws. There are attachment points behind the seat of every boat for this purpose. If you want a rope you can access quick you want something on your body.


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## DoubleYouEss

But aren't ropes on our body just as likely to fall off/be lost in a swim as ones attached to a boat?


Sent from my iPhone using Mountain Buzz


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## lmyers

I have never seen or heard of that happening. Please give me an example...since Glenn just posted a link to many lost throw ropes, none of which were properly secured to a boater's body....and since we're posting links, here is one that should make it very clear why proper rope handling is paramount:

American Whitewater - -SecurityGadget-explain


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## glenn

I'm faster with the rope in between my legs than I am with the waist bags I've used. It's a simple decision anyways since I can't move with a waist bag on. 

Just because something hasn't existed in the buzz archives doesn't mean it didn't happen. Most of those were rescues gone awry not rigging issues anyways. I did see a bowline snag and I rarely ever hear objections to open bowlines. Even when I do the general consensus is let it ride because it's a standard operating procedure. I didn't see bulkheads blowing out of boats in there either but we would both be foolish to believe this is the first time such a thing has happened. Pin in a big enough rapid and anything you clip it too has the potential to be missing when you get the boat back. Ropes in the river are fucked but lets have realistic expectations about precautions that need to be taken.


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## DoubleYouEss

In my boating career I have had 2 waist mounted bags come loose, belt and all while on the river. One was recovered, the other is somewhere in Lake Powell at this point it it's life. 


Sent from my iPhone using Mountain Buzz


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## mvhyde

Wow.....

1. Shit happens
2. More shit happens
3. A stowed rope, no matter where it is stowed can come out
4. Shit happened
5. It's in the bag, and if properly closed - the likelihood of it coming out is pretty low
6. People need not to get their panties in a wad
7. Don't assume people are always doing or have done the wrong thing


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## lmyers

Yeah, I was dick about it last night....probably unnecessary, but I still don't think the center pilar is a good place to secure a rope. I certainly do appreciate the merits of having a rope quickly accessible in the lap, personally I have ran a short cam under the seat to clip to (with a locking binder) or lock it to the seat rail depending on the outfitting.

I also appreciate the op informing us about the incident. Have fun and stay safe everyone.


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## Swank

Thanks for the clarification. Hopefully it all stays put in the bag and is found.


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