# Flush drowning at skull



## Ponderosa (Jan 25, 2008)

Canada said:


> FYI. Looks like the river was at about 28 K.
> Do comercials run at that level?


Yeah commercials run at that level. I was there this weekend, sharp eddy lines, whirlpools, etc. The water is cold and crankin'...I know I wouldn't want to swim. Be safe out there.


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## BigJilm (Sep 2, 2008)

We ran westy the monday before at 26k ish. Most of it was washed out but skull was a huge wall of water.

I wonder if this guy was wearing a wetsuit? Most of our crew was suited up because the water was very cold.


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## kazak4x4 (May 25, 2009)

I passed Holiday overnight trip on WW on Saturday. They stayed at Little D, the only camp site that is accessible above rapids now. Skull was raging and unpredictable. I yelled at my paddlers to work like hell to stay away from the surf line of Skull. Eddie lines and whirlpools were bad.

Sad news definitely, careful out there. River is unforgiving now.


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## Fuzzy (May 25, 2005)

any pictures of Skull at these levels??


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## Mjohnston (May 27, 2009)

I ran Westwater in a Paddle boat on Sunday at 24,600 with a strong paddle group. It was my first time on Westwater. Keldin (sp?) the ranger at the put in decided to come down with us so that we would not go solo. My hat goes off to him and his focus on safety. This is a tragedy for sure. Skull rapid was big and there were some gnarly whirl pools throughout. We wore wetsuits......would not have wanted to swim without one.


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## richp (Feb 27, 2005)

Hi,

First, condolences to the family and friends of the individual who drowned. It's a terrible thing to go through on the river as well, so we should be thinking also about those on the trip with him, and others involved in the aftermath.

Here are some pictures of Skull at about 25k a week or so ago.

The left photo is not a wave train, but rather is the surging eddy line between the main current and the Room of Doom. The water level in the Room itself was several feet higher than the main current, so getting in there would be pretty hard. 

The Rock of Shock photo on the right really doesn't do it justice. I never was able to catch it fully pillowed up -- even higher than it shows here. And the vortex to the left of the Rock was terrifying. It was a tremendously violent and totally unpredictable suck hole.

FWIW.

Rich Phillips


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## richp (Feb 27, 2005)

Hi,

I should have added a little more functional information to that last post. This is aimed at rafters, although kayakers can take note as well, I suppose.

Skull has a lateral from the left at virtually all levels. The raft typical move is to break the lateral (a downstream ferry starting on the far right wall is a common strategy). This moves you away from Skull hole and the Rock and Room.

At these higher levels there actually are two laterals. Break the first one, and the second one right behind it still has a tendency to stop you and surf you toward the bad stuff. 

To make things more complicated, at lower levels, there is slack water behind the lateral, so you can maneuver pretty well to position yourself for the rest of the run. But at this level, there is fast moving water behind the laterals. That means you are still being pushed toward that mess depicted in the photos. 

The result is that even if you deal with the laterals OK, you are still going to have to ferry hard to stay away from the stuff that will flip you. And if you flip, there is a fair chance the current will take you right into that devil's toilet bowl to the left of the Rock.

FWIW.

Rich Phillips


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## ric (Apr 12, 2004)

*High water westwater !*

I ran it solo, at 26,000cfs thursday, ran again on monday 28,000cfs with a group,both days the issue at Skull was being to left to early! 
I think thats where the carnage is happening? Water temps are cold but not like mountain streams where the water was snow hours earlier. Yes, with these water volumes doubling up on life jackets is not a bad idea. Swims in the inner gorge are NOT good, I was getting suck down in the eddy whirlpools in my kayak, kinda like a toilet bowl, spinning and squirting,you can't fight it, just go with it!

Sad to hear hear of loss of life!


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## caverdan (Aug 27, 2004)

This article mentions another lady drowning on the Dolores, on Monday. Condolances to the family and friends of these boaters.

Rafters drown in Colorado, Dolores rivers


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