# AW Whitewater Fatalities List Jan-June 2013



## ccwalbridge (Jun 4, 2005)

This has been an unusually quiet year for whitewater accidents., due primarily to low water in the West. Kayak deaths are slightly below average and rafting fatalities have declined sharply. Please send any corrections or additions to [email protected].

Date-State-Name-Age-Boat-River-Section-Class-Cause
2013-07-07-IL-Shane Ekin-40-Jet-ski-Rock River-Rockton Dam-X-Dam Hydraulic
2013-07-06-PA-Robert Vega-22-Comm Raft-Youghiogheny-Lower-IV-Snagged on rope
2013-07-04-NC-Scott Bradfield-36-Kayak-Big E Fk Pigeon River-above US 276 Bridge-V-Flush Drowing – Flash Flood
2013-06-25-MT-Joslyn Sage Farrell-6-Raft-Bitterroot-Diversion dam below Woodside Crossing-X-Dam Hydraulic
2013-06-19-GA-Thomas P. Hill-51-Raft-Chattooga-Section 4 -IV+-Underwater Body Pin
2013-06-15-MD-Daniel Deamond-26-Rec-Kayak-Gunpowder Falls-Loch Raven Dam to Rt. 1-I-Strainer; No PFD
2013-06-13-MI-Oliver Dixon-47-Kayak-Clinton River-River Bends Park to Heritage Park -?-Strainer
2013-06-05-ID-Eric Weigel-22-Kayak-North Fork Payette River-Smiths Ferry 
to Banks-V-Head Injury
2013-05-27-AK-Steven Morton-47-Comm-Raft-Sixmile River-E. Fork Sixmile to Sunshine-IV-Flush Drowning
2013-05-25-WA-Kenneth E. Tyson-54-Raft-Wenatchee River-Tumwater Canyon-V-Flush Drowning
2013-05-06-AR-Sally Sairs-79-Kayak-Buffalo River-Ponca to Kyles-I-Head Injury; Strainer pin
2013-04-17-OR-Kristle Volin-25-Pontoon Boat-South Fork Coquille R.---Strainer; PFD snagged
2013-04-11-WA-Unidentified Man-57-Canoe-Stillwater Creek---No PFD’s
2013-04-07-WA-Liza Gould-45-Kayak-Green-Headworks to Palmer State Pk-IV+-Bad Hydraulic
2013-03-23-CA-Dirk Bradford-39-Kayal-Indian Creek (Feather trib)-Crescent Mills to Spanish Cr.-III-Swim into Strainer
2013-03-11-TN-Steve Senior-65-Canoe-Little-Elkmont to the Sinks-IV-Foot Entrapment
2013-03-09-AZ-Jim McComb-64-Kayak-East Verde-US Route 87 to Verde River -IV-Vertical Pin under log
2013-01-11-AZ-Kaitlin Kenney-21-Raft-Colorado-Grand Canyon-Shore-Disappeared at night

Kayak 8; Canoe 2; Raft 3 private 2 commercial; 2 Miscellaneous total: 17


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## barry (May 6, 2004)

Hey Charlie,

Thank you for your many decades of service keeping track of this stuff and helping our community learn from it. I have no doubt your efforts are a factor in reducing accidents. 

BA


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## Dave Frank (Oct 14, 2003)

Curious on details of Jetski vs. Dam.

And thanks Charlie.


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## Swank (Jun 20, 2009)

Thanks for doing this.

Still too many deaths. Be safe everyone.


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## bjett (Jun 30, 2005)

You can add another one from today. Great Falls of the Potomac. Its been an epic week in the east, 2 deaths both of them solid class 5 boaters. Scott Bradfield was my friend. Dont know many details of todays incident other than Steve Fisher and Jason Beakes were involved in the extraction.


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## Boofoff (Nov 22, 2012)

bjett said:


> You can add another one from today. Great Falls of the Potomac. Its been an epic week in the east, 2 deaths both of them solid class 5 boaters. Scott Bradfield was my friend. Dont know many details of todays incident other than Steve Fisher and Jason Beakes were involved in the extraction.


Two boaters went missing while training for the great falla race. Male was rescued and the female did not make it. She was a friend of some people I know. I know that name but I have not seen it posted in any news articles yet so I do not feel comfortable putting it out.

Edit: male/female not female/female


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## Wiggins (Sep 26, 2009)

The kayaker who died on the Green River Headworks was in a class III ledge.

Kyle


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## Jensjustduckie (Jun 29, 2007)

Here is the news article, Shannon Christy RIP.

http://www.thewesterncarolinajournalist.com/2013/07/12/catamount-alumna-tragically-loses-life/


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## BrianP (Nov 13, 2011)

Wiggins, good point and I can't remember what the level was but I've never seen a real bad hole at the bottom of the railroad bridge drop. Maybe this isn't the place for this question, but wasn't that a beginner trip? How did she wash that far downstream? There's a lot of flat water between there and KP.


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## Flying_Spaghetti_Monster (Jun 3, 2010)

Shannon was someone I boated with several times, shared meals with, and talked to at whitewater events. She will be greatly miss.


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## Boofoff (Nov 22, 2012)

Shannon Christy dies in kayaking accident on Potomac River | WJLA.com

http://www.anadventures.com/for_shannon_statement_of_events.php some more details of swim and resscue


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## whatthechuck (Jul 28, 2009)

*Interesting situational ethics*

It's a larger topic, of course.

The Great Falls Race, upon Shannon's death, was cancelled.

Eric Weigel drowned on the North Fork Payette the day before the North Fork Race this year, and the race proceeded.

I think both actions could be deemed appropriate in certain ways. It is something to think about.

Chuck


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## Soup76 (Aug 19, 2009)

Edit: Wrong forum


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