# Green River Lodore - Searchers Recover Body of Missing Rafter



## CaptBiggler (May 14, 2015)

This is the second hard lesson this year about properly wearing a pfd. Always make sure they are in good working condition and installed properly before getting in the boat.


Sent from my iPhone using Mountain Buzz


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## dbarrett (Mar 8, 2013)

Based on media reports, it appears this drowning was the result of some sort of entrapment, not the result of a lost PFD. If you look at 0:15" in this video, you can see it's not a place you would want to swim:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7MbMLFveAg

I know I'll be paying close attention here next time I run Lodore.


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## johnovice (Jul 17, 2009)

dbarrett said:


> Based on media reports, it appears this drowning was the result of some sort of entrapment, not the result of a lost PFD.


Can you post links to those reports? I've been wondering about the entrapment vs. PFD question and didn't know there was more detail than posted here.


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## asleep.at.the.oars (May 6, 2006)

From the NPS press release "was briefly spotted in the water below the birth canal before he disappeared. Members of the group reported that he appeared to be stuck. The rafting party observed that his personal flotation device (PFD) and one shoe popped to the surface where he was last seen."

That sure sounds like a foot entrapment to me. You get tired / pass out, your body folds forward, your arms flop up, and your PFD slowly works it's way over your head. No matter how well adjusted, they don't stay on in that position.


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## duct tape (Aug 25, 2009)

So help me figure this out. My only Lodore trip was years ago but we're going again soon. The birth canal slot appears to be, from this video, and some other info on Google, a run down the right side which is not the main run? Thx.


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## mervo (Dec 29, 2014)

Thoughts and prayers out to all of his family and friends.


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## noahfecks (Jun 14, 2008)

duct tape said:


> So help me figure this out. My only Lodore trip was years ago but we're going again soon. The birth canal slot appears to be, from this video, and some other info on Google, a run down the right side which is not the main run? Thx.


I guided this section but never heard the run called "the birth canal". It appears to be a right side run through the rocks that make op the "triplets". The water level is about twice the normal dam release and I suspect this run is rarely available. I have personally only ever run the gates one time at flows above 1000 cfs and it was significantly higher than the video or info from the accident, I wanted to be well clear of the triplets at that level. 

Be wise folks:blacksidedown:

Is the passenger in the video JZ?


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## ric (Apr 12, 2004)

*Eye of The Needle....*

That's what we always called it, Have plenty of stories, RR just as you make the move to get left... river bends left there also... seen some scary stuff there in the 80's....


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## 3d3vart (Apr 15, 2010)

The mayor of Craig, CO lost his wife in Triplet falls about six years ago. That rapid is more dangerous than it appears.


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## thaGoat (May 30, 2011)

noahfecks said:


> I guided this section but never heard the run called "the birth canal". It appears to be a right side run through the rocks that make op the "triplets". The water level is about twice the normal dam release and I suspect this run is rarely available. I have personally only ever run the gates one time at flows above 1000 cfs and it was significantly higher than the video or info from the accident, I wanted to be well clear of the triplets at that level.
> 
> Be wise folks:blacksidedown:
> 
> Is the passenger in the video JZ?


We ran this last week. Water level was about 2K.

The Birth Canal is part of Triplet. 

The water comes around a right corner and slams in to an over hanging wall and then pushes left. It was tight and I just faced the wall and pulled off it. If you don't slam into the wall, the water will spit you out. If you don't go left and with how you come around the corner it can be a real surprise and catch you off guard.


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## BCJ (Mar 3, 2008)

The entrapment hazard is on river right near the bottom of the rapid where the river turns sharp left. Aside from the rocks seen in the video above, the water also goes further right and behind a large slab of rock leaning against the right bank. From my conversation with the mayor of Craig, that is where both he and his wife ended up. He came through, she did not. The run is left or center left and pulling hard away from that jumble of boulders.


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## Dave Frank (Oct 14, 2003)

Whitewater of the southern rockies has a picture with a Cat boat stuck in the slot called birth canal.
,
On a lighter note, my buddy's uncle who just happened to be a gynecologist, flipped a borrowed boat (mine) in the birth canal and lost a bunch of gear, including the toilet.


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## duct tape (Aug 25, 2009)

Dave Frank said:


> Whitewater of the southern rockies has a picture with a Cat boat stuck in the slot called birth canal.
> ,
> On a lighter note, my buddy's uncle who just happened to be a gynecologist, flipped a borrowed boat (mine) in the birth canal and lost a bunch of gear, including the toilet.


So, other than the recent group which carried back up upstream and ran the BC intentionally, are most other trips unintentional missing the main line to the left?


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## asleep.at.the.oars (May 6, 2006)

It's easy to miss the left move, so lots of unintentional trips through. Not many intentional trips through, although I wouldn't have guessed it for any more of a particular entrapment hazard than lots of other places on that river. Decent wrap potential, and I've helped un-stick a couple of boats from in there.


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## ric (Apr 12, 2004)

*Eye of the Needle....close call*

Long long time ago we were approching Triplet with bunch of newbies, decidided to scout and inform them about the needle slot... no one around at scot pull over... walked on down for a better look and could not believe what we found... Knowles trip, with 12 kids, 16yrs old and under... one raft wrap around the needle rock, three still on board high siding , one long rope in the water stretched across current, to RL beach, rope wrapped around tree with a 13 yr old tied to the end as anchor... nice...
No one up stream warning others of whats going on down below, trip leader out on the rock, and a frantic 2nd in command freaking out...
Glad we decided to scout, first untie rope from kid at tree...
second calm second in command, third unwrap raft...
no one hurt this time...


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## Plecoptera (Jul 26, 2013)

Ran it two weeks ago; scout, and then suck left and stay there. A few rocks to miss on the left side, but nothing like the problems if you drift right. That said, it seems like a lot of people make the trip down that slot.


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## noahfecks (Jun 14, 2008)

eye of the needle, correct, you kids and your new names

never occurred to me that someone would go over there on purpose. Cost you a six pack for every stick.

Make wise choices folks :blacksidedown:


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## zbaird (Oct 11, 2003)

I learned it as the birth canal by guys who have been running it and calling it that since the 70's so it not new by any means.

Certainly not the place to be.


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## yetigonecrazy (May 23, 2005)

Does it really matter which name it is or isn't called? Someone died....It's a terribly sad event. That's all that should be said. Save the silly arguing for a different thread. Condolences to the family....


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## captishmael (Feb 8, 2008)

yetigonecrazy said:


> Does it really matter which name it is or isn't called? Someone died....It's a terribly sad event. That's all that should be said. Save the silly arguing for a different thread. Condolences to the family....


Yes, it is sad and I think every Buzzard is solid in their condolences to friends and family. 

However, this is also an event that focuses our attention and energy on advancing the body of knowledge. I for one had no idea that the Birth Canal passage on Triplet Falls was also called by the same name as a well known rapid on the Upper C. As confusion can have grave consequences in rafting/yakking/SUPing, I suggest it be known as Birth Canal only. In more than a dozen trips thru Triplet, our party has had two flips in the Birth Canal, one raft and one ducky. We've never had a raft flip on any other rapid. From here on out the preferred line will be to start center, work left thru the rock garden, hug the left shore at the bottom near the highside rock and Birth Canal.


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## kazak4x4 (May 25, 2009)

capt, I think the whole point is not to take this rapid for granted. I think watching the current and knowing when to pull away from it is the trick. The pull isn't very hard, 2-3 strokes and you are out, but got to do it at the right time and watch to clear the left rock garden.

I was leading a trip two years ago, dropping into Triplet first and told everyone to follow my line. Sure enough I got hung up solid on a rock before the big left turn. Had to wave the boat behind me (total noob) to go ahead past me, yelling direction as she went by. By the time I got my boat unstuck, she was ahead of me and having no clue when to pull, she had a bad flip and a bad swim. 

I think to seasoned boaters Triplet isn't a hard rapid if you know how to read the water. 

PS: I've always known that passage as Birth Canal as well. 
PSS: I think all of us have signed the death certificate when we took up the adrenaline pumping water sport. All of us just have a different expiration date.


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## 3d3vart (Apr 15, 2010)

I found this low water vid that shows the nastiness that lurks beneath and along the right side at Triplet. Triplet starts around the 3:20 mark and the birth canal comes into view around 5:40 or so

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GPQKvzaswHY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GPQKvzaswHY


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## noahfecks (Jun 14, 2008)

yetigonecrazy said:


> Does it really matter which name it is or isn't called? Someone died....It's a terribly sad event. That's all that should be said. Save the silly arguing for a different thread. Condolences to the family....


never meant to sound insensitive about the incident or the loss of life and I felt like the tone was some mild, friendly back and forth. I do feel its important for folks who run in different circles to know that the obstacle has more than one name. I suspect Ric and I run with the same folks who have called it one name for a very long time and others here have run with folks who know it by a different name for a long time. :beer:


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## CoBoater (Jan 27, 2007)

i call it the stay the hell away from the right side of triplett. first few time i ran lodore, we scouted 3 rapids and triplett was one of them. 

and would somebody please shoot chuckles the clueless clown that was filming the women up in the video above?


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