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On an unseasonably warm October Saturday morning, a friend, I'll call him Kevin and I went for what we hoped would be a leisurely canoe trip. It had rained the previous two days so the river was high and we anticipated a good trip. Both of us, although not extreme canoeists, had years of experience and felt confident in our ability.
When we approached a bend in the river that had some minor white water, a class 2 at best, we back paddled and took a careful look to determine our strategy.
We agreed on the line we would persue and made our final preparations.
Kevin was in the bow and I was in the stern of the canoe so I could not see exactly what he was doing. I found out later that he was securing his camera when I started to paddle. Almost immediately the bow struck an obstacle. When I back-paddled to free us the stern of the canoe was in the river current but the bow was in some still water.This caused the canoe to quickly swing around and pinned the bow on one obstacle and the stern on another. Any further description of our accident is unnecessary.
What happened next, in a very rapid succession, was:
The canoe capsized.
Kevin and I were under water.
His camera got very wet.
The frame of the canoe bent out of shape.
I was swept down stream and lost sight of Kevin.
The next thing I knew, I was down river on one bank of the river with a broken canoe and Kevin was on the other bank with a wet camera. To summarize our adventure I learned two things:
When things go wrong, they go wrong very quickly!
Communicate. If I had checked to see if he was ready, our accident never would have happened.
So that others can avoid our mistakes I put together a few hints:
Preparing for the Trip:
Don't take anything that you don't want to loose or get wet.
Travel light. Take everything you need and not one thing more.
Wear loose fitting clothes that don't get heavy when wet, no cotton or tight jeans. This is very important in cold weather.
Wear light footwear such as old sneakers.
Helmets worn when bicycling can be used.
As you approach White Water:
Secure (tie) all gear to the boat.
Follow the successful line of a previous boat.
Keep as low as you can. Kneel down don't sit.
You should be wearing your Personal Flotation Device (PFD) and it should be buckled.
Note: they are no longer called a 'Life Jacket'.
The person in the bow chooses the course and watches for obstacles.
The person in the stern makes sure the boat stays in the correct line.
Communicate - Loudly!
If you capsize:
Save yourself first, then your buddy. The boat and gear are last!
Avoid 'strainers' at all cost. 'Strainers' are obstacles that allow water to pass through but will catch and hold solid objects. Fallen trees and branches are a common example.
Signal as soon as possible. 'Thumbs Up' or 'Thumbs Down'. 'No signal'
means you are in trouble.
Float feet first down river. You want to hit a boulder with your feet not your head.
Do not try to stand up until you are in calm water.
Don't fight the current. Float or swim until you reach calm water or a bank.
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