A pioneering trip down a remote Mexican river ended in crippling injuries for Steve Daniel, 36, a noted Texas river explorer with a passion for class IV-V self-supported expeditions. Daniel and his companion, Victor Jones, were ahead of the group when he attempted to run a steep, rocky drop. In it he hit a rock, his kayak broached and pinned, and his body disappeared from view. Jones was able to leap from the shore to the rock and recovered the boat, allowing Daniel to float free. Jones grabbed him, and swam towards the sides of what was now a deep gorge. In a niche in the rocks he began mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. Fifteen minutes later Daniel was awake asking where he was. One leg was broken, but there appeared to be no other injuries.
The evacuation became an epic. Three kayaks were tied together to form a raft, and Daniel was ferried to a rock outcropping where a tent was pitched. He was given pain pills, and the party split up into two groups, both seeking help. Three went downstream in boats, and three hiked out. The hikers hitched a ride to an isolated ranch, where they were able, through unknown connections, to arrange a rescue flight by a Drug Enforcement Administration helicopter several days later. Daniel was taken to a local clinic, then to a Durango hospital. Family and friends, concerned with the level of care he was receiving, wanted to transfer him to the as soon as possible. But he was not released by hospital officials until his state representative guaranteed payment of a $2000 hospital bill. Once he arrived in Houston , doctors discovered that his legs had been hyperextended during the accident, severely damaging veins, arteries, and other tissues. A double amputation above the knees was necessary.
SOURCE: Houston Chronicle; AWA Journal
ANALYSIS: As this narrative points out, severe injury on remote expeditions can have terrible consequences. Extreme caution is advised in remote areas. Furthermore, it appears that group organization was not at tight as it should have been, with paddlers spread out over miles of river like a stateside day trip. This relaxed attitude may have led to the error in judgment which caused Daniel to make the run in the first place.
This account points out the difficulty of summoning medical help in remote regions of the worlds. Were it not for his political connections, he could have died on the river or languished in a small rural hospital. As it was, the long wait for competent care had crippling effects.
The rescue by Jones was a marvel of clear thinking and effective action. Without his intervention Daniel surely would have died on the spot.
From Bob Vernon: I was especially interested in the account of Steve Daniels injury at the rio mezquital since I was on that trip. It is on page 187 of the book. I was one of the 3 who hiked out for help. The story of that hike, hitchhike, and traveling back to the canyon was its own epic!
Your account is relatively accurate but not entirely. The whole group was at the drop when Steve and Victor decided to go for a small eddy in the drop. Most of us, me included, had gotten out to scout the drop. Steve pinned and victor was the hero of the day for sure. After Steve was on shore and breathing we carried him up some and pitched a tent and went for help. Three people stayed with Steve including Adam who was in med school at the time and had brought a supply of narcotics in case of injury. That came in handy for Steve!
The kayaks tied together and all that was what we did later - after I had returned from the hiking for help - when we thought we were going to have to carry him out of the canyon. We were preparing to leave camp to carry him out with our kayak/stretcher when a helicopter appeared and landed on boulders in the canyon. Wow! We really had no idea it was coming but had told the locals that was what we needed!
Steve was very lucky to make it out of that and he continued to boat in the years that followed!
