TRAPPED KAYAKER SAVED BY HIS SON

A kayaking trip on the Kayaderosseras Creek near Albany, NY , in April 1994, almost turned tragic for veteran kayaker Paul Lozier. The creek, normally a Class II, was running high due to recent rains. Lozier, 61, was paddling with Howard Strope when they came upon an unavoidable river-wide strainer. Both men hit, flipped, and swam. Lozier became pinned with his head underwater. His son, Kelly, 22, was following the pair in a car when he witnessed the accident. Telling a bystander to call for help, he scrambled down the bank and was able to pull his father’s head above the surface after a brief struggle. Kelly and Strope removed Lozier from his boat and began mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. Firefighters used a basked litter to transport the victim to an ambulance. He was transported to Saratoga Hospital where he was listed in stable condition that evening.

SOURCE: Albany Gazette via Joe Galea

EDITOR’S NOTE: Once both men hit the strainer, neither could help the other. The shuttle driver’s quick action then became vital.