Ben Hawthorne It hurts to post this. Will Hartman was a good friend, the most relaxed calming presence i have ever had the pleasure to be on the river with. Its not sinking in yet, i dont know what to say but the following is a post from his family. "Early this morning we received word of Will's death. The following is a partial email that describes some of the details. We question but no amount of that or answers will fill the void now or in the future.
SHILLONG: A year after British citizen Elizabeth (Beth) Hume went missing while kayaking on the Umngi river, tragedy struck another kayaker, identified as Will Hartman from the US, at the same site. The incident happened on the morning of October 31 when seven highly skilled and experienced adventure sportspersons — Erik Johnson, Patrick Griffin, Sam Freihofer, Will Hartman, William Griffith and Olin Wimberg, all from the US, and UK’s Callum Strong — were kayaking the rapid on the Umngi in Mawsynram, India.
Around 8.45am, Hartman, 33, got trapped underneath a tree submerged in the river, according to the statement of his teammates, all of whom were on a whitewater kayaking trip to Meghalaya. The tree prevented him from exiting the wedged kayak. The other six kayakers immediately got on a rescue mission and tried to extricate him from the entrapment, said the team members. After several attempts, the rescuers managed to pull him up onto the bank. Hartman was submerged in the rapid for approximately 15 minutes and had drowned. The rescuers attempted cardiopulmonary resuscitation for half an hour but with no result. The team then contacted local rescue services.
Villagers and other international kayakers arranged a rescue party. The team successfully extricated all the kayakers and Hartman’s body from the river gorge on November 1. “We thank the villagers for their invaluable assistance in rescue efforts,” said the six kayakers on Tuesday.
This is Josef Burton writing from the US consulate-general in Kolkata, India. On behalf of the consulate and the Department of State, please let me express my condolences to your family in this difficult time. This morning at I received word that Will Hartman drowned between 8:00 and 8:30 a.m. Indian time while kayaking on the Ummig river near the town of Mawsynram in Meghalaya state. Will was part of a 7 person kayaking group.
The kayaking party recovered Will’s body and contacted International Emergency Response Coordination (a private company) via an Iridium satellite device. Zorba Laloo, a tour coordinator, is working with local guides to get the group of kayakers and Will’s body to a hospital Shillong via land as soon as possible although this may take several hours.. The consulate will attempt to contact the kayaking group once they are back in cell phone range. Will's mom and dad" I have no words right now.
All my thoughts go out to his family at this time.
Randolph man dies kayaking in India - Berlin, NH Daily Sun
Will Hartman, 33, drowned Sunday while kayaking in a remote, mountainous region in northern India.
Most recently a resident of White Salmon, Washington, Hartman was a life-long extreme kayaker and traveled the world in search of white water. He is the son of Lynn Hunt and Steve Hartman, both of Randolph, and the brother of Reid Hartman, of Gorham. He is a graduate of Gorham High School and St. Lawrence University.
Hartman was kayaking on the Ummig River, in the town of Mawsynram in Meghalaya state. He was part of a seven-person kayaking group. It is the monsoon season in that part of India and because of the remoteness and rugged terrain it is expected to take at least a day to get his body to a hospital. Local arrangements will be announced in his obituary in Thursday’s paper.Hartman spent his adult life as a river guide in Norway during the summers and as a carpenter in the winters out West.
His passion, however, was kayaking. Mark Guerringue, his uncle and publisher of the Sun, said he lived the adventurous life that most of us can only dream nor have the courage to do. “ He had the most amazing stories,” said Guerringue. “Apart from telling us about going over 60-foot waterfalls in a five foot kayak, he’d have these hair-raising adventures of being chased by bandits in remote Mexico and rebels in Africa. He is a smart, handsome, amazing young man and it is so sad.”
