On the Friday before the Stoney Creek Rendezvous a powerful line of thunderstorms slammed into Western Pennsylvania , raising area rivers to very high levels. The Upper Stoney River is a seldom-run Class IV that changes character quickly. Below the flat water at the put-in the river turns away from the road, picks up speed, and heads into what guidebooks call a tough rapid with lots of strainers at the bottom. The run, except for that rapid, is Class III. The river was running high and fast (comparable to the Tohickon at 5 feet). It was a bad place to be if you don’t know the run, and no one in our group did.

Ben Stone, 50, was one of many paddlers in the area for the Stoney Creek Rendezvous. A regular contributor to rec.boats.paddle, he had been paddling for several years. Although skilled, he may not have had the background needed to cope with the whitewater that waited below. The air temp was about 60^o and sunny, and the water temperature was about 50^o. Ben was well-equipped for these conditions, with a full drysuit over a wet suit and a wool sweater.

These events of April 17, 1999 are described by Tom Polomchak, a member of Ben’s group:

“I met  Ben at the Stoney Creek Festival and on Saturday morning I told him I wanted to do some of the smaller creeks while they were up. This would also give the Stoney some time to drop. But everyone I knew was heading to the Upper Stoney. Since I‘d found only one person who wanted to try smaller creeks, I joined the group. Our group, three kayaks and a raft, was the first to arrive at the put-in. Seven more of our friends arrived moments later. Ben was first to hit the water, giggling like a kid as he worked a squirt spot below the bridge. The put-in and take-out were deceptively easy looking..

The river suddenly veered around a turn, throwing up big waves. My sight line was limited and there were few eddys to catch. I immediately shifted from a relaxed mode to a cautious mode, but Ben didn’t seem to make that switch. We all caught a small eddy together. A guy in the raft asked if I wanted them to be probe boater for the next rapid, I responded, “No I'll do it.” I peeled out and caught an eddy across the stream. Seeing no major problems for a little ways. I waved them over as I swung out of the river left eddy to catch one on river right.

Ben and another kayaker entered the current, but instead of eddying left, the first boater caught a small eddy behind a midstream rock. “Can I boof it?” Ben yelled. Ben boofed the rock, turned around, and started to play. I looked upstream and saw him flip. He tried to roll up twice but failed. A kayaker pulled in front of Ben and tried to lend assistance. I barely caught the next eddy, looked over my shoulder, and saw to my horror a huge jumble of rocks and trees. Ben and the other boater were headed straight for it.

Ben was in front of his boat, facing backwards. I yelled for him to climb behind it, and he did so. The other kayaker didn’t see the hazard either and, washed over it backwards into an eddy below. Then Ben’s boat went down beneath him, and he slammed up against the strainer. As I got out of my boat to help, Ben washed over the top of the logs. I saw the raft downstream in what seemed like a good position to pick him up. But I never saw my friend Ben alive again.

Frank Culkin continues the narrative:

The raft took up the chase. At this point they were approaching the  biggest drop which I believe is called Island Rapid.  This rapid is a series of flume-like waterfalls and I would call it a Class V. It is a mandatory scout because from above all you can see is a horizon line between huge boulders. The raft chased Ben through this rapid and ended up running into a tree strainer. After bouncing off the tree, the raft kept after Ben. This section was a big flush; Ben outpaced the raft and was washed down river. The raft continued down river but there was no sign of Ben.  

After portaging the big drops the two kayakers continued downstream, thinking that Ben had floated out with the raft. When they got to the takeout somebody told them that Ben was seen floating by – apparently drowned. Ben was found about a half mile below the takeout stuck on a bush underwater several hours later. The rescue squad could not get to him so some paddlers in our group (who had showed up by this time) ferried a line across river, tied it to Ben, and pulled him back across river.

SOURCES: Frank Culkin and Tom Polomchak via email

ANALYSIS:

1. (Polomchak )The river was running at about 3 feet on the Rt. 30 bridge gauge, which is very high. Although it appeared innocuous at the put-in and takeout, the steepest drops were waiting just a short distance downstream. At this level they were constant Class IV-V  for several miles with few eddies or pools. The river had been up higher the night  before because of the debris on the banks. This probably put a  number of potential strainers in motion.

2. (Walbridge) It is appears from the write up that Ben Stone did not understand the seriousness of the river right before he swam. He was still in play mode even though the river was clearly changing character.

3. (Walbridge) Ben was unresponsive during most of his swim. The rafters reported that he made no effort to swim to them or assist in the rescue. He probably inhaled water or even hit his head while swimming through the strainer. The coroner found a cut near his left temple, but it’s not clear when he received it.

4. (Walbridge) In high water, maintaining group cohesion is not easy. It’s not surprising that everyone put pursuing Stone first, and in doing so lost track of their friends. The others kept together in smaller groups, and were reunited at the take-out. While not ideal, it’s the best that could be expected under these conditions.

5. (Walbridge) Ben Stone was not the only person to get more than he bargained for on the Upper Stoney that day! Many loose boats were floated downriver, and dozens of people walked out. One rec.boats.paddle post described how a strong party from Pittsburgh, including a boater who regularly runs Big Splat, a Class V on the Big Sandy, got trashed and ended up on foot. Local rescue squads were mobilized, helicopters were called in, and several paddlers ended up in emergency rooms with various injuries. Area officials now have real concerns about working with local boaters to promote paddling on these rivers.

6. (Walbridge) Festivals are big fun, but don’t let the excitement they generate influence your judgement. Just because lots of people are attempting a run doesn’t mean it’s right for you! Remember that high water is best enjoyed by those who know a river well enough to anticipate the danger spots. If you are unfamiliar with a run, wait until you’ve had a few trips at moderate flows or go with someone who has. High water rivers are terrible places to swim, and rescues are truly challenging. If your roll is not reliable, wait for the water to drop to more manageable levels.