Accident Database: Accident #1000
| River: | Big Sandy Creek |
| Section: | 3. Rockville to Jenkinsburg Bridge (Cheat River) |
| Location: | eddy above two old bridge piers |
| Gauge: | 7' |
| Difficulty: | IV |
| Accident Code(s): | Suction Pin (Sqt. Boat) |
| Injury Code(s): | Near Drowning, Broken Leg, Near Drowning, Broken Leg, Near Drowning, Broken Leg, Near Drowning, Broken Leg, Near Drowning, Broken Leg, Near Drowning, Broken Leg, Near Drowning, Broken Leg, Near Drowning, Broken Leg, Near Drowning, Broken Leg, Near Drowning, Broken Leg, Near Drowning, Broken Leg, Near Drowning, Broken Leg |
| Experienced/Inexperienced: | Experienced |
| Private/Commercial: | Private |
| Boat Type: | Kayak - Other |
| Boat Model: | Squirt Boat prototype |
| Number of Occupants: | 1 |
| Number of Victims: | 1 |
| Hazard Codes: | Pin/Broach |
| Summary: |
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| Detailed Description: | When I arrived in Albright several springs ago I first heard the story of Jeff Snyder’s unusual entrapment on the Lower Big Sandy. Jeff, paddling with a group of hard-care river people, who live in the area, was using an extremely low-volume kayak designed by himself and his brother. This was really a prototype “Squirt Boat,” and is very tricky to use. The group had run the river without incident until they reached an eddy just above two old bridge piers near the end of the run. Jeff came out of the eddy on a stern squirt, but his bow caught momentarily on a large rock just downstream. The current then pushed his ENITRE BOAT underwater stern first, so that the “bridged” between the riverbed and the rock at about a 45 degree angle. The force of the current folded the boat, breaking one of Snyder’s legs and badly bruising the other. His friends reacted swiftly, but were unable to offer any real assistance. Finally, the kayak cracked, and Jeff floated free. His friends got him to shore and straightened the boat so that he could paddle the short distance to the take-out. He was loaded into the back of a truck still in his boat (the group felt that it would serve as a splint) and rusted to
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| Conclusions: | ANALYSIS: This group has pioneered the use of small “squirt boats” for river running. Low volume boats are extremely demanding, and some of the newer ones are as yet untested in really difficult water. Even paddlers with unusual skills should be wary when in a strong current for unpredictable effects, particularly when learning to use the boat. The use of unusually small boats, particularly by large people, may carry an unacceptable safety hazard. Caution is advised. Jeff Snyder now feels that this boat design was too extreme, and has switched to higher volume squirt boats |
| Report Status: | Completed |