In the summer of 1987 an experienced boater was making a low-water run of the Lower Big Sandy. Everyone elected to run Wonder Falls , a fifteen foot drop. Most people landed nose first; this absorbs the impact as the kayak knifes into the water and is slowed gradually by the boat’s buoyancy. The victim landed hard and flat, maximizing the impact. He had severe back pain, but the group elected to have him walk out alone. Holding his back carefully, he made his was back to Rockville . Here he hitched a ride via pickup truck over miles of bumpy dirt road to University Hospital in Morgantown where he was found to have several compressed thoracic vertebrae. The doctors commented that one slip, one bump and the cord would have been cut, rendering him paraplegic.  He was in a body cast for months.

ANALYSIS:

1. A number of back injuries have been associated with falls running; most are trivial, some are serious. While correct control of your flight orientation can minimize the danger, it is always there. The victim hypothesized that the low water conditions reduced the aeration of the water and lessened its shock absorbing capabilities. This, with a hard, flat landing caused excessive shock, led to the injury.
2. Back injuries are extremely serious. Proper immobilization is mandatory to prevent spinal cord damage. Often transport must be done by paramedics using backboards; careless handling by would-be rescuers can cause permanent damage. It also seems very questionable judgment to permit someone in severe paid to walk out unaccompanied. At least one person should always remain with injured boaters whenever possible.