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Accident Database: Accident #1127
| River: | Elkhorn Creek |
| Location: | just below dam |
| Injury Code(s): | Near Drowning |
| Private/Commercial: | Private |
| Boat Type: | Open Canoe |
| Number of Occupants: | 2 |
| Number in Group: | 2 |
| Hazard Codes: | Low Head Dam |
| Detailed Description: | On March 30, 1996, David Jakalyn, a member of the Bluegrass Whitewater Association of Lexington, saw a tandem canoe launch, then capsize in an eddy just below a dam on Elkhorn Creek. The paddlers and their boat were pulled into the hydraulic and recirculated. Jakalyn waded chest-deep into the eddy, getting as close as he dared to the hydraulic, and rescued one of the two boaters with a throw rope. His partner, Cameron Ditty, waded into the icy water, grabbed hold of the canoe, and pulled it to shore. The second paddler had a death grip on the canoe, and she would not let go even after being rescued. The pair was taken to a local hospital where they were treated and released. |
| Report Status: | Completed |
