Accident Database: Accident #175
| River: | Carbon |
| Section: | 1 - Fairfax to 177th St. East |
| Water Level: | Medium |
| Difficulty: | II |
| Accident Code(s): | Long Swim (L.S.) |
| Injury Code(s): | Fatal, Fatal, Fatal, Fatal, Fatal, Fatal, Fatal, Fatal, Fatal, Fatal, Fatal, Fatal |
| Experienced/Inexperienced: | Inexperienced |
| Private/Commercial: | Private |
| Boat Type: | Raft |
| Number of Victims: | 2 |
| Detailed Description: | The Carbon River traverses a wide valley before tumbling into Class V Fairfax Gorge. The stretch contains many logjams and is not run by local paddlers. On April 29, 1987 two teenaged girls launched a cheap raft and set out to run the stretch with a single paddle. After capsizing in a log jam they clung to a rock for hours. At dusk they slipped off the rock into the river. The older girl survived; the younger one did not. The body was spotted and recovered the next day. Source: Takoma Morning News Tribune Analysis: Inexperience and inadequate equiment are a potentially deadly combination. The surviving girl is lucky to be alive. |
| Report Status: | Completed |