Accident Database: Accident #445
| River: | Boon Cr. |
| Location: | few hundred yards below put-in |
| Gauge: | flooded |
| Water Level: | High |
| Difficulty: | II |
| Accident Code(s): | Pin |
| Injury Code(s): | Fatal, Fatal, Fatal, Fatal, Fatal, Fatal, Fatal, Fatal, Fatal, Fatal, Fatal, Fatal, Fatal |
| Age: | 31 |
| Experienced/Inexperienced: | Experienced |
| Private/Commercial: | Private |
| Boat Type: | Kayak - Unknown |
| Number of Occupants: | 1 |
| Number of Victims: | 1 |
| Hazard Codes: | Water Temp |
| Initial Report: | On March 3, 1997 Dr. Raymond Neef, 31, an experienced kayaker, drowned after his kayak wrapped around a tree just 00 yards below the put-in on Boone Creek near Lexington, Kentucky. This river, Class III-IV at normal flows; comes up quickly and was flooded that Sunday morning. Internet postings and newspaper articles report that Neef and his companion launched their boats at 7:30 AM and almost immediately encountered trouble. Neef's pin looked manageable at first, so his companion attempted to reach him with a throw line. Suddenly the boat bent and wrapped, trapping Neef inside and pulling him under water. It was a very bad situation according to those who saw footage on the evening news. It took rescue squads 7 hours, using a telfer lower, to recover the body in a driving rain . |
| Detailed Description: |
KAYAK PINS, KILLING DOCTOR
DESCRIPTION: Dr. Raymond Neef, 31, an experienced kayaker, drowned on
SOURCE:
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| Conclusions: | ANALYSIS: High water increases the difficulty of most rivers, and flooding creates additional strainer hazards as the river leaves its banks. This demands added caution even from experienced paddlers. Dr. Neff was clearly not up to dealing with this challenge.
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| Report Status: | Completed |