Accident Database: Accident #517
| River: | Klamath |
| Section: | Below Happy Camp |
| Location: | Jump off rock |
| Water Level: | High |
| Difficulty: | II |
| Accident Code(s): | Long Swim (L.S.) |
| Injury Code(s): | Fatal, Fatal, Fatal, Fatal, Fatal, Fatal, Fatal, Fatal, Fatal, Fatal, Fatal, Fatal, Fatal |
| Age: | 25 |
| Experienced/Inexperienced: | Inexperienced |
| Private/Commercial: | Commercial |
| Boat Type: | From Shore |
| Number of Occupants: | 1 |
| Number of Victims: | 1 |
| Initial Report: | California, which has experienced both a heavy snowpack and a cool spring, is in for a prolonged period of extremely high water. Already eleven rafting fatalities have been reported; two involved a mother and child on an air mattress, but the rest are for real! Three occurred within a few days of each other on the South Fork of the American near Lotus, California. A popular Class III+ summer run at 1200-1600 cfs, at 6,000-8,000 cfs the river becomes very continuous and turbulent. At this point it should be considered heavy class IV-IV+. Most of this information was reported by AW Director and Friends of the River conservationist Richard Penny.
On June 18 a guest on a commercial raft trip drowned after leaping off "Jump Off Rock" on the Klamath River near Happy Camp. He was swept downstream, and guides lost sight of him. The body has not been recovered. On the same day there was a drowning on the Stanislaus, but I have no further information. |
| Report Status: | Completed |