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Accident Database: Accident #779
| River: | Shavers Fork |
| Section: | Bemis to Bowden |
| Gauge: | 12,000 cfs |
| Water Level: | High |
| Difficulty: | III |
| Accident Code(s): | Long Swim (L.S.) |
| Injury Code(s): | Fatal, Fatal, Fatal, Fatal, Fatal, Fatal, Fatal, Fatal, Fatal, Fatal, Fatal, Fatal |
| Age: | 30 |
| Experienced/Inexperienced: | Experienced |
| Private/Commercial: | Private |
| Boat Type: | Kayak - Unknown |
| Number of Occupants: | 1 |
| Number in Group: | 6 |
| Number of Victims: | 1 |
| Hazard Codes: | High Water |
| Summary: | On April 28 a strong group of local paddlers attempted the Bemis to Bowden section of Shaver's Fork of the Cheat River in West Virginia. They knew the river well, but on that day water levels rose rapidly from an early-morning reading of 500 cfs (low but runable) to a crest of over 12,000 cfs! This translated into a six foot rise at the Bowden gauge! According to a report in "Whitewater Splashes," the newsletter of the West Virginia Wildwater Association, the river was rising sharply when they put on. The "Class III" rapids they expected were huge! Thirty year-old Joe Steffl flipped, missed his roll, and washed downstream. A friend quickly reached him and tried pulling him towards shore, but was forced to back off above a big drop. Steffl was not responsive when they reached him at the base of the rapid. A member of his group bailed out of his own boat, and with support from his group, swam the man to shore. They performed CPR for over an hour without success. |
| Link: | http://boatertalk.com/forum/BoaterTalk/171976 |
| Report Status: | Completed |
