On October 23, 1996 a television crew filming recent flood damage along New Jersey 's Raritan River witnessed a second drowning at the same dam. James Thomey, 40, was paddling a tandem canoe with a woman friend. The river was running at 3 feet, which local paddlers tell us is the worst possible level. Neither Thomey nor his partner wore PFD's. Thomey had run the dam before, so he put the woman ashore and scouted. The woman saw the recently-installed warning signs that said running the dam was dangerous so she tried to talk her friend out of running it. He got back in his boat and paddled over the lip.

The actual height of the dam is only two or three feet high, but his canoe flipped instantly at the base and threw him into the river. He was pulled under water and recirculated several times, but was able to alternately hold onto his canoe and a large log in between dunkings. After the canoe was pushed out of the hydraulic, he clung to the log for a few minutes before disappearing underwater for a considerable period. His body then reappeared and recirculated slowly for several hours. Firemen were called to the scene and tried many different techniques to snag him without success. Finally Thomey disappeared entirely, and several days later his body was still missing.

SOURCE: Washington Post, Newark Star-Ledger, Asbury Park Press, Larry Stone, posting to rec.boats.paddle

ANALYSIS: (Walbridge)

1. The victim clearly did not understand the danger that dams pose to paddlers. It takes many years of experience to tell the difference between a dangerous hydraulic and a safe one. While a few dams can be safely run at low flows, most paddlers are best advised to stay away from them.

2. Part of the safety problem is that, at low flows, dams often turn into harmless water slides. They’re scrapy, but safe. They assume a dangerous configuration after the water rises and a hydraulic forms. This explains why someone may run a dam successfully one day only to encounter trouble on a later attempt.

3. After a similar drowning in April, the Garden State Canoe Club pressured the water company to post warning signs and to create a marked portage trail. This started a lengthy battle. They gained support from local police and fire companies, state representatives, and finally the New Jersey Marine Police before they succeeded. The signs were in place before the second drowning, and  probably saved the life of Toomey’s companion. Similar warning signs should be maintained by all dam-owning companies as a civic duty.