Take Me to the River : BWA Forums
Meet in Here to Meet out There
Cheat Fest and North WVa Whitewater
Posted by: brentaustin (IP Logged)
Date: May 05, 2008 04:25PM
Well, the Cheat Festival had a great turnout and plenty of water. I left on Saturday for TN after three great water days and one major injury from my paddling partner, Don Kinser. We caught the Tygart Middle Fork on Wednesday with high water (4.6 on the gauge) making for some really awesome continuous class IV + action down to the Tygart Gorge which was running high at 7 feet on the gauge. Big fun in a very beautiful and remote area.
On Thursday we paddled the Lower Big Sandy at 6.1 on the gauge which is a great upper medium flow. With Kinser and I were AW's Charlie Walbridge and BWA'er Scott Bradford. This is a great level, and we were having a great time until Don's mishap at First Island rapid where he flipped at the bottom and shattered his jaw. We got him out and to an ER and he had Oral Surgery the next morning and now has a wired shut jaw. He will be fine after 6 weeks.
On Friday, Scott Bradford and I ran the Cheat during the afternoon race at about 3.5 feet which is a good level. This was Scott's second run of the day after doing a LBS run earlier. This is a very fun level, but, watch out for the holes ( I ended up in one for awhile). This was a great weekend with a good BWA showing including Matt Walker and Jay Ditty who also raced the Cheat Friday afternoon.
What a great trip with awesome boaters! It was really good to have so many Kentucky boaters there. Now, the question is, what to paddle this coming weekend? I would like some rain in the Smokies please! Big Creek? Please!
Brent
On Thursday we paddled the Lower Big Sandy at 6.1 on the gauge which is a great upper medium flow. With Kinser and I were AW's Charlie Walbridge and BWA'er Scott Bradford. This is a great level, and we were having a great time until Don's mishap at First Island rapid where he flipped at the bottom and shattered his jaw. We got him out and to an ER and he had Oral Surgery the next morning and now has a wired shut jaw. He will be fine after 6 weeks.
On Friday, Scott Bradford and I ran the Cheat during the afternoon race at about 3.5 feet which is a good level. This was Scott's second run of the day after doing a LBS run earlier. This is a very fun level, but, watch out for the holes ( I ended up in one for awhile). This was a great weekend with a good BWA showing including Matt Walker and Jay Ditty who also raced the Cheat Friday afternoon.
What a great trip with awesome boaters! It was really good to have so many Kentucky boaters there. Now, the question is, what to paddle this coming weekend? I would like some rain in the Smokies please! Big Creek? Please!
Brent
Re: Cheat Fest and North WVa Whitewater
Posted by: Powhoundus (IP Logged)
Date: May 05, 2008 07:02PM
Well I was very sorry I couldn't make it this time... couldn't have done any steep stuff, cause I had Brit but wanted to do the upper cheat and lower yough with her... until I got Strept throat... still recovering from that.
Not sure if the mtn creeks will run this weekend ... can't make those either but... I've got one word for the 17th-18th.... CHEOAH!
Not sure if the mtn creeks will run this weekend ... can't make those either but... I've got one word for the 17th-18th.... CHEOAH!
Re: Cheat Fest and North WVa Whitewater
Posted by: brentaustin (IP Logged)
Date: May 05, 2008 07:09PM
Wes:
I have to be in TN that weekend and may well be up for a Sat. Cheoah run. Call me later about that. I cannot do two days tho and Sunday is the least likely day.
Brent
I have to be in TN that weekend and may well be up for a Sat. Cheoah run. Call me later about that. I cannot do two days tho and Sunday is the least likely day.
Brent
Re: Kinser's account on Lower Big Sandy
Posted by: brentaustin (IP Logged)
Date: May 09, 2008 05:43PM
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Subject: Jawbone update
Date: Thu, 8 May 2008 15:33:21 -0400
From: Dkinser@ediltd.com
Hello Friends & Family,
As some of you already know I had a freak accident on lower Big Sandy Creek (http://www.americanwhitewater.org/content/River_detail_id_2331_) last Thursday afternoon, May 1. Brent Austin, Brent's friend Scott, Charlie Walbridge and I were enjoying a magnificent day on the river, the level was a sweet 6.15 feet, the river was running green and clear, the weather was warm and sunny, a perfect spring day on a great river in northern West Virginia.
We were all boating well and enjoying the day until we got down to First Island rapid. Unfortunately that is where the fun stopped at about 4:15 PM. After navigating the first and second part of the drop cleanly I went over the bottom drop on line and was pushed left toward the rock on the bottom left. The rock was pillowed at this level and I thought I would ride off the pillow and around the rock. Instead I was quickly and violently flipped over the top of the rock and struck my chin hard, just left of the centerline of my jaw, on the down river side of the rock. Instantly I knew something was very, very wrong.
Fortunately I remained conscious throughout the entire episode although quite dazed. After missing an attempted roll I exited and quickly got to the shore. My buddies gathered my gear and we began to assess the situation. I was sure at the time that I had knocked out some teeth or at least cracked them up pretty good. As it turns out this was not the case. The teeth were still solidly in the jawbone, but the bone was displaced. The blow had cleaved my jaw cleanly in two and pushed the left side of my jaw back into my mouth, tearing the tissue on the inside of my mouth. To say the situation was bloody is an understatement. Interestingly however there was no external laceration. Attached is a picture of the break (you can see the displacement in the images on the second page). In addition to the clear break in the front of my jaw was a less serious, non displaced fracture on the left rear of my jaw.
Charlie has some rolls of gauze in his first aid kit that I stuffed in my mouth to stem the bleeding. As we debated our options it became quite clear to me that the quickest way to the hospital was to get back in my boat and paddle the remaining 2 miles or so to the confluence with the Cheat and our vehicle. So we got was back in our boats and headed for the take out. I managed pretty well but did swim once before the takeout. I am sure in hindsight this was the best decision and probably saved several hours getting to the hospital.
Once got to the car we made our way to Charlie's house and then Charlie drove me to Ruby Hospital at WVU in Morgantown. Charlie, Brent and Scott were all you could ever ask for in a river buddy and did their best to help me both on the river and afterwards getting me to the hospital, breaking down my campsite at the Cheat Festival,shuttling my car around, picking Nanci up at the airport, etc. I want to thank each of them for all their help.
Charlie and I arrived at the WVU hospital about 7:30 or so and I was impressed with how quickly I was processed into the ER, given treatment and diagnosed. By about 9:30 I had been x-rayed, cat scanned and seen by several doctors. However at that point things almost took a bizarre turn. They wanted to give me a prescription for pain, discharge me and let me go home and see my own doctor, telling me that I had up to ten days to have the surgery. I was dumbfounded and couldn't imagine spending another 48 - 72 hours with the left side of my jaw shoved back into my mouth. Besides I was 700 miles from home and by myself. This fact seemed to change the equation and finally I was admitted to the hospital and put on the surgical "add on" list (i.e. standby list). They told me not to expect surgery before late Friday afternoon or even Saturday.
Now that I knew what the situation was it was time to call Nanci, my wife. That call went like you might expect. She wanted to know everything and I didn't want to talk any more than absolutely necessary because of the pain. We successfully communicated and she made plans to fly to Morgantown on Friday to help get me back to Atlanta.
I was greeted early Friday morning around 6:30 AM by Dr. Michael Hurst and learned to my surprise that they were ready to fix me up right then. I was whisked off to the OR where they installed a titanium plate and wired my jaw shut. Surgery went great and I was back in my room by about 10:30. I had to spend to the night in the hospital Friday night and was discharged early Saturday morning. Nanci drove me back to Atlanta arriving Saturday evening. Thank goodness for pain meds.
Interestingly enough Charlie and I had sat at Big Splat and debated the merits of helmets with face protection just 45 minutes prior to the accident. As we watched some hot shot young boaters run Big Splat (while we portaged), Charlie exclaimed that he would never paddle a river where he needed a face mask like they were wearing. I told Charlie I thought they were a good idea and was considering getting one. Had I had a face mask I probably wouldn't be writing this email right now and would be eating a really nice dinner tonight for my birthday instead of sucking something unappealing through a straw. I think I want a new helmet for my birthday!
I want to thank Brent, Charlie, Sandy (Charlie's wife) and Scott again for all their help. I want to especially thank Nanci for coming up there and getting me and putting up with my whitewater addiction. A broken jaw can make one somewhat grumpy and she is an angel.
I visited a doctor here in Atlanta yesterday for a post operative evaluation and follow up. He says things look great and I can expect my jaw to be unwired in about 4 weeks. While the discomfort remains, the pain is pretty much gone.
As I write this note, it is just a about one hour short of one week since the accident. I have already lost 9 lbs. It is harder than you think to get 2000 calories a day through a straw!
Cheers,
Don
Subject: Jawbone update
Date: Thu, 8 May 2008 15:33:21 -0400
From: Dkinser@ediltd.com
Hello Friends & Family,
As some of you already know I had a freak accident on lower Big Sandy Creek (http://www.americanwhitewater.org/content/River_detail_id_2331_) last Thursday afternoon, May 1. Brent Austin, Brent's friend Scott, Charlie Walbridge and I were enjoying a magnificent day on the river, the level was a sweet 6.15 feet, the river was running green and clear, the weather was warm and sunny, a perfect spring day on a great river in northern West Virginia.
We were all boating well and enjoying the day until we got down to First Island rapid. Unfortunately that is where the fun stopped at about 4:15 PM. After navigating the first and second part of the drop cleanly I went over the bottom drop on line and was pushed left toward the rock on the bottom left. The rock was pillowed at this level and I thought I would ride off the pillow and around the rock. Instead I was quickly and violently flipped over the top of the rock and struck my chin hard, just left of the centerline of my jaw, on the down river side of the rock. Instantly I knew something was very, very wrong.
Fortunately I remained conscious throughout the entire episode although quite dazed. After missing an attempted roll I exited and quickly got to the shore. My buddies gathered my gear and we began to assess the situation. I was sure at the time that I had knocked out some teeth or at least cracked them up pretty good. As it turns out this was not the case. The teeth were still solidly in the jawbone, but the bone was displaced. The blow had cleaved my jaw cleanly in two and pushed the left side of my jaw back into my mouth, tearing the tissue on the inside of my mouth. To say the situation was bloody is an understatement. Interestingly however there was no external laceration. Attached is a picture of the break (you can see the displacement in the images on the second page). In addition to the clear break in the front of my jaw was a less serious, non displaced fracture on the left rear of my jaw.
Charlie has some rolls of gauze in his first aid kit that I stuffed in my mouth to stem the bleeding. As we debated our options it became quite clear to me that the quickest way to the hospital was to get back in my boat and paddle the remaining 2 miles or so to the confluence with the Cheat and our vehicle. So we got was back in our boats and headed for the take out. I managed pretty well but did swim once before the takeout. I am sure in hindsight this was the best decision and probably saved several hours getting to the hospital.
Once got to the car we made our way to Charlie's house and then Charlie drove me to Ruby Hospital at WVU in Morgantown. Charlie, Brent and Scott were all you could ever ask for in a river buddy and did their best to help me both on the river and afterwards getting me to the hospital, breaking down my campsite at the Cheat Festival,shuttling my car around, picking Nanci up at the airport, etc. I want to thank each of them for all their help.
Charlie and I arrived at the WVU hospital about 7:30 or so and I was impressed with how quickly I was processed into the ER, given treatment and diagnosed. By about 9:30 I had been x-rayed, cat scanned and seen by several doctors. However at that point things almost took a bizarre turn. They wanted to give me a prescription for pain, discharge me and let me go home and see my own doctor, telling me that I had up to ten days to have the surgery. I was dumbfounded and couldn't imagine spending another 48 - 72 hours with the left side of my jaw shoved back into my mouth. Besides I was 700 miles from home and by myself. This fact seemed to change the equation and finally I was admitted to the hospital and put on the surgical "add on" list (i.e. standby list). They told me not to expect surgery before late Friday afternoon or even Saturday.
Now that I knew what the situation was it was time to call Nanci, my wife. That call went like you might expect. She wanted to know everything and I didn't want to talk any more than absolutely necessary because of the pain. We successfully communicated and she made plans to fly to Morgantown on Friday to help get me back to Atlanta.
I was greeted early Friday morning around 6:30 AM by Dr. Michael Hurst and learned to my surprise that they were ready to fix me up right then. I was whisked off to the OR where they installed a titanium plate and wired my jaw shut. Surgery went great and I was back in my room by about 10:30. I had to spend to the night in the hospital Friday night and was discharged early Saturday morning. Nanci drove me back to Atlanta arriving Saturday evening. Thank goodness for pain meds.
Interestingly enough Charlie and I had sat at Big Splat and debated the merits of helmets with face protection just 45 minutes prior to the accident. As we watched some hot shot young boaters run Big Splat (while we portaged), Charlie exclaimed that he would never paddle a river where he needed a face mask like they were wearing. I told Charlie I thought they were a good idea and was considering getting one. Had I had a face mask I probably wouldn't be writing this email right now and would be eating a really nice dinner tonight for my birthday instead of sucking something unappealing through a straw. I think I want a new helmet for my birthday!
I want to thank Brent, Charlie, Sandy (Charlie's wife) and Scott again for all their help. I want to especially thank Nanci for coming up there and getting me and putting up with my whitewater addiction. A broken jaw can make one somewhat grumpy and she is an angel.
I visited a doctor here in Atlanta yesterday for a post operative evaluation and follow up. He says things look great and I can expect my jaw to be unwired in about 4 weeks. While the discomfort remains, the pain is pretty much gone.
As I write this note, it is just a about one hour short of one week since the accident. I have already lost 9 lbs. It is harder than you think to get 2000 calories a day through a straw!
Cheers,
Don
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