Accident Database

Report ID#66495

1981-08-16
accident date
Melanie Murphy
victim
25
victim age
Chattooga
river
Section 3 - Earls Ford to Route 76 Bridge
section
n/a
location
.6 feet
gage
Low
water level
IV
river difficulty
Foot Entrapment
cause code(s)
Does not Apply
injury type(s)
Poor Group / Scene Management, Poor Planning
factors
Private
trip type
Other
boat type
status?
status

Description

Drowning (swimming) 8/16/81 Bull Sluice Melanie Murphy, 25, Port Hammock, FL was body surfing on 8/15 with husband and friends. Water level was about 0.6 feet. Her leg got caught on rocks between hydraulic and decapitation rock; went under. Two Southeastern Expeditions guides freed her from the rocks after 3- 7 minutes by pulling upstream with ropes and revived her with CPR. Victim died in the hospital the next morning. Source: USFS