Heads up, everyone! Paddler Ryan Flick was hit by a train! He was running Tinker’s Creek and portaging “the Tunnel” at Viaduct Park. His boat and gear took most of the force, but both his legs were broken! And he was lucky! Trains are frightening! They are hard to stop, and when running downhill are almost silent. Wind or river noise will drown out the sound. I spoke to an engineer after an Amtrack train killed two paddlers who were scouting a rapid from a trestle in Western Mass. He said the typical engineer kills 5+ people in his career. They can blow the whistle and hit the brakes, but if you don’t move, you’re probably dead. Boaters on the river that day, the level was equivalent to roughly 1300-1400, making the tunnel hydraulic very powerful with no sneak line available. Ryan has ran Tinkers many times and knows it well. Kayaker hit by train near Tinkers Creek in Bedford by Drew Scofield Jan 12, 2018 News 5, Cleveland BEDFORD, Ohio – A man kayaking through Tinkers Creek in Bedford was hit by a train after he got out of the water to go around a tunnel Friday morning. The incident happened around 11 a.m. in the area of Bedford Glens (Lally Field Park) and Willis Street. Authorities said the man had walked up a hill and was near the railroad tracks looking for a place to re-enter the water when he was hit by the train. The man was conscious and breathing when officers found him and was taken to Metro Hospital. His condition is unknown at this time. Tinkers Creek runs through Cuyahoga, Portage and Summit counties.