Accident Database

Report ID#69380

1998-09-27
accident date
Unidentified Man
victim
0
victim age
Gauley River
river
9 (Lower). Bucklick Branch to Swiss
section
Pure Screaming Hell
location
2800 cfs
gage
Medium
water level
IV
river difficulty
Swim into Rock or Sieve
cause code(s)
Near Drowning
injury type(s)
Other
factors
Commercial
trip type
Raft
boat type
status?
status

Description

On September 27th two men flipped near the top of Pure Screaming Hell rapid on the Lower Gauley. One of the men swam right, and was washed into a very well-known and dangerous sieve just above the final hole. The swimmer grabbed hold of a tree limb wedged at the lip of the sieve, underneath a rock. He screamed that his leg was caught! Several people tried to lower lines to him, and one person actually managed to grab his wrist. Eventually he used these to work his foot free, then flushed under some giant boulders and emerged screaming for help. Afterwards he said he had no idea what rapid he was in or that the sieve was waiting downstream.