Accident Database

Report ID#64981

1987-04-17
accident date
Uknown Man
victim
0
victim age
Kansas River
river
n/a
section
Bowerstock Dam near Lawrence, KS
location
n/a
gage
Medium
water level
N/A
river difficulty
Caught in Low Head Dam Hydraulic
cause code(s)
Does not Apply
injury type(s)
One Boat Trip
factors
Private
trip type
Other
boat type
status?
status

Description

On April 17th two men were fishing from a john boat on the Kansas River near Lawrence, KS. Neither man was wearing a life vest. Drinking , dozing, and drifting, they woke up at the lip of the Bowerstock Dam! They tried to make it to shore, but failed. So they turned downstream and braced for the 5′ drop. One man was washed free and survived. The other was trapped. The boat was found six miles downstream; the body was not recovered until a week later. Source: Topeka Capitol Journal Analysis: Another accident demonstrating the danger of low-head dams and the risks of being less than alert on moving water.