Accident Database

Report ID#69205

1992-05-08
accident date
Unidentified Man
victim
0
victim age
Youghiogheny River
river
6. Lower
section
Dimple Rapids
location
n/a
gage
Medium
water level
IV
river difficulty
Equipment Trap
cause code(s)
Does not Apply
injury type(s)
One Boat Trip
factors
Commercial
trip type
Raft
boat type
status?
status

Description

On May 8th a man rented a raft for a run on the Lower Youghiogheny near Ohiopyle, Pa. He tied a line from the bow to the stern so that he could hold himself in. This was a bad idea, and it worked entirely too well. The raft flipped at the top of Dimple Rapid, and he was held underneath the rapid and dragged for some distance. His life jacket was pulled off during the accident by the force of the water, and he was so badly entangled that he had to be cut loose by rescuers some distance downstream.