Accident Database

Report ID#69034

2001-07-14
accident date
H.J. Pratt
victim
27
victim age
Potomac
river
Harpers Ferry - Dam #3 to Rt. 340 Bridge
section
near Route 340 Bridge
location
n/a
gage
n/a
water level
II
river difficulty
PFD Not Worn or Present
cause code(s)
Does not Apply
injury type(s)
Inexperience
factors
Private
trip type
Other
boat type
status?
status

Description

H.J. Pratt, 27, drowned on the Class-II Potomac River just below Harper’s Ferry, West Virginia. The Frederick (MD) News-Post reported that the man had been tubing and partying with group of friends. He’d been drinking, and worse, had removed his PFD and tied it to his inner tube. He fell out of his tube near the Route 340 Bridge and did not resurface. When his group reached the take-out they reported Pratt’s disappearance. A air/land search was started, called for darkness, and resumed at first light the next day. A local man found the body the next morning.