Accident Database

Report ID#69314

2001-11-24
accident date
Juliette Garcia
victim
33
victim age
Guadalupe
river
Canyon Dam to First Crossing
section
below Ingram Ranch
location
5100 cfs
gage
High
water level
II
river difficulty
Pinned in Boat against Rock or Sieve
cause code(s)
Does not Apply
injury type(s)
High Water, Inexperience
factors
Private
trip type
Other
boat type
status?
status

Description

In Texas you either get lots of water or almost none. The former condition prevailed on November 24th, when heavy rains brought the Guadalupe River near New Braunfels to over 5000 cfs. This made the entire river a pushy Class II-III run. David Price’s e-mail, forwarded by Patti Corothers, describes what happened: Juliette Garcia, 33, was padding an ocean kayak with her husband below Ingram Ranch. Ms. Garcia capsized upstream of a low bridge (only 18″ clearance), hit the bridge pier hard, and pinned well below the surface. A swiftwater rescue team found her body pinned beneath the kayak the next day. http://web.archive.org/web/20030913131530/http://www.timesguardian.com/news/11-28kayaker-drowns.html