Accident Database

Report ID#65596

2005-04-09
accident date
Arthur Suarez
victim
40
victim age
James
river
4. Upper James into Richmond
section
Williams Dam
location
8 ft
gage
High
water level
N/A
river difficulty
Caught in Low Head Dam Hydraulic
cause code(s)
Does not Apply
injury type(s)
Inexperience, One Boat Trip
factors
Private
trip type
Other
boat type
status?
status

Description

On April 9th three men paddled a canoe over Williams Dam on Virginia’s James River at high water. This low-head dam has claimed several lives over the past decade and warning signs were in place when the accident occurred. According to the Richmond Times Dispatch, Arthur Suarez, 40, became caught in a powerful hydraulic and recirculated until he drowned. Two other men in the canoe survived. http://tinyurl.com/7ts32