Accident Database

Report ID#68664

2024-05-28
accident date
Unidentified Man
victim
n/a
victim age
Ottawa River
river
n/a
section
Deschenes Rapid
location
n/a
gage
Medium
water level
III
river difficulty
Equipment Trap
cause code(s)
Does not Apply
injury type(s)
Failed Rescue
factors
Private
trip type
Other
boat type
status?
status

Description

Ian Thompson reports that firefighters just retrieved a drowning victim from Deschenes rapids on the Ottawa River in Canada on May 28th. Deschenes Rapid is famous for the Ruins Wave in Spring. It’s about a kilometer wide, Class III, and first responders get lot of calls from there. The victim was trying to retrieve a boat that had been stuck in the rapids for days. Got tangled in his own rope and swept into current. The victim was wearing PFD. Ottawa Fire’s Water Rescue Team responded. They waded out and executed a tethered rescue. They cut the rope to release the body and pendulumed into shore with victim. CPR and defib protocol ensued. EMS transported to hospital. More details. This was a boat that capsized last Friday.Everyone floated through the rapid and survived. Victim had tied himself to a tree on short and tied the other end around his waist then tried to wade out to boat. Water was waist deep so lost footing in current and clearly the pfd became superfluous.