After Action Report Nantahala River Entrapment 4/23/1023
Prepared by Will Norris, NOC (Responder to incident)
Location: Pattons Run Rapid Nantahala River, North Carolina
Time of day: 12:10pm
Water Level: approx 1000cfs
Environment: Overcast, 60degrees F
As a driver for the Nantahala Outdoor Center, I had completed dropping off 5 passengers at the Beecher Town commercial launch site (12:10pm) and was on my return trip to the NOC. Moments after turning onto Hwy 19/74 east, and rounding the bend approaching Pattons Run rapid, I observed from the drivers seat an upside down raft (blue in color) directly below the main drop, river left.
I immediately pulled into the overlook parking lot to check for the whereabouts of occupants of the flipped raft and initially saw no one in the water proximal to the raft, which was continuing to travel downstream in the current. At the upstream end of the parking lot, I quickly hopped the railing, scrambled down the embankment to the rivers edge and immediately sighted a small person (Evan) wearing a blue paddling jacket and orange PFD, lodged in the narrow far left chute of water of the main Pattons Run drop. Evans head was just above the water (and remained so during the event).
Simultaneous to this, in the eddy to the bottom left of this chute, was a kayaker (Chris, Evans father) scrambling out of his boat.
Chris and I arrived on the large rock directly beside the entrapment at the same moment. Evan was able to communicate that his legs were stuck beneath the water. By laying on my stomach on the sloping rock (wearing no river gear) I was immediately able to reach Evan’s arm and a PFD strap. While I held Evan stable, I verbally coached Chris (wearing full river gear) that there is an underwater ledge there he could step on to and more easily reach under the water and free Evans legs. Both legs appeared to be lodged and Chris was able to free the left, then the right leg within approximately 10 seconds. Once free, I was easily able to lift Evan out of the water and onto our rock. Total elapsed time from my arrival in the parking lot to Evan being out of the water was approximately 1 minute 30 seconds.
While on the rock I proceeded with an initial patient assessment. Although soaked, shivering and missing his right shoe, Evan was A&O x 3, had no coughing or obvious breathing distress. Evan stated he didn’t think he inhaled or swallowed any water also stated he felt no pain and did not feel pain when I checked his legs, ankles and feet. Evan was then able to stand up on his own, walk downstream along the pathway and up the stairs to the parking lot without assistance. We removed some of his soaked clothing and placed him in the NOC van with the heater running. We then transported 1/4 mile upstream to their personal vehicle at the public launch site.
I expressed to the father Chris, that Evan absolutely needed a follow up medical exam and we can call EMS or, he should take Evan directly to the Bryson City ER.
Closing notes:
•I don’t know how long Evan was entrapped in the chute prior to my my arrival to him. Based on the location and time I first spotted the upside down raft, I would say a minute or less. Depending on where the raft actually flipped, Evan may have been in the floating in the water additional time prior to the entrapment.
•There were multiple kayakers and rafters in the eddy 50 yards below the incident, all had something to say. In the 10 minutes after Evan was out of the water, it was very confusing as to which were part of Chris’s group, which had been in the raft that flipped and where the flip had actually occurred. (Above Pattons but below the public launch is all I can say for sure)
•Evan is 15 years old, however quite small (estimated 80lbs). He was dressed in a full neoprene wetsuit, long sleeve fleece sweatshirt, nylon paddling jacket and whitewater PFD. He had been wearing a black paddling helmet as well, but that had come off sometime prior to my arriving on scene and just happened to be floating in the eddy adjacent to the incident.
•The Nantahala river was running slightly higher than normal and murky due to the scheduled Duke Energy water release on the upper Nantahala river this weekend.
•The blue raft was actually rented from Brookside Rafting and owner Bob Wojdylo arrived at the public put-in just as I arrived with Evan and Chris. Bob then took over tending to their needs, and I returned to the NOC.
•Photos of incident site are in next email
