Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=buAWZ8tb3koideo
The incident occurred on 7/1/23. The flow was about 680 cfs. I believe this rapid is called County Line. It is just after the black electrical line that crosses over the river. The right channel is easier and the raft rental company had a big sign with a red arrow telling people to go right. I don't know how the victim ended up where she did, but I am guessing she went left and fell out of the raft.
The man that was holding her head up did not know the victim. He is an absolute hero and said that he had been holding her head above water for 5 to 10 minutes. I don't know how long he could keep going, but I am guessing only a few more minutes.
The people on the beach said that she had been stuck up there for 15 to 30 minutes. I have a hard time believing that, but that is what they said. I think she might have been holding on to the tips of the tree branch to keep her head above water. When I got to her she was so exhausted that she could barely move.
There were two people up on the bluff that were pointing to the victim as we approached the rapid. They were instrumental in making me aware that there was a problem. It is possible that I would not have seen the victim in time to act if not for those people. The victim was passed off to emergency services shortly after we got her unpinned.
Lessons learned: There are a lot of inexperienced rafters on summer weekends on Cache Creek. This is considered an easy run by whitewater kayaking standards but is not a run I would recommend to people who have never whitewater kayaked before. I don't think any of the renters were wearing helmets. The victim did not have a lifejacket on when I got to her. It is possible it was ripped off during her entrapment, but a properly fitted life jacket would have helped out a ton in keeping her head above water. The rental companies verbally tell people to take the right channel on this rapid. They put a big sign telling people to go right. I don't know why this person was in the left channel.
The number one rule if you fall out of your kayak or raft in a rapid is to NEVER put your feet down. It is a knee jerk reaction for people to try to stand up. This will get your feet caught and you will die. You lie flat on the surface and take your beating. You might get bruised, but you will live. I don't know if drugs or alcohol were involved in anyway in this incident, but we saw several people drinking and empty beer cans floating down the river during the day. This is not the place for a booze cruise. We saw almost every rental flip on Mother rapid (the biggest one at the end of the run). Take this seriously. Wear a helmet. Make sure your life jacket is on tight don't put your feet down while you are swimming in the rapid. Be safe, have fun.
