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Report ID# 2901

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  • Solo Paddling
  • High Water

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Tennessee: High water levels lead to apparent kayaker drowning

By: Jacqueline Koch

Chattanooga Times Free Press

 

On Friday, a day after water levels swelled to more than 14 feet in the North Chickamauga Creek Gorge, Chris Brigman went kayaking on the creek. The Rock Creek Down Under store manager heads for the popular whitewater spot every time it rains between two and four inches, as do many other kayak enthusiasts, he said. By the time he got to the creek on Friday, it had dropped to about four feet, by his estimate, which is normal for kayaking.

“It’s a pretty big stream bed, got a large watershed, so when it rains a lot ... the water rises pretty quickly,” Mr. Brigman said.

One avid kayaker braved the above-normal water levels Thursday, which may have led to his death. Searchers found the body of 31-year-old kayaker Russell Burrow on Saturday morning near the Thrasher Pike Bridge. Friends said he’d gone kayaking on the creek after work Thursday. Mr. Burrow’s boat was found more than half a mile downstream from his body.

Rapidly rising water becomes dangerous because hazards such as trees and large rocks sink below sight and kayakers can get caught in debris that wouldn’t pose a danger if the water level was lower, Mr. Brigman said. If kayakers can see the hazards, they can maneuver around them. But once caught in them, water can push boats over, leaving people upside down or forcing them to come out of their kayaks, he said. “If you’re out of your boat in a situation like that, (the water) basically will push you wherever it wants you to go,” he said. “You just lose control.”

Officials are calling Mr. Burrow’s death an apparent drowning because no witnesses were present to describe the exact circumstances, said Officer Matt Majors with the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency. “There’s just so many different scenarios that could have happened,” Officer Majors said. “We don’t know what triggered it. We don’t know if it was a fall out of the boat or anything else.”

About a decade has passed since a person died while kayaking in the area, said Jim Poplin, chief of Hamilton County Special Tactics and Rescue Services. The last death occurred in Big Possum Creek on Bakewell Mountain when a kayaker became stuck between rocks, he said.

While no regulation prohibits solo kayaking in the gorge, paddlers are encouraged to travel with others, said Larry Cook, executive director of the North Chickamauga Creek Conservancy.“It’s definitely a sport (in which) it’s a good idea to be paddling with other people, because there are situations just out of your control where it’s good to have somebody who can help you out if you get into a dangerous situation,” he said. While rangers regularly patrol the area, none are stationed constantly at the gorge, he said.

 

 Lone Boater Dies on Chickamauga Creek

December 13, 2008

News Channel 9 - Chattanooga, TN

Amanda Shropshire

This afternoon crews wrapped up their search for a man who's been missing for two days. Russell Burrow went missing Thursday after he went kayaking by himself on Chickamauga Creek. "They found a car, friend were concerned their friend hadn't shown up for work then we started looking for a missing boater," says Matt Majors, officer with TWRA. A few hours after it began, that search came to an end. Crews found Burrow's kayak a half mile from where he put in. Farther down the creek near Thrasher Pike Bridge they found Burrow's body.

Coworkers at the scene, described Burrow an experienced Kayaker. But recent rain made Thursday's waters run high and rough. And police say Burrow took them on alone. Today Creek waters hit around 7 feet but on Thursday they doubled. Kayakers say on days like that, boating with a friend can make be the difference between life and death. "If I go out with a group of people they can do something called a set and safety where if something happens they can throw me a rope or position me on the raft...but if I am alone no one is there too do that," says Tim Laramore, who has been kayaking for 10 years.

Wildlife officers say this area attracts serious kayakers because of the challenge. This season they expect a lot of traffic. While they may never know exactly what happened to Russell Burrow, they hope his death will send a strong warning. "Theres a part of common sense that goes into water sports always take someone with you," says Majors. Now investigators did check Burrows boat to see if there may have been any malfunctions or alterations that could have contributed to the accident. But they didn't find anything.

 

From Boatertalk: The boater had no known shuttle. He was putting on for an "after work" paddle. His car was in the parking lot for the entire day after he put on. The water was extremely high and probably still rising. My thoughts are with his friends and family (who were at the takeout yesterday looking for him) and yours should be also.

 

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