Kayaker, 62, dies on Moose River
Tri-Lakes group tries to save him
October 17, 2011 By PETER CROWLEY - Managing Editor,Adirondack Daily Enterprise
A big paddling weekend on the Moose River was darkened when a New Jersey man died. William De Angelis 62, of Mount Laurel, N.J., was kayaking early Sunday afternoon when he went over a ledge and the water's force trapped him in a hole, according to the Lewis County Sheriff's Office.
An annual release of water from a dam in Old Forge draws groups of kayakers to the Moose River, which is seen as one of New York's top whitewater spots. It's known as MooseFest, although it isn't an organized event.
A group of Tri-Lakes paddlers witnessed the death. Jason Smith of Saranac Lake, an experienced paddler who helps manage Adirondack Lakes and Trails Outfitters in Saranac Lake, said his group was paddling just ahead of De Angelis' group of four. Smith said he had never met De Angelis before.
De Angelis died on the beginning of what's called the Lower Moose River, below the Iron Bridge Rapid. The sheriff's department said the location was Tannery Rapids in the Lewis County town of Lyonsdale.
Smith said the incident began when one of the four people in De Angelis' group swam out of his boat, and two members of Smith's group went to help him. That paddler's boat kept flowing down the river, and De Angelis paddled after it, over the ledge into the hole, known as a hydraulic. He exited his kayak and became stuck.
The witnesses saw him going up and down below the surface of the water, trying in vain to get out. "We tried to assist him with ropes," Smith said. "We were unable to get him to grab a rope. ... We could tell he was losing consciousness."
So Smith tied himself in with a rope, went into the hole and grabbed De Angelis and was pulled out by others. De Angelis was placed on a rock in the middle of the river, where other members of the Tri-Lakes group administered CPR. They tried in vain to revive him for 10 to 15 minutes until emergency personnel arrived in response to the paddlers' 911 call, Smith said
Emergency personnel from Port Leyden, Turin and Glenfield responded, as well as state Department of Environmental Conservation police and the sheriff's office. They pulled De Angelis from the rock with throw ropes, floated him to shore and took him to Lewis County General Hospital in Lowville, where he was pronounced dead. The exact cause of death has not been determined, according to the sheriff's office.
Smith said the paddling conditions were good and that the previous day on the river had been excellent.
Kayaker, 62, dies on Moose River
Tri-Lakes group tries to save him
October 17, 2011
By PETER CROWLEY - Managing Editor, Adirondack Daily Enterprise
A big paddling weekend on the Moose River was darkened when a New Jersey man died. William De Angelis 62, of Mount Laurel, N.J., was kayaking early Sunday afternoon when he went over a ledge and the water's force trapped him in a hole, according to the Lewis County Sheriff's Office.
An annual release of water from a dam in Old Forge draws groups of kayakers to the Moose River, which is seen as one of New York's top whitewater spots. It's known as MooseFest, although it isn't an organized event.
A group of Tri-Lakes paddlers witnessed the death. Jason Smith of Saranac Lake, an experienced paddler who helps manage Adirondack Lakes and Trails Outfitters in Saranac Lake, said his group was paddling just ahead of De Angelis' group of four. Smith said he had never met De Angelis before.
De Angelis died on the beginning of what's called the Lower Moose River, below the Iron Bridge Rapid. The sheriff's department said the location was Tannery Rapids in the Lewis County town of Lyonsdale.
Smith said the incident began when one of the four people in De Angelis' group swam out of his boat, and two members of Smith's group went to help him. That paddler's boat kept flowing down the river, and De Angelis paddled after it, over the ledge into the hole, known as a hydraulic. He exited his kayak and became stuck.
The witnesses saw him going up and down below the surface of the water, trying in vain to get out. "We tried to assist him with ropes," Smith said. "We were unable to get him to grab a rope. ... We could tell he was losing consciousness." So Smith tied himself in with a rope, went into the hole and grabbed De Angelis and was pulled out by others. De Angelis was placed on a rock in the middle of the river, where other members of the Tri-Lakes group administered CPR. They tried in vain to revive him for 10 to 15 minutes until emergency personnel arrived in response to the paddlers' 911 call, Smith said
Emergency personnel from Port Leyden, Turin and Glenfield responded, as well as state Department of Environmental Conservation police and the sheriff's office. They pulled De Angelis from the rock with throw ropes, floated him to shore and took him to Lewis County General Hospital in Lowville, where he was pronounced dead. The exact cause of death has not been determined, according to the sheriff's office.
(Update: the cause of death has been ruled to be a broken neck.)
Smith said the paddling conditions were good and that the previous day on the river had been excellent.
http://adirondackdailyenterprise.com/page/content.detail/id/527163/Kayaker--62--dies-on-Moose-River.html?nav=5008
From the article above: One of De Angelis' paddling companions swam at Iron Bridge, the rapid above Tannery. As De Angelis, 62, gave chase after his boat, he apparently went over a ledge into a hole and became stuck. Even after he exited his boat, witnesses saw his head appear and disappear, as he was losing consciousness.
Throwing ropes to him hadn't helped, so Jason Smith of Saranac Lake attempted a tethered rescue. He was able to get De Angelis out of the hole and to a rock, where the paddlers attempted CPR. When rescue personnel arrived, they brought De Angelis to shore and got him to a hospital. He was pronounced dead. I was not a witness, but it seems that the paddlers did everything possible in a concerted effort to save Mr. De Angelis.
Drowning Sunday at Iron Bridge on the Lower Moose. William DeAngelis Swam at bottom right hole and was washed down the right channel. Hs recirculated for a long time at Blue Face Falls above Tannery. Bill was a sweet, gentle soul from New Jersey who often visits the Black with Tommy-O and who paddled with our group on Saturday.
Chris Koll
From Boatertalk: He was trying to rescue one of his buddies, when he got caught in a hole. The Lower Moose was running around 5.65--a moderate-to-high level for the Lower Moose. Tannery Rapid, where he got caught, is a significant rapid with some big ledges and holes.
New Jersey man killed in kayaking accident in Lyonsdale
MONDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2011
LYONS FALLS — A New Jersey man died of injuries suffered in a kayaking accident at 1:50 p.m. Sunday on the Tannery rapids on Moose River in the town of Lyonsdale. Lewis County sheriff’s deputies said William J. De Angelis, 62, Mount Laurel, N.J., was kayaking along the “Iron Bridge” section of the river when his craft went over a ledge and into a hydraulic jump, ejecting him into the water.
Other kayakers assisted him immediately and performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation on a rock in the middle of the river until emergency responders could bring him to shore, deputies said. Mr. De Angelis was taken to Lewis County General Hospital, Lowville, where he was pronounced dead. A cause of death has yet to be determined.
The Observer-Dispatch, Utica, New York
The Lewis County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the death of a New Jersey man who was pulled from the Moose River in the town of Lyonsdale. Deputies say William J. DeAngelis, 62, of Mount Laurel, was kayaking Sunday near a rapid named Iron Bridge, when the kayak overturned in a hydraulic.
DeAngelis exited the kayak and was assisted immediately by other nearby kayakers. He was found unresponsive and CPR was performed on him, police said.Emergency personnel pulled him ashore and drove him to Lewis County General Hospital, in Lowville, where he was pronounced dead.
Iron Bridge is a hydraulic hole and is part of a Class 4 rapid, which are generally classified as having large waves and should be maneuvered by experienced kayakers.
Responding to the scene were Port Leyden and Turin ambulances, Glenfield Fire Department's cold water rescue team, state Department of Environmental Conservation police and the Lewis County Sheriff's Office recreation patrol.
Copyright 2011 The Observer-Dispatch, Utica, New York. Some rights reserved
Update: the coroner determined the cause of death not to be drowning, but a broken neck.
Source: Watertown Daily Times article.
The Lewis County Sheriff's Dept. this afternoon confirms that the cause of death was a cervical fracture (broken neck). This was not a drowning!
