Kayakers rushed to shore during West
Virginia hail storm. It was a deadly choice
The
Charlotte Observer
MAY 22, 2019 10:19 AM
A kayaker died in a “terrible freak
thing” Sunday on West Virginia’s Cheat River, after he and two companions
rushed to shore during a severe storm and got hit by a tree. David Treadaway of
Maryland died under the weight of the tree, according to witness Doug
Pollard, who was also injured.
The West Virginia Department of
Natural Resources confirmed the circumstances in a press release, noting the
incident happened Sunday in Preston County and involved three men traveling
from Parsons to Macumber on the Cheat River.
Pollard wrote on Facebook that he
and two companions were in the second day of their boating trip when the storm
hit. Their 911 call came at 3:15 p.m.
Sunday, according to WDTV.
“A terrible freak thing happen to my friends
and I over the weekend,” Pollard posted Tuesday on
Facebook. “...A storm rolled in on us so we headed for shore. It became very
severe, high winds & hail, we took cover along the bank under some trees.
... A big gust of wind blew in & snapped a tree in half, bring(ing) it down
on Dave and I.”
Treadaway “was killed instantly,”
Pollard wrote on Facebook.
State officials said Treadaway’s
injuries were “severe.” Pollard was hospitalized with a broken arm, broken
clavicle and back injuries, according to his Facebook post.
The third kayaker had some injuries,
but they were not detailed in the press release. Pollard said the third member
of their party was not under the tree when it fell, because he “ran out to keep
the kayaks from blowing away.”
“Dave was such a great guy. My life
won’t be the same without him,” posted Pollard, who lives in Mount Storm, West
Virginia. Treadaway was 58-year-old husband and father
who lived in Dundalk, Maryland, according to his obituary. He was
“an avid outdoorsman” who retired after 30 years with the postal service, the
obituary reports.
Maryland
man killed by falling tree while kayaking in Preston County
By Dominion Post,
Morgantown, WVMay 21, 2019 at 3:45PM
KINGWOOD, W.Va. — The name of a kayaker
killed Sunday at the Cheat River by a falling tree has been released by the
State Division of Natural Resources.Andy Malinoski,
Press Secretary – Media Relations, for the Office of Marketing &
Communications, identified the victim Tuesday as David Treadaway, of Dundalk,
Md.
Preston Sheriff
Dan Loughrie shared information from Preston 911, which received the emergency
call. The call reported the incident occurred near Seven Islands, south of the
Macomber area.
The initial
report to 911 was that there was one fatality, one head injury and one with
unknown injuries, “however not as severe as the other two.”
“There were some
storms that went through the county near that time frame, however unsure if
that was the cause of the fall,” according to 911.
Preston County
Fire/EMS, the Preston County Swift Water Rescue Team, Tucker County Boat Team
and HealthNet aeromedical responded.
According to
Malinoski, the three men were on a float trip in kayaks from Parsons to
Macomber, during a storm. “After seeking
shelter from the storm, a tree fell on two of the kayakers, resulting in severe
injuries which resulted in the death of one of the boaters,” Malinoski said in
an email. “The other sustained a broken arm, broken clavicle, and sustained a
back injury from being hit by the tree.”
He did not say
why the tree fell or if the men were in or out of the water, when they were
hit. Division of Natural Resources Police are investigating the incident.
Story by Kathy
Plum, Dominion Post
KINGWOOD, W. Va. (WDTV) -- One person is dead, 2 others were injured after a tree fell on them while they were kayaking on the Cheat River. The accident occurred on the Seven Islands section, a flatwater stretch above Rowlesburg, WV.
According to Preston County 9-1-1, it happened Sunday around 3:15 p.m. According to 9-1-1 officials, the group was kayaking when severe weather rolled in and knocked down the tree, killing one person. Another person was flown from the scene. A third victim walked away with only minor injuries.
No names have been released. The West Virginia Natural Resources Police is investigating.
