Accident Database

Report ID# 981

Help
  • Equipment Trap
  • Near Drowning
  • Cold Water

Accident Description

AW Journal Article Nov/Dec 1976: Trapped at Gate 13 by OK Goodwin
http://www.americanwhitewater.org/journal/jpg/index.phtml?thefile=1976_6_011.jpghttp://www.americanwhitewater.org/journal/jpg/index.phtml?thefile=1976_6_011.jpg

C-2 racer was unable tobail out after capsizing; foot caught on the thwart. Boat pinned on a rock near shore where he was rescued by a spectator (Davey Hearn).

 

AW Journal Article Nov/Dec 1976:

http://www.americanwhitewater.org/journal/jpg/index.phtml?thefile=1976_6_011.jpghttp://www.americanwhitewater.org/journal/jpg/index.phtml?thefile=1976_6_011.jpg

Trapped at Gate 23

By O. K. Goodwin

Savage River International Slalom, Sunday, September 5th, 1976

     George Lhota (bow) and Micki Piras (stern) in Boat No. 125 of the C-2M Class (first run) capsized at about Gate 16.  Micki bailed out and was helped in to shore by a heaving line at about Gate 21.  George stayed with the boat, tried unsuccessfully to roll and drifted downstream.  jThe stern of the boat (low-volume “Hartung” cut-down by Steve Draper) rode high, 1 to 2 feet out of water; George’s end was underwater.  The boat drifted almost broadside onto an exposed rock at about Gate 23.  The bow (inshore) tried to negotiate a narrow 8’ channel as most of the boat tried for the main channel.  The boat lodged on a point abo9ut 18” aft of the bow cockpit, rolled slightly with the deck against the rock – and folded.

    George did not come out and it appeared that hi legs were trapped in the boat.  He was able to raise his head momentarily above the fast flow of water to breathe.  But the boat settled and water was diverted over the hull, making this more difficult.  It seemed obvious that with any further collapse of the boat George would be trapped with his head totally underwater.

      Rescue efforts began even before the boat lodged.  Safety personnel from Gate 21 and Gate 25 areas reached the site as the boat settled.  Several competitors and spectators jumped into the water to try to reach George but were swept downstream.  The most effective action, however, was rendered by David Hearn (a competitor) who jumped the fast current to land in the eddy behind the rock on which the boat was pinned.  Finding some footing in the current, he was able to support George’s head above water.  At about the same time a heaving line was thrown to David to help him maintain his position.  George, feeling the line, grabbed it, too.  Several people grabbed the line to haul George ashore, but he wasn’t able to free himself from the boat and the pulling turned to a steadying action.  A second and third heaving line were thrown, but did little good.  (One did become entangled around George’s neck).

 

     David Hearn had difficulty maintaining his footing, but managed to be the key to a successful rescue.

     After what seemed an interminable few minutes, others released the stern end of the boat (the high end) from the rock by a relatively easy life.  And George, boat and all were hauled ashore, with him still in the cockpit.

     The boat, already broken in several places, was literally torn apart to free George’s feet and legs.  He was checked over by EMT personnel from the Tri-Town Ambulance & Rescue Association that was on hand and, except for some numbness, scrapes and bruises, appeared in good shape.

     Micki Piras, in the meantime, cold and fatigued from her swim, witnessed the attempts to rescue George.  Hysteria and shock caught up with her, as might have been expected.  As it turned out, she probably suffered more in mental anguish than George suffered physically.

     The accident might go on the books as having been “the result of a capsize in the Class IV rapids of this section of the Savage River” but there is obviously more to it than that.  Several factors enter into the entrapment that, in themselves do not seem critical:

  1. George Lhota is a competent, self-assured paddler with the ability to roll a C-2 with his partner, or (as he has many times demonstrated) alone, after his partner has left the boat.  He knows when to attempt a roll and will, when necessary, remain under a capsized boat until it drifts to calmer water before trying.  Once upright, he is quite capable of maneuvering the water-logged boat to shore.  When all goes well, this is a relatively safe procedure.
  1. The outfitting in the particular C-2 consists of what is called “the machine.”  This is a particularly low seat thwart and two metal strap thigh braces.  Such outfitting results in a low center of gravity and a more “solid” feel of control in leaning the boat, but it is difficult to get into and in circumstances such as those described, even more difficult to get out of.
  1. The point of impact of boat against rock determined whether the boat would hang there or pivot and slide around the rock to one side of the other.  A matter of an inch or two either way and George might have rolled in the calmer water below.
  1. George was in no immediate danger when the boat was first pinned.  Most paddlers recognize the potential of a boat collapsing and wrapping a rock even tighter and know that this is the time to leave the boat quickly.  George (apparently) gambled that the boat would free itself or else he was unable to free himself in the brief moment before the boat did collapse.

     In retrospect, this accident had the potential of producing another fatality in whitewater.  If any one thing was to be singled out as the factor which caused this “almost” fatality it would have to bhe the tight outfitting.  Many competitors use outfitting similar to that in George’s boat.  Low seat thwarts, rigid thigh braces, cramped leg room, extremely low decks; these are the components that make the “bailing-out” process difficult and, when conditions dictate, absolutely dangerous.

     In retrospect, this accident had the potential of producing another fatality in whitewater.  If any one thing was to be singled out as the factor which caused this “almost” fatality it would have to bhe the tight outfitting.  Many competitors use outfitting similar to that in George’s boat.  Low seat thwarts, rigid thigh braces, cramped leg room, extremely low decks; these are the components that make the “bailing-out” process difficult and, when conditions dictate, absolutely dangerous.

     It must be added that George remained cool and calm through the entire sequence of events.  After it was all over, someone remarked:  “If such an ordeal had to happen, it’s good that George Lhota was the one it happened to.  No one could have handled it better.”  Amen.

     And to David Hearn – the hero of the affair – must go the plaudits for quick thinking, quick and effective action and total modesty.

C-2 racer was unable to bail out after capsizing; foot caught on the thwart. Boat pinned on a rock near shore where he was rescued by a spectator (Davey Hearn).

 

Davey Hearn

So, here is the story as I remember it: I was watching the slalom race, at the Savage River, between runs, about 3/4 of the way down the course. I saw C2M Mikki Piras & George Lhota capsize upstream in the very busy section of the course, and Mikki exited the boat, while George remained in the boat and rolled up. George was in the bow, and the Czech C2 was a translucent un-pigmented racing layup. George used rigid non-adjustable sheet metal “machines” in lieu of knee straps.

 The boat took on water, and was low volume in the bow, making it a challenge to control, along with the fact that paddling even a dry end hole boat from the bow is nearly impossible. So George’s end of the boat was sinking, and he was trying to get to shore. The combination of those machines and the thwart seat made it hard to get out of the boat. Almost to shore, George in the boat lodged on the rock in the photo, near river left, with a narrow but powerful flume of current separating it from the left bank. The deck was against the rock, and George was shallowly under water, and struggling to breathe. I looked at the situation for a brief time, and mentally calculated that I could jump across the channel of rushing water into the eddy behind the rock to help George. Then I did it, and it worked well enough that I was not whisked downstream, but was able to stand in the eddy and assist George by holding him up so he could breathe. But I couldn’t do much more than that, since I needed both hands and arms to do it. At least two throw ropes were deployed towards George, but he did not really have the means to grab a rope, as he was plenty busy trying to breathe. Unfortunately, one of those ropes ended up looped around George’s neck, so putting any tension on it was contra-indicated!

I was wearing a royal blue with yellow stripes Adidas tracksuit jacket and pants, with an elastic waist, over a purple and pink patterned Speedo, the latter of which I normally wore in the boat while paddling in those days. No life jacket, no helmet, but probably jelly plastic sandals on my feet. If you look closely at the photo, you can see that those Adidas pants were not really staying up all that well with their waterlogged weight pulling them down. So it probably lasted five or ten minutes, and I was able to hold him up to breathe, during which time some sort of tension was able to be applied with a rope that was not around George’s neck, he in the boat was pulled to shore, and he was then able to exit the boat upright on shore.

  1. K. Goodwin, probably in charge of safety at the race, along with being the ACA safety chair at the time for Slalom and Wildwater, was upset at George for racing in an unsafe to exit boat. I don’t remember how I got back to shore.

A perusal of my first of many training logs finds that this was on Sunday, September 5th, 1976, at the 3rd and final race of the North American Cup. Jonquiere, Quebec, and Madawaska River were the venues for races 1 & 2.

Join AW and support river stewardship nationwide!