American Whitewater

AW Wildfire Info Map Keeps Boaters Updated on Rivers Affected by Fires

07/27/2023 - by Scott Harding

It's peak fire season in much of the country and active wildfires are currently burning along several whitewater rivers in the West. Be sure to check the American Whitewater Wildfire Information Map for the latest details on whether there's an active wildfire that could affect your boating trip or safety. It's the only map that combines detailed information on whitewater runs with constantly updated fire locations, air quality info, and more.

Midnight Miracle at Kanawha Falls

11/09/2020 - by Charlie Walbridge

A Tennessee kayaker was rescued after spending 8 hours trapped behind the veil of Kanawha Falls, a 15 foot drop located below the confluence of the New and Gauley Rivers in West Virginia. The victim was paddling alone; a fisherman spotted his loose kayak and notified authorities. Top expert kayakers from Fayetteville, WV teamed up with WV-DNR officers and first responders to locate and rescue the man. Read their remarkable first-person accounts in the American Whitewater Accident Database: https://www.americanwhitewater.org/content/Accident/detail/accidentid/112642

Community Voices: Respect the River, River Surfers Should Wear PFDs

07/09/2019 - by Brittany Parker

I can't keep my mouth shut any longer. I've been troubled the past couple weeks with the direction river surfing is going. I've been wrestling with bringing it up because I'm afraid of alienating myself and getting crucified online by the river surfing community. But this isn't about me, this is about the future of our sport and the lives of others.

I don't like surfing in the river alone. And lately, even with a 15 person deep line up at the wave I feel alone. I feel alone because I am one of maybe two or three there wearing a PFD, or sometimes the only one. I feel alone because if something were to happen, like getting knocked unconscious or my body cramping up, I don't have faith that the people in the line up could save me.

Tow Tether Danger Highlighted by Recent Accident

02/25/2019 - by Charlie Walbridge

Nancy Kell, a very experienced Mid-States kayaker, died on February 24th after flipping in a Class II rapid on West Virginia's Red Creek. There were a number of strainers in the vicinity above and below the water. One of them snagged her tow tether, pulled her out of her boat, and held her under water. She was with a very experienced crew but they could not reach her quickly enough. Equipment snags are a real risk. In the light of this accident I strongly urge anyone using a cowtail, pigtail, or tow tether to recheck your setup, and to consider whether wearing a tow tether makes sense. Be certain that your tether releases cleanly at both ends. Do not attach the front carabiner to a non-releasable point, like a pocket or strap. Ms. Kell did this, and it may have been a contributing factor. Apparently many current rescue PFD designs to not feature a front release point! Do not attach a tether to the rear of your PFD with a non-locking carabiner, as that may inadvertently clip into a rope. The tether should fit very snugly, without sagging, but as the photo shows Ms. Kell did that, and it did not protect her! The harness release should be quick and foolproof. Practice harness releases under pressure before using it on the river. Finally, remember that any additional strap is a potential snag hazard. Ask yourself if the usefulness of a tow tether is worth the risk, especially on small, strainer infrested creeks. Carry it in a PFD pocket or dry bag if necessary. Click for a link to the report in the AW Accident Database. (Jeff Macklin Photo)

American Whitewater Announces Endowment

07/30/2018 - by Mark Singleton

American Whitewater is pleased to announce the creation of an endowment to promote safety education and outreach. The endowment will support "promoting whitewater safety, responsible on-river behavior, safety education and outreach, and maintenance of the American Whitewater Safety Code and Whitewater Accident Database.' Anyone wishing to add to the fund can simply make a donation to American Whitewater here and include safety education in the comment field of the donation.

01/14/2018 - by Charlie Duffy

I teach a fair number or ACA Safety & Rescue classes each year. I’ve also lead numerous Instructor Certification Workshops. The ACA Level 4 Curriculum covers many topics. Some students/candidates are interested in real world examples where these skills come into play. I was quite fortunate to have Charlie Walbridge lead my Instructor Certification Class. One of the many interesting exercises was a slide show of various incidents we analyzed and took a stab at “what would we do?”. With the proliferation of Go Pro video cameras, I decided to make a collection of successful rescues that I share as exercises for Instructor Debriefing exercises.

Everyone should be very thankful to those paddlers that reported these incidents to the AW Safety Database (https://www.americanwhitewater.org/content/Accident/view/) and shared their lessons learned so we can all benefit. Everyone lets their guard down sooner or later – talented paddlers practice defense in depth and can manage these incidents.

Swiftwater Swimming Skills & Avoiding Flush Drowning

· https://vimeo.com/10290133

o https://www.americanwhitewater.org/content/Accident/detail/accidentid/3301/

o One of the best examples of conserving energy in big water

· https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAtAFYkjVmw

o I can’t find an entry in the AW Safety Database

o NRS Instructional film, great rescue communication skills

· https://www.americanwhitewater.org/content/Accident/detail/accidentid/3214/

o No video but a great instructional report on flush drowning, non-tethered rescue, and the need to maintain First Aid training

Four Corners (Scene Management), Plan A, B, C, …

· https://vimeo.com/68476394

o https://www.americanwhitewater.org/content/Accident/detail/accidentid/3724/

o https://boatertalk.com/forum/BoaterTalk/1052440674

o http://www.mountainbuzz.com/forums/members/1679-albums1324-picture6247.jpg

o Not all rescue solutions are obvious. This is why we box (enclose) the rescue site, so someone is in place when Plan A doesn’t work. Also gives a great example on why bulk heads in kayaks have been redesigned.

Low Head Dams

· https://vimeo.com/12656654

o No entry in the AW Safety Database (it’s foreign).

o Shows how difficult it is to escape this feature and challenges in rescues.

· https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3g6n0O7T13o

o https://www.americanwhitewater.org/content/Accident/detail/accidentid/4034/

o Better example of recirculation, note how small the drop is.

· https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qW65pWAjDgo

o I can’t find an entry in the AW Safety Database (it’s old, 1975)

o Shows the hazards to rescue professionals dealing with low head dam rescues.

· https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3Sc27E6ZCU

o Nice video showing a wide variety of professional rescue techniques

Bad Hydraulic

· https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rl-LjPG7ltc

o https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDDgOnDuDAE

o No entry in the AW Safety Database (February 2015)

o This is a great training video, lots of challenges. It’s really special since you have videos from both the rescuer and the person needing assistance.

Reach Rescue

· https://www.facebook.com/failarmy/videos/1252419981521828/

o Unknown if in the AW Safety Database (January 2017)

o Fast, simple, effective and no ropes. Great example of RETHROG.

Hypothermia

· https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wz3gy5XyaBo

o This is such a great training resource (not an incident)

· https://www.soundingsonline.com/voices/hypothermia

o This is such a great training resource (not an incident)

Tethered Rescues

· https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_o43JnQknus&feature=youtu.be

o Not in the AW Safety Database.

o The Green River Race has the most incredible safety crew imaginable. Lots of great examples of tethered rescues at Gorilla including the most famous clip at the 3 minute point.

Sieve & Stabilization Line Rescue

· https://www.instagram.com/p/BaR1ouwA8ks/

o https://www.facebook.com/african.river.rat/videos/1256292557850175/

o https://www.americanwhitewater.org/content/Accident/detail/accidentid/22248/

o https://thinkrain.blogspot.com/2006/09/initiation.html?m=1

o Many pins have taken place at this spot and the hazard is well documented. This is a great example in the use of a stabilization line.

Strainers

· https://www.adn.com/outdoors-adventure/2017/08/15/daring-rescue-on-six-mile-creek-caught-on-video/

o https://www.americanwhitewater.org/content/Accident/detail/accidentid/14298/

· https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DvzumGifKPA&t=170s

o Couldn’t find an AW Safety Database entry.

o Well narrated. Tethered rescue, hands on is key!

Solo Paddling·

· h http://www.kayaksession.com/near-death-experience-on-belson-creek-ohio/?utm_content=buffercde16&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer

o https://www.americanwhitewater.org/content/Accident/detail/accidentid/4096/

o Paddling solo is one of the most common contributing factors to all reported incidents in the AW Safety Database.

Throw Rope Skills

· https://vimeo.com/72792859

o AW safety database entry unknown.

o Few films show very clearly why we need to practice our throw rope skills.

Undercut Rescue

· https://vimeo.com/150611975

o No AW Safety Database entry, this was during a race on Daddy’s Creek.

· https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0xgRKB3Vu4&t=19s

o No AW Safety Database Entry (Foreign)

o Very close call

Hands On, Near Drowning, Situational Awareness, Equipment Trap

· https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DvzumGifKPA&t=170s

o https://www.americanwhitewater.org/content/Accident/detail/accidentid/4396/

o Excellent rescue with a lot of challenges.

Raft Unpinning

· https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6nIAmxDinzU

o Very challenging place to unpin a raft, worse yet – a bucket boat.

Scouting!

· https://www.facebook.com/lance.beaber/videos/191139297696956/

o No AW Safety Database report.

o Many paddlers these days choose not to scout when necessary. Yes it’s inconvenient but in a few cases may save your life as well as your friends.

04/03/2017 - by Charlie Walbridge

American Whitewater Accident Database Statistics: 1975 - 2016
Total Records	1588
Fatalities	1262
Near Misses	268
Injuries	58


United States	1192
Canada	30
All Other	40

Fatalities by Boat Type
Kayak	446
Canoe	183
Raft and IK	486
Other	146
Commercial	231
Private	1030

Fatalities by Cause
Cold Water			326
Flush Drowning			310
High Water			290
No PFD			201
Strainer			196
Entrapment			175
One Boat Trip			166
Undercuts/ Sieves			159
Near Drown (Nonfatal)			147
Dam Hydraulic			116
Failed Rescue			88
Caught in Nat. Hydraulic			70
Equipment Trap			63
Solo Paddler			55
Head Injury			52
Heart Attack			48
Foot Entrapment			45
Impact/ Trauma			42
Health Problem			53
Spinal Injury (nonfatal)			26
Vertical Pin			13

Fatalities by River Difficulty
Class I-II	128
Class III	280
Class IV	200
Class V	173

Fatalities by Decade
1977-1986	48
1987-1996	219
1997-2006	453
2007-2016	530

Fatalities By Water Level
Low	94
Medium	370
High	420
Flood	33

Ages
Under 18	300
18-34	413
35-65	485
over 65	69

Fatalities by State
Alabama	16
Alaska	26
Arizona	21
Arkansas	13
California	109
Colorado	155
Connecticut	9
Georgia	7
Hawaii	1
Idaho	74
Illinois	10
Indiana	11
Iowa	3
Kansas	7
Kentucky	11
Maine	14
Maryland	14
Massachusetts	7
Michigan	14
Minnesota	6
Missouri	7
Montana	50
Nevada	2
New Hampshire	14
New Jersey	16
New Mexico	10
New York	52
North Carolina	33
North Dakota	2
Ohio	16
Oklahoma	3
Oregon	60
Pennsylvania	66
Rhode Island	2
South Carolina	29
Tennessee	36
Texas	22
Utah	29
Vermont	6
Virginia	30
Washington	69
West Virginia	78
Wisconsin	12
Wyoming	20


No Whitewater Fatalities were reported in Delaware, DC, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nebraska, & South Dakota
Top 10
1.Colorado		155
2. California		109
3. West Virginia		78
4. Idaho		74
5. Washington		69
6. Pennsylvania		66
7. Oregon		60
8. Montana		50
9. Tennessee		36
10. North Carolina		33

08/04/2013 - by Thomas O'Keefe

A team of experts assembled with U.S. Coast Guard grant funding seeks national content validation of a set of entry level, skill-based Human (manually propelled) boat operation standards. The collaborative development of sail, power and human propelled standards will eventually be recognized (not mandated) by the US Coast Guard for incorporation in recreational boating training programs nationwide. Recreational paddling and rowing enthusiasts and especially those with experience in On-Water teaching or training are urged to participate in an on-line survey.

04/29/2013 - by Mark Singleton

Teams of canoes and decked boats will compete in river rescue events on the Tuckasegee River in Dillsboro, NC.

09/07/2012 - by Thomas O'Keefe

Removal of Condit Dam is nearing completion and we are getting ready to celebrate the moment on Saturday September 29th. Contractors still have equipment in and along the river that will be removed over the next couple weeks and a log jam resulting from the dam breach still needs to be addressed. It's important for paddlers to wait until this work is done and everyone considering this reach needs to understand the hazards associated with the class IV/V entrance drop into the Narrows.

Chelan Gorge Releases Canceled for July 10 and 11

07/06/2010 - by Thomas O'Keefe

After consulting with American Whitewater, Chelan PUD has made the decision to cancel the planned whitewater boating opportunities on the Chelan Gorge this weekend (July 10 and 11). Providing this opportunity requires a balancing act between lake level, spill and whitewater boating and unfortunately, at this time the PUD is not able to accommodate all three. Boaters should know that AW is actively engaged with Chelan PUD to document the reasons for canceling this weekend's release and we will work together to determine the best means of providing the opportunities we agreed to. The release on July 24 and 25 is scheduled to take place as planned.

02/05/2006 - by Charles Walbridge

This has tables showing the number of fatal accidents by year and by state over the past 30 years.