On Tuesday Evan and I assisted in the rescue of the women who tragically passed away after the raft she was on flipped in Tunnel Rapid. Our sincere condolences go to family and friends.

After much reflection over the last few days we’d like to make the following comments in an effort to minimize the chances of a repeat incident. We understand that a short a time has passed since Tuesday, but the river is very high today, and will remain so over at least the weekend, so we are compelled to comment now.

Our river at flood stage is extremely cold, fast and powerful. Surface waters reflect off the banks and push to the middle of the river. Rapids overrun the flat sections making it extremely difficult to swim to the shore. Currents can hold a well attired swimmer under water for long stretches of time. This setup considerably increases the risk of immersion hypothermia and flush drowning.

The woman was well dressed for the conditions, with a wetsuit, PFD and helmet. Despite this she became unconscious at some point of her swim. The rescue services responding to the incident had no effective way of reaching or dealing with an unconscious swimmer. About 15-20 minutes had passed when we came across the scene driving up the canyon. Once in our boats we were able to retrieve and pull the woman to shore within a couple of minutes and begin CPR. This confirms our experience that a boat based rescue by experienced, equipped people is the only fast and effective method in a situation such as this. In addition, kayaks provide a far more nimble option than rafts.

We implore boaters not to go it alone while rivers are so high. Have backup. Another boat at least. Preferably more. It is our opinion that raft trips should be backed up by experienced safety kayakers. And of course, should you end up swimming, be dressed for the frigid waters so you have more time to reach the shore.

In short… if you have to rely on outside resources for rescue, the chances of a tragic result rise greatly. Please respect the river.

Our goal here is to create awareness. Please share this opinion with friends, privately or publicly. Thank you.

Marty and Evan

Another slight drop, but thumping. Currently 50.8˚F, sunny and calm.

Gauges:
Hewlett Gulch Bridge- 5.98′ and 2739.8 CFS
North Fork- 725 CFS
Mouth of Canyon- 4540 CFS

Today’s expected Wx: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 2pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 73. Light and variable wind becoming east northeast 5 to 9 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 15 mph.

Tonight A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 3am. Some storms could be severe, with large hail. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 47. East northeast wind 6 to 11 mph becoming light east. Winds could gust as high as 18 mph.

Pine View a very bouncy 5.5 this morn. Currently 55˚F, sunny and calm. Hewlett Gauge reads 6.99 and 3837.3 CFS.

Today’s expected Wx: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 3pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 70. East northeast wind 6 to 9 mph becoming south southeast in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 15 mph.

Tonight A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 5am. Partly cloudy, with a low around 48. Southeast wind 5 to 8 mph becoming west after midnight.

Still Bouncy at the Rock. Currently 55.6˚F, sunny and calm. Hewlett Gulch Bridge gauge reading 7.4′ and 4385.6 CFS.

Today’s expected Wx for PP: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 3pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 76. Light southeast wind increasing to 5 to 9 mph in the afternoon.

Tonight A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 11pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 49. Southeast wind 5 to 8 mph becoming northwest after midnight.