RE: [Paddlewise] Entrapment - emergency release of spray deck

From: James <jimtibensky_at_fastmail.fm>
Date: Mon, 07 Jul 2008 07:34:56 -0500
Joe P. said: Rescuers resorted to cutting the skirt out with  a knife. 
Paddler died a few minutes later from a severed femoral artery. I've
probably misremembered that a little, but that's the gist of it...



You got it exactly right, Joe.  This happened on the Ocoee River.  The
poor guy was trapped with his head above water but his companions were
in a hurry to get him out and, probably, looked forward to a dramatic
use-the-knife rescue.  It turned out to be fatal as well as dramatic.

"Michael R., an experienced kayaker, was navigating the river when his
boat overturned in a rapid on the Ocoee River. Friends told that he lost
his paddle and was unable to flip his boat upright. Once up righted, the
friends could not remove his Spray Skirt, so they cut it. When they did,
they also cut a main artery in his leg." Copyright 1997 The Associated
Press, Monday, November 3, 1997"


Jim Tibensky
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Received on Tue Jul 08 2008 - 04:02:56 PDT

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