Contrast what you know from the past 26 years to what happened on the river itself on the last weekend of September, alone. That was just three weeks prior to BD2005.
Here's a report of the incidents on the river. Several severe injuries (one of which that included a lifeflight was not included here, as the NPS proper wasn't involved, directly) and one fatality occured. The fatality is a bit fuzzy on details, but note that "blunt force trauma" was the coroner's ruling as the cause of death.
In reply to:
Gauley River National Recreation Area (WV)
Gauley Festival Weekend Incidents
Thousands of whitewater boaters were drawn to the Gauley Festival Weekend on September 24th and 25th. The event, which is sponsored by American Whitewater and held in Summersville, West Virginia, is billed as the largest whitewater boating festival in the world. Thousands of private boaters and commercial rafters enjoyed four days of high water releases from the Summersville Dam on the Gauley River. Competitors from across the United States and Canada participated in two paddling competitions, the Wavesport Open and the Annual Upper Gauley Race. Throughout the events, the park’s river patrol and protection rangers responded to numerous rescues, EMS incidents and a fatality on the river.
Friday – Wavesport Kayaks, along with a number of other sponsors, held the 2nd annual Wavesport Open paddling competition. Judging was held at Pillow Rock rapid, Hungry Mother rapid and Sweets Falls. An experienced 25-year-old kayaker from Kentucky suffered back injuries while competing at Pillow Rock rapid. The competition involved entering the water from a ramp placed on a large rock above the rapid. The kayaker was stabilized on-scene and transported by event EMS personnel downstream, where they were met by a medical evacuation helicopter from Health Net Aero Medical Services. The kayaker was flown to the Charlestown Area Medical Center.
Saturday – River rangers on patrol of the Upper Gauley observed a kayaker flip over at the top of a Class V rapid called Pillow Rock. The kayaker struck her head and neck on a rock and was unable to roll or pull her spray skirt for a wet exit because she had lost sensation in her upper extremities. A member of the kayaker’s boating party was able to pull her out of the boat and get her to shore. Rangers responded immediately and began patient care, including immobilization and placement on a backboard while still in the water. The victim was then moved to a raft where patient care was continued. A registered nurse who was guiding a commercial outfitter raft and a river ranger took over patient care and, based on signs and symptoms and vitals, determined that the victim was most likely in the beginning stages of spinal shock. It was determined that she needed to be evacuated by helicopter. Health Net Aero Medical Services responded out of Charleston. The helicopter was able to land on a large rock in the river between two sets of rapids. Rangers and other river users who were assisting moved her to the helicopter where Health Net personnel took over patient care.
Saturday – On the lower Gauley River, a river ranger and a park planner were conducting a patrol and encountered a kayaker who had struck her head on a rock in a rapid known as Diagonal Ledges. They conducted a patient assessment and determined that the victim did not have life threatening injuries. Because of limited access into the Gauley River canyon, it was decided that they would assist her with transport out by river. At the takeout, the victim’s father picked her up and took her to the hospital.
Sunday – River rangers responded to a report of a spectator who had injured her leg while climbing on the boulders at Pillow Rapid. Upon arrival, rangers conducted an assessment, stabilized the injury, and carried the patient downstream to where the park’s rescue cataraft could be accessed. The injured 58-year-old woman was taken downstream, through two sets of rapids, where a West Virginia conservation officer was able to access the river via a jeep trail. Upon arrival at the evacuation point, rangers were notified of a hiker who had fallen near the river and was injured. Rangers responded to the scene, evaluated her injury, and determined that she had a moderate contusion to her right leg. The rangers transported her and the original victim to the evacuation vehicle where they were driven to a hospital.
Sunday – At the same time as the above, yet another injury was reported at Pillow Rock. A 28-year-old woman from Canada flipped her kayak and was experiencing muscle spasms in her back after swimming the rapid. A kayaker who was also an EMT evaluated her and determined that, with assistance, she could hike out of the canyon via a fishermen’s trail. Local emergency responders from Keslers Cross Lanes VFD assisted the rangers with placement of ropes that aided with the climb out.
Monday – A commercial rafting customer died after suffering an apparent heart attack. The victim, a 50-year-old man from Louisville, Kentucky, was thrown from his raft in a Class V Rapid known as Iron Ring. After being swept through a good portion of the rapid, he was pulled back into the raft, where he became unresponsive. CPR was begun and continued as the raft traveled downriver approximately one mile, where it was met by an ambulance. He was taken to Summersville Memorial Hospital, where was declared deceased. The West Virginia Medical Examiner determined the cause of death to be blunt force trauma. West Virginia DNR officials, who regulate commercial rafting, and NPS rangers are cooperating in the follow-up investigation.
