Rafting Warnings After Weekend Death On Ocoee
16.9 هزار بار بازدید -
10 سال پیش
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During warm months along the
During warm months along the Ocoee River, thrill-seekers are braving Class III and IV rapids.
But Saturday morning, an action-packed trip down the river ended in tragedy.
State officials tell us a raft operated by Endless River Adventures was maneuvering through a rapid called "Table Saw" when the raft overturned. All of the rafters were accounted for, except for 50-year-old Gary Brown of Clayton, North Carolina. Even though he was wearing a life jacket, his body was found floating downriver.
"Unfortunately, there are inherent risks in the sport as there are in many sports. Ultimately, I think you're more likely to have a fatality on the way to the river in your car than you are on the river," says Eric Ferris.
Ferris is a regular visitor of the Ocoee, and other southeastern rivers. He's an experienced kayaker, but even he feels uneasy about whitewater rafting.
"I flip over, I can roll my boat back up and not have to swim the river. In a raft, if you fall out, you're basically on your own."
NewsChannel 9 spoke on the phone with the president of the Ocoee River Outfitters Association, which oversees all of the rafting companies in the area. Group leaders say Endless River Adventures is a reputable company known for its detailed safety procedures. All of the outfitters are required to equip their rafters with a helmet, and life jacket. Until now, it's been a fatality-free season.
But accidents are still possible.
"Bad things can happen. This isn't the first fatality on the river and it won't be the last, but overall I think it's a pretty safe river," says Ferris.
The company responsible, Endless River Adventures, is located in Bryson City, North Carolina.= The outfitter loads vans full of rafters and they make the two-hour drive to the Ocoee each weekend.
Calls to that outfitter were not returned.
The accident remains under a joint investigation between the TWRA and Tennessee State Parks.
By: Kelsey Bagwell
But Saturday morning, an action-packed trip down the river ended in tragedy.
State officials tell us a raft operated by Endless River Adventures was maneuvering through a rapid called "Table Saw" when the raft overturned. All of the rafters were accounted for, except for 50-year-old Gary Brown of Clayton, North Carolina. Even though he was wearing a life jacket, his body was found floating downriver.
"Unfortunately, there are inherent risks in the sport as there are in many sports. Ultimately, I think you're more likely to have a fatality on the way to the river in your car than you are on the river," says Eric Ferris.
Ferris is a regular visitor of the Ocoee, and other southeastern rivers. He's an experienced kayaker, but even he feels uneasy about whitewater rafting.
"I flip over, I can roll my boat back up and not have to swim the river. In a raft, if you fall out, you're basically on your own."
NewsChannel 9 spoke on the phone with the president of the Ocoee River Outfitters Association, which oversees all of the rafting companies in the area. Group leaders say Endless River Adventures is a reputable company known for its detailed safety procedures. All of the outfitters are required to equip their rafters with a helmet, and life jacket. Until now, it's been a fatality-free season.
But accidents are still possible.
"Bad things can happen. This isn't the first fatality on the river and it won't be the last, but overall I think it's a pretty safe river," says Ferris.
The company responsible, Endless River Adventures, is located in Bryson City, North Carolina.= The outfitter loads vans full of rafters and they make the two-hour drive to the Ocoee each weekend.
Calls to that outfitter were not returned.
The accident remains under a joint investigation between the TWRA and Tennessee State Parks.
By: Kelsey Bagwell
10 سال پیش
در تاریخ 1393/06/24 منتشر شده
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