Close call on the Illinois Bayou
Posted: Mon Oct 26, 2009 2:54 pm
Confession is good for the soul.........
Sunday a small group of paddlers launched from the Bayou Bluff Bridge access on the Illinois Bayou heading down to the Hector Bridge. My paddling partner for the day was my 11 year old daughter Katie. I was paddling the 16 foot tandem Bell canoe I won at the 2008 Rendezvous. I don't paddle it often and have not bothered with any floatation, seeing it as mainly a class I and II mildwater/recreational canoe. She's a trooper and enjoys the experience but by and large is just a passenger for the time being. We easily negotiated the first few miles. Around mile 3 or so we encountered a section of river where the bulk of the water appeared to flow through a small forest of trees and willows. My gut told me that we could probably pick our way through without too much problem. We paddled over to the right to check out the more tree free route and found it to be very shallow. The level of around 7 + feet seemed deceiving. Comparing notes with Bob Allen who was on the same stretch the day before, we both feel that most of the water was coming in upstream of the gage near Scottsville yet downstream from the run we were attempting. So it was more shallow than we expected.
Katie said "let's go that way" meaning through the trees. I had seen Mark and Haydon Stolki disappear into the trees route moments before and I had not heard any yells or seen any obvious problems. Anyway, we indeed picked our way past the first few openings in the trees but shortly encountered a "decapitation" limb just high enough to for the boat to pass under but nothing else. Katie was able to duck her little body below but my 6'3" frame could not contort myself quickly enough. I was bent backward and when I did the boat rambed a tree and swung violently to the side almost immediatly pinning on a tree. It briefly rolled upstream and began filling with water. in a matter of about 3 seconds I jumped out of the boat in waist deep water, holding it to slow it's downstream momentum, pulled Katie out of the boat holding her with one arm, and rolled the boat downstream so the pinned boat would be easier to extract. I think I also pulled it up so it would pin with much of the boat out of the water. With the boat "safely" pinned, I was able to deposit Katie on the bank and retreive my own paddle before it floated off. Once the immediate danger was somewhat under control I was able to extract the boat without too much trouble since much of it was out of the water and not plastered to the tree. The current was swift but not swift enough to wrap it. Once I got the boat upright and emptied the water I lined it and Katie through the trees as I waded. She really liked that part!! :)
I committed at least 4 really just stupid mistakes all of which I should have been able to avoid.
1. I did not have floatation in the canoe.
2. Neither Katie or I wore a helmet.
I almost never do this and can't believe I committed this really bad sin. Had the decapitation tree wacked Katie or I in the head hard it could have been a MUCH worse event!
3. I discovered that I can't find my throw rope and went without one. A severe pin would have been very difficult to extract without a rope not to mention I would have been of little help to other boaters in need of assistance.
4. I should not have taken a 11 year old through what I knew in advance was an obvious hazardous route when a much less hazardous route was available.
Anyway, I post this as a reminder that bad things can happen on streams when you least expect it and usually that's when it happens. This has been tragically obvious this week.
I'm a better paddler than this episode showed and I hope I've learned my lesson!!
Sunday a small group of paddlers launched from the Bayou Bluff Bridge access on the Illinois Bayou heading down to the Hector Bridge. My paddling partner for the day was my 11 year old daughter Katie. I was paddling the 16 foot tandem Bell canoe I won at the 2008 Rendezvous. I don't paddle it often and have not bothered with any floatation, seeing it as mainly a class I and II mildwater/recreational canoe. She's a trooper and enjoys the experience but by and large is just a passenger for the time being. We easily negotiated the first few miles. Around mile 3 or so we encountered a section of river where the bulk of the water appeared to flow through a small forest of trees and willows. My gut told me that we could probably pick our way through without too much problem. We paddled over to the right to check out the more tree free route and found it to be very shallow. The level of around 7 + feet seemed deceiving. Comparing notes with Bob Allen who was on the same stretch the day before, we both feel that most of the water was coming in upstream of the gage near Scottsville yet downstream from the run we were attempting. So it was more shallow than we expected.
Katie said "let's go that way" meaning through the trees. I had seen Mark and Haydon Stolki disappear into the trees route moments before and I had not heard any yells or seen any obvious problems. Anyway, we indeed picked our way past the first few openings in the trees but shortly encountered a "decapitation" limb just high enough to for the boat to pass under but nothing else. Katie was able to duck her little body below but my 6'3" frame could not contort myself quickly enough. I was bent backward and when I did the boat rambed a tree and swung violently to the side almost immediatly pinning on a tree. It briefly rolled upstream and began filling with water. in a matter of about 3 seconds I jumped out of the boat in waist deep water, holding it to slow it's downstream momentum, pulled Katie out of the boat holding her with one arm, and rolled the boat downstream so the pinned boat would be easier to extract. I think I also pulled it up so it would pin with much of the boat out of the water. With the boat "safely" pinned, I was able to deposit Katie on the bank and retreive my own paddle before it floated off. Once the immediate danger was somewhat under control I was able to extract the boat without too much trouble since much of it was out of the water and not plastered to the tree. The current was swift but not swift enough to wrap it. Once I got the boat upright and emptied the water I lined it and Katie through the trees as I waded. She really liked that part!! :)
I committed at least 4 really just stupid mistakes all of which I should have been able to avoid.
1. I did not have floatation in the canoe.
2. Neither Katie or I wore a helmet.
I almost never do this and can't believe I committed this really bad sin. Had the decapitation tree wacked Katie or I in the head hard it could have been a MUCH worse event!3. I discovered that I can't find my throw rope and went without one.
A severe pin would have been very difficult to extract without a rope not to mention I would have been of little help to other boaters in need of assistance.4. I should not have taken a 11 year old through what I knew in advance was an obvious hazardous route when a much less hazardous route was available.
Anyway, I post this as a reminder that bad things can happen on streams when you least expect it and usually that's when it happens. This has been tragically obvious this week.
I'm a better paddler than this episode showed and I hope I've learned my lesson!!
Way to go Dad! 
My guess is you've screwed up enough to know how to quickly react to minimize damage (just like me)