Rockport Ledge - Boys Stuck in rapids

[jvickery]

Were any of you the ones who saved the two boys Saturday at the Ledge?

GREAT JOB, They are blessed for you to have been there for sure!!!

Your response was quick and courageous, God Bless you...YOU ARE HERO'S I ASSURE YOU.

[rickyrod]

Jack Hollingsworth stepped up, they all helped but Jack saved the day. Yeh JACK. he kept going back in till it was over. It's great to know your paddling with somone like him.

[jvickery]

Indeed. I don't think people grasped how dangerous that scenario really was.

[panicman]

What happened?

[dcheshier]

Two young boys ended up in the "suck hole" at Rockport .... both had life jackets on and were clinging to an intertube. The feature is highly retentive and difficult to swim out of. Several boaters including Jack H., Billy L., Heath and I think Kevin from Memphis went to their aid .... Jack managed to pull one out, and then eventually the other and the boaters got them back over to shore. Very lucky that the guys were fairly close when it happened!

[gannon311]

Good job guys

[michelle Ashford]

that was the scariest thing I have seen!! I wasn't worried though...I knew the guys would get them out..The mother was sitting on surfers right and said.."they are gonna get them out aren't they?"..I don't think she understood the danger of the situation...however my two boys were there and I was able to explain to them and let them see how dangerous the water can really be..and i think that family knows now as well..

Great job guys!!!

[lalyle]

I stood on the Big Dam Bridge yesterday and just watched and studied the patterns of whirlpools and sucky holes, particularly the cycles of recirculation of a large log. It renewed my respect for the river and sucky holes. Never underestimate them! Hats off to those who responded to that situation.

[SteveGabbard]

Good job guys. Thank goodness they had on life jackets.

[Cowper]

Yep, Good Job! Recognizing the potential outcome and taking action before it is too late are critical.

Seems like we have several near misses at this spot every year. All the boaters know about this spot; one of us has even taken the name "suckhole" as his own message board "handle". Time to put on the 'ole thinking caps - what can we do, how can we help keep the folks who don't know away from this one spot in the river?

I just don't want to come back after something even worse happens and say, "we should have...."

[ScottH]

It was a great group effort with an excellent outcome. I was sitting on the bank and looked up just as this incident was unfolding. Jack and a couple of others were at the scene the fastest and Heath had to paddle over from all the way on the river left bank (which he did faster than anyone ever has before). Having made several rescues in this spot myself over the years, I wanted Jack to “get in there and get them” but he did exactly what he needed to do by assessing the situation and acting only in a way to provide assistance and not make the situation worse or endanger himself.

What always amazes me is how the victims attempt to get out of this hole. It seems that human instinct is to do exactly the opposite of what is needed to get yourself out of this spot. Several of us kayakers have, and do play in this spot. It is a great place to learn about pourovers and how to deal with them while paddling. With just a little bit of knowledge, most people can learn to paddle out of it (or swim out if the paddle thing does not work for them).

In this case the life jackets the boys were wearing and specifically the inner tube (or is it intertube?) they were clinging to was what was keeping them in there. Not that I would ever recommend or want kids to be on the river without a life jacket.

I am not sure what could be done to educate the public or modify the feature. Signs would get ignored/tore down, and it would be very hard to modify, cause it always has water running over/around it. Anyone not familiar with this spot, look me up (I am at Rockport a lot). I will show you where it is, discuss paddling and swimming techniques, and if you want to try them, I will play in it with you.

Scott Hanshaw

[jvickery]

I operate Ouachita Outfitters & Guide Service on the Lower Ouachita River and tell all of my renters to stay to the left, exspecially if they have small children. I also do everything in my power to kep them in life vest, which seem to always get removed after I drop them off. I think all that you can do is tell anyone you see at the launch area (Remmel Dam) and wave people over as they begin approaching the park. Its a river, and as my good friend always says "careful careful"