Canoeist Killed

[Elton]

A canoeist has died after becoming trapped in a weir on a West Yorkshire river, in what police have described as a tragic accident.

 

Full story here:

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/west_yo...ire/7272911.stm

[Leon Roskilly]

A friend of mine once got in diffulties having gone over a weir.

 

The water at the bottom of the weir just kept rolling him over and over, and he was very lucky to get out of it, having firmly believed that his number was up.

[Steinbeisser]

A friend of mine once got in diffulties having gone over a weir.

 

The water at the bottom of the weir just kept rolling him over and over, and he was very lucky to get out of it, having firmly believed that his number was up.

 

It's often referred to as like being in a washing machine (disorienting) and if caught in the stopper, you really have to skull along to the end of the weir/stopper wave to get out - or for someone to throw a line to you and pull you out. I think these big stoppers can be quite fearsome.

 

In theory if you come out of the kayak, you should be able to dive down to the bottom of the weir pool and swim out downstream, but that's much easier said than done!

 

Steinbeisser

[richi]

A stark reminder that rivers can be every bit as dangerous as the sea.

 

 

except the ponds that Snapper fishes

[Mark Crame]

except the ponds that Snapper fishes

 

 

From one of the regular ponds this year, 5-10 metres from my launch point:

 

http://new.edp24.co.uk/content/news/storyr...3A30%3A42%3A160

 

Avoid weirs. Period.

[richi]

From one of the regular ponds this year, 5-10 metres from my launch point:

 

http://new.edp24.co.uk/content/news/storyr...3A30%3A42%3A160

 

Avoid weirs. Period.

 

 

sh*t

[Mark Crame]

That's what I thought. I remember hearing on the radio that someone had fallen overboard and was missing on the Waveney and couldn't work out how - wide, slow river etc from Oulton upwards. Didn't occur to me at all about the weir. Just goes to show how you can't take any water for granted and how right people were about me not wearing a PFD when I started.

 

"The inquest into Miss Drennan's death was opened in Norwich yesterday and heard how the group hired a 10ft dinghy and took to the river at Geldeston at about 3pm before traveling along the river for about four hours. They got out of the river at Wainford Sluice, walking a short distance before getting back into the boat.

 

William Armstrong, coroner for Greater Norfolk, said: “There appears to have been an attempt to start the boat, which was not successful. The boat seems to have drifted and turned round towards the sluice where it then collided with the side of the sluice and filled up rapidly with water falling from the sluice.”

 

The boat capsized, with all five occupants falling in the water. “Passers-by were able to rescue four of them but sadly Miss Drennan could not be saved and her body was in due course recovered from the river,” said Mr Armstrong. The inquest was adjourned to a later date.

 

Police were last night still investigating the accident, which took place at about 6.45pm on Saturday . A spokesman for the Broads Authority said that the stretch of river should only be used by boats without motors but could not comment on whether the outboard motor on Miss Drennan's boat contribute to the accident.

 

The spokesman added: “This part of the river should only be used for rowing boats and canoes, no motors are allowed on this stretch of water as it is privately owned.

 

“The key message in this situation is that people should always wear life jackets when on the water and take into account the size and stability of the boat in comparison with the number of people on board.”