[kerry edwards]

BIL talked to a guy who talked to a GC commercial guide: Commercial motor raft was too far left on entrance, powered up to go right but didn't make it and drove the bow up on the rock causing the right stern to sink and then flip the raft. Passenger was floating unresponsive once rescue got to him.

 

[Big Wave]

BIL talked to a guy who talked to a GC commercial guide: Commercial motor raft was too far left on entrance, powered up to go right but didn't make it and drove the bow up on the rock causing the right stern to sink and then flip the raft. Passenger was floating unresponsive once rescue got to him.

Probably a good time for the guide to consider going on a LDS mission.

 

[Recreation_Law]

Careful what you wish for concerning motor rigs going away. That will put a bunch more commercial row trips down there that in my opinion are more likely to skunk you out of camps and crowd hikes. The motor boats are real predicable in where they will camp, and they dont hike their sports much. They come, they go, they're gone, you dont see the same trip twice. Not the case with 16 day row trips. If you communicate with them and dont act like a turd they give you ice. My last trip down I chatted with 6 motor trips. 5 gave us ice and I never asked once. They also brought us a new sat phone in when ours took a dump. I really don't get the hate for motor trips down there.

Then when a commercial boat goes past flag them down and ask them where they are staying? In the morning it will be way beyond where you can get too and in the afternoon unless after 4:00 pm still past where you are going. But just ask.

 

[Electric-Mayhem]

haha... lawyer it up a bit harder man...

I never just ask where people are going... you have to lead with what you want "hey... we were planning on staying at ___ camp, where are you guys headed?" Never give the other group the first opportunity to claim a camp. If they say "that's where we were headed too"...then it can either be a race or you make an arrangement.

I can only recall once where we really had to a race a commercial group in Grand and we ended up just letting them go. We leap frogged with that group most of the way down and got plenty of good camps because we got on the water earlier then they did. I guess their rich customers (we knew who a few of them were... at least one billionaire in the group that had chartered the trip on her own dime), didn't wanna get up early or something.

Usually you can come to a compromise. I've definitely been passed by a motor rig late in the afternoon 20 minutes before we got to camp and had it sniped. That always sucks.

 

[Gunnyraft]

Sunk without a Sound
Great book by Brad Demok about an Ill fated Sweep boat trip down the Grand by Bill and Besie Hyde

 

[Big Wave]

I was lucky in my motor rig career and got to do mostly single boat trips so I could camp anywhere.
My strategy was to let whoever I ran into tell me where they were going and I would just go some where else.
I always got a chuckle out of running into a group around Crystal tell me they were going to Bass Camp. Tell them great have a nice day and then motor by a group laying over there. Go around the corner and camp at 110 mile.
Then see that same group come by super late asking how far is the next camp.

 

[Big Wave]

Sunk without a Sound
Great book by Brad Demok about an Ill fated Sweep boat trip down the Grand by Bill and Besie Hyde

Brad analyzes why a sweep does not work in Grand Canyon in that book for all you sweep boat enthusiasts.

 

[Lone Star]

16 days later. no details still. lets just forget about it. look over there, SQUIRREL!

 

[dsrtrat]

16 days later. no details still. lets just forget about it. look over there, SQUIRREL!

You won't see any incident report. Even a FOI request will be denied unless you are directly involved.

Case Incident Reporting System— National Park Service, NPS-19 | U.S. Department of the Interior

Case Incident Reporting System— National Park Service, NPS–19 SORN

www.doi.gov

 

[Brookelan]

..

 

[Big Wave]

I was a passenger in this incident. We were on a 7 day trip. The morning of said incident it down-poured which was beyond beautiful and surreal but I think that had a lot to do with it. The guides prepared us for what was to come and what to expect. As we entered the rapid the raft got stuck on bedrock (as they explained could happen) we sat there for what seemed like an eternity with the guides telling us what to do to stay safe. The sad part is nothing anyone did could have made the outcome any different. I was directly in front of the man who passed. I was stuck under bedrock with a dislocated shoulder, torn rotator cuff, dislocated elbow, and broken elbow. The way the rescue went was beyond perfect. The raft above us had to wait till they got the clear that everyone they could see was on land and the motor wouldn’t cause further injuries. My mom was on the raft behind us and had to wait almost an hour without seeing me and thinking I was dead but they still reacted calmly and did what they knew was right to help as many as possible. As soon as I boarded the raft (I was the 4th to last to be picked up) I jumped into my moms arms and she had the satellite phone communicating with search and rescue as the now 4 guides on the raft assessed and searched for others. One of the guides risked their own lives swimming from person to person to pull them to land. Then everyone on the raft looked for any signs of Ron. They preformed CPR non stop, physically and mentally exhausted till search and rescue landed. Western River has been in contact with EVERYONE involved and has gone above and beyond to ensure everyone’s mental and physical health is being addressed. The boats man that day is the most experienced I’ve ever met and I wouldn’t chose anyone else to take me down that rapid. It was a freak accident and no one and nothing is to blame.

Brookelan
Just trying to clarify in my mind the sequence of events. When you say the raft got stuck do you mean after the raft had flipped it was stuck. Or stuck and then flipped.
I admire that you pin no guilt on the guides. I was a guide down there and would never have done anything to endanger my passengers let alone purposefully wreck my boat.

 

[BastrdSonOfElvis]

Whitewater is an inherently dangerous activity.
Shlt happens. Guides aren’t infallible.
Very sorry to hear about your harrowing experience and injuries.

As a father, I can’t imagine your mother’s anguish or feeling of helplessness during what must have felt like an eternity. As bad as it was for you…it was worse for her.