[cstork]

AWWA has a great accident report listing at http://www.americanwhitewater.org/safety/archive/state/CO/ .

It's very instructive and sobering to read through those reports and see how people get in trouble. This is an effective way to teach people about the realities of white water danger.

But, the AWWA stopped updating the reports in 2001. Is there another place that has more updated reports?

 

[Mogulsv]

sobering indeed. i need a drink.

 

[zbaird]

i cant get the detailed reports to come up when i click on them. am i an idiot?

 

[willpaddle4food]

I didn't even know these older accident reports existed let alone newer ones. And yeah, only some of them have detailed reports. But the one two listings below 'mary ann smith' involving a kayaker trapped in gear, will make your hair stand right up....

 

[Andy H.]

Zach,

I don't know you well enough yet to answer your question but if you're having trouble clicking on an address, you can select, cut, and paste it into a browser to get the site to come up.

--Andy

 

[zbaird]

the site comes up fine as does the page when i click detiled reports. it is just that under where it says detailed report there is nothing but another link to dtailed report, which comes up empty as well.

as far as my question, should have been easily answered by you andy, i have passed on several invites from you to westy havent I? duh!!

 

[JCKeck1]

I really wanted to remind everyone of this accident on Gore. It's especially important for those paddlers out there who are new to the sport.

http://www.americanwhitewater.org/safety/archive/id/667/

Don't ever let go of a rope in the water...It's better to pull in a person with a broken wrist because they got wrapped up in the rope than it is to let that person continue swimming with a loose rope in the water.

 

[Tim Kelley]

AW Accident Database

Reading about the accidents is both sobering and educational.

AW will continue to update the database. For multiple reasons the database is 1-2 years behind. Fear not! for members get a complete detailed report every six months in the AW Journal bridging the gap. Some accidents take a bit longer to compile detailed information on and can take longer to complete.

Information on the accidents is collected by volunteers and the AW Safety Committee. Before the internet, gathering detailed info was difficult and is why some accidents have little info. Another reason is that fewer and fewer paddlers join AW, are not aware AW even gathers accident information and many prefer not to discuss accidents on paddling forums, so a detailed report is never filed with AW.

If you think AW does a good job of working Conservation/Access issues and provides valuable safety information please consider joining. CO whitewater conservation and access issues have has been a primary benficary of AW resource for over 50 years. You can join on line at http://rapids.americanwhitewater.org/membership/

Tim Kelley
AW Safety Chair