On 26 Aug 2004 14:25:34 GMT, (William R.
Watt) wrote:
someone mentioned in another newsgroup a report of finding someone dead in
a kayak. is this possible?

It's been probably 20 years ago that a group of paddlers completed
section 4 Chattooga, and were making that fla****er paddle to
take-out. One guy in a kayak dropped back, and, apparently suffering
a heart attack, rolled over. At some point later another group of
paddlers came upon the overturned kayak, assuming it was a boat lost
on the river, rolled it over and found a dead man still in it. I no
longer remember the name of the victim but I know the guy who rolled
the kayak up.

Second answer is a question to our Canadian members: you know the
definition of kayak disease at it applies to the Inuit?
Tom McCloud

The kayaker was a safety boater for Southeastern Expeditions rafting
company. I was the lead safety boater that day, dropping thru ahead of the
group to pick up swimmers before they got stuffed in Middle Crack. He was
the pickup safety at the end of the pack. As I remember, the water level was
nothing special that day, maybe two feet.

We always raced to the takeout when we hit the fla****er, but when the
kayaker didn't show up, we knew something was wrong. It wasn't a heart
attack. The kayaker was a brittle diabetic and apparently had an attack,
flipped upside down and drowned.

We were all devastated but not surprised. The kayaker's doctor had
repeatedly warned him against strenuous activity. I paddled with the guy
every day for months and he knew that it was just a matter of time. But, he
loved kayaking and especially loved Section 4 and he floated out of this
world on his own terms. We later joked that he timed things perfectly that
day because he hated the fla****er. :-)

That's been 20 years ago and I thought that I would never forget his name.
It will come to me after I have another shot of Tequila in his honor. In the
meantime I apologize for my rusty "old fart" memory.

Ed Puterbaugh
Bluegrass Wildwater Association

"Tom McCloud" wrote in message
...
On 26 Aug 2004 14:25:34 GMT, (William R.
Watt) wrote:
someone mentioned in another newsgroup a report of finding someone dead in
a kayak. is this possible?

It's been probably 20 years ago that a group of paddlers completed
section 4 Chattooga, and were making that fla****er paddle to
take-out. One guy in a kayak dropped back, and, apparently suffering
a heart attack, rolled over. At some point later another group of
paddlers came upon the overturned kayak, assuming it was a boat lost
on the river, rolled it over and found a dead man still in it. I no
longer remember the name of the victim but I know the guy who rolled
the kayak up.

Second answer is a question to our Canadian members: you know the
definition of kayak disease at it applies to the Inuit?
Tom McCloud

That's been 20 years ago and I thought that I would never forget his name.
It will come to me after I have another shot of Tequila in his honor.

Jimmy Bruno, better known as just "Bruno". A small marble stone is in the woods
near the original meeting place of the "Five Hole Gang".

Steve Scarborough

"Tom McCloud" wrote in message
...
On 26 Aug 2004 14:25:34 GMT, (William R.
Watt) wrote:
someone mentioned in another newsgroup a report of finding someone dead
in
a kayak. is this possible?

It's been probably 20 years ago that a group of paddlers completed
section 4 Chattooga, and were making that fla****er paddle to
take-out. One guy in a kayak dropped back, and, apparently suffering
a heart attack, rolled over. At some point later another group of
paddlers came upon the overturned kayak, assuming it was a boat lost
on the river, rolled it over and found a dead man still in it. I no
longer remember the name of the victim but I know the guy who rolled
the kayak up.
If this is the incident I'm thinking of I was on Section III that day with
a Coastal Canoists trip.I beleive the raft that turned the kayak back
upright might have been other members of the same Coastals group on their
annual Smokies summer week affair.
I'll bet that incident put a major freeze on the "group camaraderie" to say
the least.
Paul

Second answer is a question to our Canadian members: you know the
definition of kayak disease at it applies to the Inuit?
Tom McCloud

Tom McCloud wrote:

Second answer is a question to our Canadian members: you know the
definition of kayak disease at it applies to the Inuit?

Are you referring to "kayak angst"? It's a form of vertigo that can
occur when paddling in fog, darkness or other conditions that make it
impossible to visually distinguish the water's surface. Your brain loses
all spatial orientation. Fortunately, simply creating ripples on the
water surface with your paddle is enough to "break the spell", so to speak.

"Brian Nystrom" wrote in message
...


Tom McCloud wrote:

Second answer is a question to our Canadian members: you know the
definition of kayak disease at it applies to the Inuit?

Are you referring to "kayak angst"? It's a form of vertigo that can
occur when paddling in fog, darkness or other conditions that make it
impossible to visually distinguish the water's surface. Your brain loses
all spatial orientation. Fortunately, simply creating ripples on the
water surface with your paddle is enough to "break the spell", so to
speak.


I've experienced this in a canoe on a glassy lake, under a moonless, crystal
clear star-filled sky. Very spooky, as your rational thought is fully aware
of what would happen if you fell over. Even in a stable boat like a canoe,
you can be so offbalance and dizzy from it that you could completely fall
out of the boat from a sitting position without dumping. The cure (other
than making ripples) is to close your eyes and lie on the floor of your
boat. Face down helps.

--riverman

Cameron O'Connor was found at the bottom of Tumwater canyon in WA
upside-down in her kayak after being worked in the rapids above. She was
revived.

In message , riverman
writes

"Brian Nystrom" wrote in message
...


Tom McCloud wrote:

Second answer is a question to our Canadian members: you know the
definition of kayak disease at it applies to the Inuit?

Are you referring to "kayak angst"? It's a form of vertigo that can
occur when paddling in fog, darkness or other conditions that make it
impossible to visually distinguish the water's surface. Your brain loses
all spatial orientation. Fortunately, simply creating ripples on the
water surface with your paddle is enough to "break the spell", so to
speak.


I've experienced this in a canoe on a glassy lake, under a moonless, crystal
clear star-filled sky. Very spooky, as your rational thought is fully aware
of what would happen if you fell over. Even in a stable boat like a canoe,
you can be so offbalance and dizzy from it that you could completely fall
out of the boat from a sitting position without dumping. The cure (other
than making ripples) is to close your eyes and lie on the floor of your
boat. Face down helps.

--riverman



--
Dave Manby
Details of the Coruh river and my book "Many Rivers To Run" at
http://www.dmanby.demon.co.uk

On Sun, 29 Aug 2004 13:48:30 GMT, Brian Nystrom
wrote:
Tom McCloud wrote:
Second answer is a question to our Canadian members: you know the
definition of kayak disease at it applies to the Inuit?
Are you referring to "kayak angst"? It's a form of vertigo that can
occur when paddling in fog, darkness or other conditions that make it
impossible to visually distinguish the water's surface. Your brain loses
all spatial orientation. Fortunately, simply creating ripples on the
water surface with your paddle is enough to "break the spell", so to speak.

Brian and riverman (Is that you, Myron---where you at?) are both
kind of on the right track. The Inuit kayak is, after all, a
hunting craft, often used to spear seals. On a sunny, windless day
the hunter may paddle out onto the ocean, and to have any chance of
spearing anything he must sit there, absolutely motionless for an
extended period of time, to prevent spooking the seals. So he's hot,
and the surface of the sea is glassy, rocking very gently, he gets
drowsy and he falls asleep, then turns over in the boat and drowns.
A death of this sort was referred to as 'kayak disease'. Not sure
where I read this, years ago. Maybe a Peter Freuchen book?
Tom McCloud

"Tom McCloud" wrote in message
...

Brian and riverman (Is that you, Myron---where you at?) are both
kind of on the right track.

Hey Tom...still cooling my heels in Kinshasa. Last year at the school,
looking for different political climes for my next place. I lurk more than
post here these days, but I'm still around.

--riverman

"riverman" wrote in message ...
"Tom McCloud" wrote in message
...

Brian and riverman (Is that you, Myron---where you at?) are both
kind of on the right track.

Hey Tom...still cooling my heels in Kinshasa. Last year at the school,
looking for different political climes for my next place. I lurk more than
post here these days, but I'm still around.

--riverman

We had a man die in his boat in Lake Melborn . That is in Labrador . I
can't remember his name either but he was on an epic voyage. He
paddled fron Greenland to here and died of a heart attack. He was in
his thirties.
An Inuit family found the body still in the boat if memmory serves me
correctly.