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