Accident/Incident Database

19800119^?, 19 January 1980 10:00^?, Fatal accident^? / Swim^?
Victims^?: NZ, Male. NZ, Male
Location^?: Tasman/Aorere^?

Class^?: III
Flow^?: Unknown, "High"
Boat Type^?: Kayak-Touring/
Trip Type^?: Private

Summary^?:

A party of six paddlers put on the flooded Aorere river. A whirlpool was encountered in a gorge, which capsized all the canoeists, forcing some to abandon their canoes and attempt to climb the wall of the gorge. It is believed that one paddler went to assist another who had been swept through the whirlpool. The bodies of both paddlers were observed floating underneath a bridge downstream.

Discussion^?:

The image below is apparently the location of the whirlpool.

Be aware of the additional hazards in flooded rivers (Recommendation 1.25).

Sources^?:
Dark Side of the Wave - Preface, Paul Caffyn.

Reported by^?: Jonathan Hunt
Created: 2004-03-09, changed: 2004-03-09.