Whitewater canoeing, kayaking, and rafting have grown tremendously during the last decade. Although improvements in equipment and training make river running safer than ever, it's also true that more participants mean more accidents. This is the sixth collection of whitewater accident reports published since 1974 as a joint project of the American Canoe Association and American Whitewater. We have only one purpose: to help paddlers learn from the misfortunes of others about the dangers they face on the rivers they love. Whitewater sport will never be risk free, so smart paddlers always prepare for trouble. Most canoe, kayak, and raft enthusiasts will never encounter a fatal accident during their careers, but all can benefit from the experiences of thousands of river runners contained in these reports. Readers will become increasingly aware of both common and uncommon types of accidents, and develop their skill in recognizing and avoiding dangerous situations. They'll also learn from actual rescues what works, and what doesn't. The reports in this book involve a wide variety of boat type, skill level, and river difficulty. They examine the events leading up to each incident, and contain descriptions of the techniques actually used by those on the scene to deal with them. Many are written by the people who were actually there; all feature a detailed analysis by river experts. The River Safety Report is gripping, disturbing, and always enlightening. It contains profound lessons useful to both the hard-core and occasional paddler.

The American Canoe Association's River Safety Report 1996 - 1999, Used [Paperback]