Sep 25, 2003 By Steve Ferris 2 min read

A 22-year-old man swam to safety and was not hurt after he and his kayak were swept over the 20-foot Youghiogheny River falls in Ohiopyle State Park Wednesday afternoon, park officials said. Harry Deliere, who lives in the Ohiopyle area, was in a hydraulic near the Route 381 bridge at approximately 12:45 p.m. when his kayak flipped over, Assistant Park Manager Dan Bickel, of the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, said.

He got out of the boat and tried to swim to shore before reaching the falls, but the strong current carried him over the falls, Bickel said.

Deliere managed to swim to shore just downstream from the falls.

“He got flipped over and tried to get to shore, but went over the falls,” Bickel said. “He made one of the biggest mistakes a kayaker can make – boating alone in high water. He’s very lucky.”

Bickel said Matthew Painley made to the same mistake and was not as fortunate.

Painley of Hopwood, who worked as a river guide, died while kayaking alone in high water on March 15. He was believed to have fallen out of his boat at the first set of rapids after the launch in the park. The river level was 7.6 feet that day and the water temperature was 43 degrees.

Wednesday’s river level was seven feet, which is much higher than the normal summer level of two to three feet.

Bickel said Deliere was “surfing’ at the time of the accident. Surfing involves steering a kayak into a fast-moving pocket of water and keeping the boat in that spot, Bickel said.

He said the area is open to boating and Deliere was wearing a life jacket and helmet. Deliere couldn’t be reached for comment.

The Ohiopyle-Stewart Township Volunteer Fire Department, park staff and Fayette EMS responded to the incident. Bickel said Deliere refused treatment saying it wasn’t necessary.