Knowledge of risk can be life saver
Fayette County’s coroner summed up the reality when he commented: “It’s not Disney World up there.” Dr. Phillip Reilly was referring to the Youghiogheny River in Ohiopyle State Park where several fatal accidents have occurred.
As the latest incident showed, even an experienced kayaker, equipped with the latest in safety gear, can become a victim.
The river’s rapids attract thousands of tourists each year. On March 15, 19-year-old Matthew Painley of Hopwood became the latest person to lose his life while he was kayaking in the river.
A coroner’s jury found that Painley’s death was unavoidable considering the extreme conditions that existed in the river that day. All the necessary safety precautions had been taken by Painley.
Dr. Reilly believes the testimony presented during the inquest, along with information on safety distributed by the media to the public, could help others with less experience on the river to become more aware of the risks of running the rapids.
At the time of Painley’s fatal injury, the river level was 7 feet, 6 inches, and the water temperature was 43 degrees. The normal water level in the summer is 2 to 3 feet.
Although Painley was wearing a rubber dry suit top over two fleece shirts with a life jacket the cold water temperature could have limited his ability to remove himself from the above normal rapid flow of the water, according to testimony at the inquest.
Outfitters at Ohiopyle take special precautions to avoid such accidents. If the river level is 4 feet or higher they will not rent kayaks or rafts for unguided trips.
Tourists may be the most uninformed about the hazards of the river rapids. Although warning signs are posted, many people simply don’t understand or appreciate the risks that could be involved. Some are woefully unprepared to cope with the physical demands that a river trip can make on a human body.
For all of those reasons, Dr. Reilly believes that information is extremely important as one of the safeguards against accidents. For anyone who has doubts, or believes they might lack the stamina or physical strength, the coroner firmly believes they should make the wise choice by opting out of a downriver trip.
Running the river rapids in a raft can be a fun, exciting and exhilarating experience. For the unprepared novice, or a youngster seeking perhaps to only impress his friends by taking small, unnecessary risks, the trip can be dangerous.
The time to regret not knowing what to do in a time of sudden emergency or the serious risks involved is not half way down the river while running the rapids.
The coroner’s goal is for everyone to have all of the information about the risks and safety precautions beforehand. Such essential knowledge can be a real life saver.