[pct-l] High water creates high risk - 2005 deaths

[vichanson at hotmail.com (Vic Hanson)]

FYI  For those of you who don't know and might be interested, the L.A. Times 
has an Outdoor section in the paper every Monday (I think). Lots of 
interesting articles, mostly in California, but other areas as well. It is 
available on the web at:

http://www.latimes.com/travel/outdoors/

Most articles are available to view without registration.

Joe Robinson

With rivers raging faster than they have in years, fatalities and rescues 
have jumped dramatically at Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks this 
year.

Only one person had died by this time in 2004, but so far this year eight 
people have been killed. Four drowned, two were struck by lightning and two 
climbers were killed on icy rock on Mt. Whitney.

In the most recent fatalities, a Boy Scout and a Scout leader were killed by 
lightning last week.

Two other young men drowned in separate incidents while swimming in the 
middle fork of the Kaweah River. In another incident, a father was rescued 
by helicopter after being pinned underwater when he jumped into a river to 
save his son.

Higher water has submerged many of the usual rock-hopping routes across 
streams and rivers.

"These people have fallen victim to a combination of taking risks, bad luck 
and last winter," says Bill Tweed, chief naturalist for the National Park 
Service. "This is last winter still taking its final toll."

To avoid injury or death, he advises checking current conditions with 
rangers, reading signs and being cautious around water.

Joe Robinson