Three kayakers go over Noccalula Falls

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12-01-2011, 06:16 PM
StudChild

Three kayakers go over Noccalula Falls

http://media.dtsph.com/sites/myfoxal...8853_BG1_0.jpg

ETOWAH COUNTY, AL (WBRC)-

"I'd like to report some crazy people going over the falls."

And with that 911 call, Noccalula Falls supervisor Janet Tarrance brought the police to the park Monday after three kayakers went over the 90-foot falls, on purpose. The three North Carolina men were unharmed.

Still, it has Gadsden Parks and Recreation officials re-evaluating city ordinances and even considering future arrests.

"If we catch anyone doing that we will call the police and have them arrested," Parks and Recreation director Kerry Payne told Fox6. "They could have been killed, severely injured. They said they were professionals, but we still don't allow professionals, amateurs or anyone and we discourage it."

Payne said he and Gadsden police arrived on the scene Monday afternoon just in time to see the three kayakers get their boats out of the water. A fourth kayaker worked the bottom gorge in case any of the other three got into trouble.

Payne says the three were told to take their kayaks and leave the property. They were not charged.

Pat Keller, Isaac Levinson and Chris Gragtmans went over one at a time Monday afternoon. Crews took photos and video of the jump, and the three plan to release it as part of a documentary, "Watershed: Land of Giants," debuting online on or before Dec. 24.

Mitchell Stewart, a Gadsden area kayaker who owns Coosa Outfitters downtown, says the three were professionals who likely studied the area extensively before they showed up unannounced Monday afternoon.

"You definitely want to be a professional diong this, I would not recommend it to anybody that did not fully understand the consequences and was not advanced to that level that these gentlemen were," says Stewart.
12-02-2011, 08:55 AM
BLUEberryBOB

Quote:

"If we catch anyone doing that we will call the police and have them arrested," Parks and Recreation director Kerry Payne told Fox6. "They could have been killed, severely injured. They said they were professionals, but we still don't allow professionals, amateurs or anyone and we discourage it."

So they're worried about the tax payer's dieing and not the freedom to do as you wish as long as it isn't hurting anyone else.:roll:
12-02-2011, 09:42 AM
Iceaxe

I really don't know what to think about this type of stuff.... It's cool that they did it, but a lot of times this type of stuff goes wrong and than you endanger others like the SAR teams that have to come rescue your butt.
12-02-2011, 10:03 AM
Scott Card

Quote:

Originally Posted by Iceaxe

I really don't know what to think about this type of stuff.... It's cool that they did it, but a lot of times this type of stuff goes wrong and than you endanger others like the SAR teams that have to come rescue your butt.

What he said....
12-02-2011, 12:27 PM
reverse_dyno

Should we ban rocking climbing because it is pointless and people get hurt doing it? I know sledding is very dangerous compared to skiing, should be ban sledding then? Mountain biking, skiing, snowboarding, mountaineering, etc are all pointless and very dangerous if you do them wrong. Outdoor sports look more dangerous than they usually are. That is what makes them cool. You can do extreme activities but in a relatively safe way, if you know what you are doing. If society doesn't want to pay the rescue costs, it needs to provide people insurance that we can buy like it does in Switzerland.
12-02-2011, 12:41 PM
accadacca

Bah, Humbug!
12-02-2011, 01:04 PM
Scott Card

Hey Reverse dyno,

Neither Ice nor I said to ban this stuff. In case you didn't know, both Ice and I have been known to do things which some consider crazy. Problem is competent people safely do potentially dangerous stuff. Then post it somewhere. Stupid people see the crazy but fun and safely (and perhaps luckly) completed activity. This leads to stupid people then trying to do the same thing because it looks fun.

Ban it? Probably not. But it does give cause to pause and think.
12-02-2011, 03:41 PM
CarpeyBiggs

Quote:

Originally Posted by Iceaxe

I really don't know what to think about this type of stuff.... It's cool that they did it, but a lot of times this type of stuff goes wrong and than you endanger others like the SAR teams that have to come rescue your butt.

hmm... that seems weird coming from a guy who makes money selling beta to people to go into parks and recreate in a non-traditional way.

but seriously, have you seen the whitewater porn that's being posted nowadays by kayakers? if a drop is less than a 100 feet and huckable, i can promise you it's been done, put on video, and posted for the masses. these guys aren't doing anything that isn't already pretty much in the mainstream for kayakers now. and it's pretty unlikely that people will see them doing it, and think "hey, i should do that with my walmart kayak!"

generally speaking, it's our job as humans to know what is or what is not within our skill range, regardless of what is in other people's skill range.
12-02-2011, 04:04 PM
Sombeech

This might be footage of the incident

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivx5VdNQKaU
12-02-2011, 04:35 PM
Scott Card

Apparently he needed more speed as he started to paddle midway down. Boring water fall. :lol8:
12-04-2011, 07:17 PM
accadacca

:popcorn:
12-12-2011, 05:55 AM
DiscGo

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scott Card

Apparently he needed more speed as he started to paddle midway down. Boring water fall. :lol8:

That is a really funny observation.