Hypothermia-Scary and no joke
This happened on a river trip rather than a canyoneering trip, but hypothermia can happen on either. This is my first experience seeing someone with real hypothermia. Unfortunately, that someone was my son. I thought I'd share the experience although there is a lot of guilt associated with the event.
Originally, we were thinking of running the Delores, but after hearing trip reports decided that it would be too risky for canoeist. Thinking we were making a safer decision, we decided on the Gunnison River; Delta to Whitewater section. I had already canoed that section twice, also on Memorial Day weekend. There were no problems and it was a lot of fun and seemingly low risk. This time the weather was supposed to be beautiful as well; last time it rained hard and long on us.
Since I had experience with that section of river and since I had run it before, I made a big mistake. I took both kids on the canoe. Both kids are great swimmers and strong; that wasn't the problem. The problem is that with a third person that can't kneel, but has to sit on the gear the center of gravity is too high.
Unfortunately at the car park, the other two boats dropped out. The raft group had a family emergency and had to leave. The two in the canoe had one person who had no experience canoeing and rightfully decided to bail.
We contemplated doing something else, but we really were already packed for a river trip and didn't bring any canyoneering or backpacking gear; I didn't bring maps of other place,s and wasn't keen on going to the crowded Colorado National Monument and Black Canyon (where the others decided to go) on the crowded 3-day weekend so we decided to go on alone.
We heard that the river was running really high, but I underestimated the change in the character of the river that came with it.
Apparently there was a big dam release and the river was running at around 14,000 CFS on May 27, when we disembarked. Average (40 year) CFS (late May is usually high water) for that date is 3900 CFS, so there was a lot more water than usual (supposedly the most water since the 1950's).
http://canyoncollective.com/attachme...c4c2cb564d95e0
Unfortunately, the water was much colder than usual as well. We decided to get an early start to be assured a campsite at the Dominguez Canyon waterfall. The gauge indicates that the water temperature was between 48 and 49F during that time period:
http://canyoncollective.com/attachme...c4c2cb564d95e0
Things started out well, but challenging. The river really wasn't any rougher than previous trips, but it was much faster. We covered the first six miles in less than an hour, which is incredibly fast. Having a third person sitting on the gear really made it challenging and harder to balance, especially at the speed the river was flowing.
With the river being so high, there were lots of logs in the river. We eventually did knick a log, which spilled us over and we all went swimming.
I always tell the kids that if we ever did go over in the canoe to stay with the boat until we can get to shore. That way we will know where everyone is rather than having us on opposite banks.
We were all together, but because of the swiftness of the river, it was hard to get to the shore. We floated about a mile and a half down river without making any progress of getting to shore. Kessler and I were both still holding tight to our paddles. I wasn't thinking that we were in any kind of danger since we were just floating there holding onto the boat and had good life jackets on. No snags or more rapids were in sight. The water was a bit chilly, but it didn't feel that cold to me (I actually have a high tolerance to cold, so it really wasn't on my mind).
I had the idea (big mistake) that I if could hand my paddle to Kessler and swim the overturned canoe to shore. Kessler couldn't hold onto the boat holding both paddles, but he could still stay as close as possible to us.
I was successful pushing and swimming the canoe to shore (on an island, but still shore), with Shaylee still holding on. I knew Kessler had fallen behind, but expected him to come floating and swimming around the bend any minute.
Everything was tied in good and we didn't seem to lose anything but one of Shaylee's shoes (we brought extra pairs) and a water bottle. I dragged the boat higher on shore, expecting to see Kessler any second. I hurried and got out some food and drinks for Shaylee (and for Kessler when he showed up shortly).
Where was Kessler? I was getting worried and decided to walk up river. Shaylee and I were on an island, but it was close to the main shore. I had to wade a few channels chest deep to the main shore. This I did and took off my life jacket since I had to bushwhack. After the initial bushwhack, I found a brushy cow trail along the shore.
After a walk of maybe half a mile, shouting periodically, I could hear Kessler shouting back "where are you?". I couldn't see him, but could tell that he was on a brushy island not far from the main shore. I shouted that I was on the main shore and that he should come over here. He wasn't far away and should be able to hear me clearly (even though we can't see each other through the bushes), but kept asking "where are you?". The island was covered in tamarisk, and not sensing that anything was wrong, I told him that if he float/swim a little down river there was an easier place to get out.
Since I had ditched my life jacket in the bushwhack, expecting to be on foot, I didn't swim out to the island, still not suspecting anything. Instead of floating down to the easier place to get out, I could here him bushwhacking across the island. I was a little annoyed and wondered why it was taking so long. I saw him and he swam across the channel to where near where I was standing. It wasn't a good place to take out since it was brushy and a steep bank and I wondered why he didn't simply follow my instructions to float down to the easier place to get out. He was stuck in the bushes so I waded out (about chest deep) there to help him get through. I noticed that he was only holding one paddle and had no shoes on. I asked him where the other paddle is, but no response. He seemed to be having trouble getting through the bushes and I told him to hand me the paddle and I would pull him through the mostly submerged bushes. We then had to climb up through the mud covered bank to shore. It was slippery, but wasn't that hard for me. Kessler kept slowly crawling up the bank and his hands and knees and I told him to stand up and climb out.
It wasn't until he laid his face in the mud that I finally sensed that something was wrong. I grabbed his life jacket and dragged him onto the shore telling him that he has to stand up. He could stand and his speech (which was very little) was slurred and he was confused. I told him that he had to walk or stand up, but he couldn't. He had no balance at all. He didn't know where he was or what was happening. Even holding onto me or me trying to hold him up by his life jacket didn't work. We only made a few feet of progress after quite a bit of time. I hadn't ever seen it in person, but I knew that he was in a deep stage of hypothermia. Unfortunately, I didn't know what to do. I know all the first aid for hypothermia, having practiced and read about it many times over the years. We were seemingly well prepared and had brought warm dry clothes and sleeping bags, but they were in the boat a half a mile downstream. I was soaking wet, so I couldn't warm him up.
After spending a few minutes trying to get him to stand up or walk and hoping for another boat to come by, I couldn't thing of anything else to do, except for to leave him alone in his delusional state and get warm clothes and a sleeping bag. I hated leaving him alone in that state, freezing cold and lying delusional in the dirt, but I didn't another alternative. I ran back down the river and waded to the island and told Shaylee that we had to help Kessler (she had been on the island alone for over an hour now). We grabbed the clothes and warmest sleeping bag (all dry and still in drybags), waded (Shaylee had to swim) to the main shore and up river to Kessler. This was about a mile round trip, but we hurried as fast as we could. We found Kessler and I had him crouch into a ball for warmth while I put the sleeping bag over Kessler, who we got in a hunched over sitting position.
We spied a raft upriver and shouted that we needed some help. At this time I thought that we would have to get Kessler to the hospital. I didn't want to leave the kids alone and trying to control the canoe with only me was a lost cause anyway.
We got Kessler's clothes off, put a down jacket on him and had him in the sleeping bag. Unfortunately again, I had thought to grab Kessler's clothes, but not ours and we were still wet and cold so didn't think that it would help getting in the sleeping bag with him.
He shivered for a while, but improved quickly. His color came back and he could tell us that he was cold and he could talk coherently (the air temperature was quite warm-it was the water temperature).
Kessler recovered completely.
We got a ride on the raft down to the canoe and Shaylee rode with the raft until camp. With two people in the canoe, it was actually very easy to maneuver and we had no problems. Shaylee got a ride in a raft the next day as well, and again there were no problems and it was easy to maneuver with just the two of us.
Although I feel very guilty about the situation, maybe posting this public will be useful to others.
Things we did right:
We brought dry clothes and a dry sleeping bag, which stayed dry. We knew first aid and the signs and symptoms of hypothermia. We brought an extra paddle and even extra shoes.
Things I did wrong:
First, having three people on the canoe. I don't think canoeing the river was not a mistake, even at high water, but having three of us on the boat certainly was. We should have had other boats with us as well (other canoeist-the only others we saw and they were not of our group also ran into trouble).
The second big mistake was me not thinking that Kessler could be suffering from hypothermia after being in the water so long. I was not cold and Shaylee only shivered for a while, so it didn't even cross my mind at the time. I could hear Kessler and then see him, so I didn't suspect something was wrong. I expected him to tell me if something was wrong (my first thought was that maybe there had been some kind of injury that was preventing him from joining us). This was a big mistake.
When any cold water is involved (canyoneering, boating, canoeing, or even being out in the rain), hypothermia should be on everyone's mind. I wasn't in that mindset since I wasn't cold. It is always a mistake to assume (unintentionally) that just because you aren't suffering from cold (or heat), that someone else might not be.
Given the water temperatures (for the other times on Memorial Day weekend the water was not this cold), we should have been wearing more neoprene than just the socks (the life jackets were also neoprene).
As for staying with the canoe, that is what I have always been taught to do on a wilderness river since if you get separated and swim to shore, the others might not have any idea where you are or on which shore. Although this river does have other people on it, in the wilderness you don't want to get separated from all your supplies. It still seems like a logical idea to stay with the boat, but it keeps you in the water for a longer time.
It must also be remembered that the time exposure is also very important. Long exposure to moderately cold water is as dangerous of more dangerous than short exposure to near freezing water. I don't know for sure, but Kessler could have been either in the water or soaking wet for up to an hour.
Of note, Kessler has no memory what so every of the incident. He remembers leaving his shoes and the other paddle on the shore, but nothing else. At the time of the incident, he didn't know what happened to them, only later. The rest has been wiped clean from his memory.
I have been thinking that my stupid and reckless years (a.k.a. the 1990's) are long behind me, but spending so much time outdoors, they still do creep up.
Please be safe out there, watch for hypothermia and always keep a close eye on everyone on your team, regardless if you yourself are feeling no ill effects.
