If having another boater on the river, that day, could have prevented the outcome of his accident. As a boater, we tend to place some of the blame for bad accidents on ourselves. We wonder if we should have done something different/more to prevent what happened to our friends. But, in the end, it was his decision to get on the river and it's ultimately his life rests in his own hands.

Personally, I swam out of Dicks Creek Ledge (Chattooga) about five years ago when the river crested ~13 feet. Even though I was with fellow boaters, there was nothing that anyone could have done to prevent my swim nor were/could they have been in a position to help rescue me. I was alone and it was my decision to run that swollen river that I had to accept.

He, as do all of us, decided to get on that said river and assumed the risk that was inevitable on such a high-water run. I've never been a boater that would run something due to having safety "set". I run the drops that I do based on my own confidence- confidence that I can make the moves that are required for the drop/river and only after realizing the risk that is associated with my decision.

One thing that I always cringed at were a few of the new generation creek boaters that would run a drop only after putting their safety in the hands of another human being. If I messed up in a drop and someone else got hurt/died as a result, I would be very pissed at myself.

My condolences to the family,

Scott