Read more than 80 of the most compelling true stories of canoeing, kayaking, and rafting rescues ever submitted to the American Whitewater Accident Database. Risk is a part of everyday life, but it takes a special person to grab a paddle and choose to navigate a canoe, kayak, or raft over whitewater. After all, when you mix people and moving water, accidents are bound to occur. Sometimes, inexperienced paddlers make terrible mistakes; other times, expert paddlers get caught in dangerous conditions. Regardless of the circumstances, these life-or-death moments can end in tragedy—or can become the setting for heroic rescues. Charlie Walbridge has been a river guide, a paddling-related business owner, and a member of the American Whitewater Board. That’s where he began some of his most important work: maintaining their accident database and producing biannual reports of US whitewater fatalities. Over the years, the lessons learned and the practices developed from this information have saved countless lives. In Whitewater Rescues, Charlie shares more than 80 of the most thrilling true stories of survival, bravery, and quick thinking ever submitted to the American Whitewater Accident Database. The narratives are uplifting and inspiring, and they spotlight the courage and ingenuity of whitewater paddlers. Read rescue stories about: Near drownings - Pins and entrapments - Injuries and resuscitations - Evacuations - Bonus: strategies for avoiding and managing risk Charlie’s goal is to help paddlers stay safe by sharing what has worked for others. There is much to admire and learn from each of these stories. Perhaps they will also be useful to you. “This new collection . . . [offers] stories of quick thinking, strong teamwork, and ingenious solutions that have prevented the worst from happening.” — Teresa Gryder, ND , safety chair, Lower Columbia Canoe Club (WA) “Charlie’s collection of whitewater accidents and successful results are a read worth your time. I believe Charlie has shared experiences to guide us toward safer paddling.” — Virgil Chambers , National Safe Boating Council “I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in whitewater safety and especially for all paddling instructors.” — Charlie Duffy , ACA swiftwater rescue instructor “Charlie continues his lifelong contribution to whitewater safety with Whitewater Rescues . The book is a pleasant twist on accident prevention and boating safety.” — Robert B. Kauffman, PhD , author and boating-safety expert Charlie Walbridge is a nationally known whitewater safety expert with more than 50 years of river-running experience. He began paddling whitewater seriously in 1967 while attending college. He has paddled rivers throughout the US and Canada and made several first descents. He was an A-ranked C-1 slalom and wildwater racer in the mid-1970s and worked part-time as a river guide until the mid-1980s. He has collected and published reports of US whitewater fatalities for more than 40 years and has written books and articles on whitewater safety, including The American Canoe Association’s Knots for Paddlers (Menasha Ridge Press, 1995) and The American Canoe Association’s River Safety Anthology (Menasha Ridge Press, 1996). He has served as an expert witness in many wrongful death cases and is quoted often in newspapers and magazines. Charlie has been active in both the American Canoe Association (ACA) and American Whitewater (AW). He held the position of safety chairman for both organizations and now serves on the AW board of directors. As a member of the ACA Instruction Committee, he helped develop programs in whitewater canoeing and swiftwater rescue, and he trains students and instructors in swiftwater rescue. Bad Pin on Loyalsock Creek by Charlie Walbridge In 1966, I was part of a group of friends who started the Outing Club at Bucknell University in central Pennsylvania. My roommate was a counselor at a canoe camp and was very enthusiastic about whitewater. One trip down a local Class II creek in an open canoe and I was hooked! By April 1969, my buddy Jim Love and I were both kayakers. Thanks to the Penn State Outing Club pool sessions, we both had pretty good rolls. We’d run some Class II rapids and were looking for more excitement. We called our contact at the Penn State Outing Club and got invited on a trip down Loyalsock Creek, a Class III run in north-central Pennsylvania known for its frigid climate and icy water. In addition to our two kayaks, there were four tandem Grumman open canoes in our group. Putting in a few minutes behind us was a nationally known group of expert C-1 racers I’d met at Penn State’s pool sessions. All went according to plan until we reached the S-Turn rapid, one of the hardest on the run. I flipped and immediately executed my first-ever river roll in painfully cold water. I was whooping and hollering until I was suddenly confronted with a huge pour-over. As I went over, I saw that it was created by a pinned