Life Happy Rafting! (Ignore the Corpse)
posted by July 7 at 8:31 AM
onFrom the Associated Press:
Police say white water rafters going through the tricky Blossom Bar rapids on southern Oregon’s Rogue River may see the body of a California woman who drowned there last week but cannot be recovered.
The waters remain too rough for safe removal of the victim. Rafters are complaining about the ever-present corpse. Full story here.
Upsetting update/background from Slog tipper Ryan:
My cousin, a rafting guide on the Rogue River for eight years, told me about this story three days ago. His company Arta wasn’t responsible for the accident, but knows the company involved. What was left out:Helicopters aren’t the only way to get to the body. Powerboats that commonly go down the rogue for tours are able to get to the body and one such boat tried to remove the body. It was too tangled to remove without risking ripping the corpse in half.
Oregon BLM [Bureau of Land Management] had agreed that dam levels could be altered for a half-day time period so that river levels could be lowered to get the woman out. The sheriff’s department refused to ask for the levels to be lowered and the BLM cannot lower levels without a proper request. It would potentially take 4 hours for one person with bolt cutters and a saw to get her out if the levels were lowered.
The woman was a mother of three. The other rafter had her kneecap torn off by the accident. She was medevaced out within hours. The dead woman is visible from the water and her hand is above water line. Tour groups walk around this rapid now.
Basically, the sheriff’s office is lying. Expect something to be done as its in the news now. The woman drowned 6 days ago. This is a really disturbing case, especially considering how callous the sheriff’s department has been in handling it.
Eep. Stay tuned.
Update from Slog commenter Truthteller: The woman’s body has been recovered.
Comments
God that's fucked up. I cant even think of a joke to attach to it. Bellevue Ave? eccehomo?
Why are they complaining? Aren't corpses part of nature?
Usually you can say "well, dumbasses, they should have done xyz..." But these folks were wearing lifevests. The only way to win would have been to not have played at all.
One word: Guh-ross!
Oh sure, NOW nobody seems to have a cell phone camera handy. But we get 237 identical snapshots of the exact same pigeon with a dart in his head.
I wonder if this ever happens at a water park?
"Rogue" River. Online dictionary, rogue:
adj.
1. Vicious and solitary. Used of an animal, especially an elephant.
2. Large, destructive, and anomalous or unpredictable: a rogue wave; a rogue tornado.
3. Operating outside normal or desirable controls.
Hmm. Perhaps they would rather ride a river that's out of the wway, calm and gentle, you know, ride in the "Sticks"?
sissies. who hasn't seen a corpse or two on a float trip?
Never forget seeing the purple flesh of a corpse on a fishing trip with my dad! I was twelve and still can see it. Is it any better that people KNOW the body is out there, or should we have left it as a fun surprise???
In the comments, though- it looks as though it finally shook loose, and they grabbed her and pulled her out.
How hard would it be on one of those rafting trips to carry a novelty hook like they use to pull acts off of a Vaudeville stage? Anyone who makes their own hamburger patties shouldn't have a problem just grabbing the poor woman by her hair and dragging her out of there as they pass by.
People sometimes die doing dangerous activities and it is sometimes more dangerous to remove their bodies. People who climb Mt. Everest are well aware of this.
Lowering dam levels would result in a massive fish kill. It's not worth bringing Rogue River salmon that much closer to extinction for the temporary aesthetic benefits of rafters and hikers.
Anyone freaking out over one body in a river should take a peek at the Ganges in India and learn to get a grip.
Everythings gonna be ok. They just yanked the corpse out of the river:
http://blog.oregonlive.com/breakingnews/2008/07/rogue_river_drowning_victim_fi.html
Her own family signed off on leaving her there until a recovery that was safe for all concerned could be designed. Seems like the sheriff's office was not so much callous as in a no-win situation.
Wait... Rogue like Rogue Breweries Dead Guy Ale???
Lorax @12 is absolutely correct. The sheriff acted appropriately.
Anyone else having slog problems?
Yeah, the slog is either dead today or there's something painfully wrong. Where will I get my "news"??
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