Boy Drown On Buffalo Sunday

[Al Agnew]

The only constructive purpose to "assigning blame" is if, in doing so, you CAN use it to figure out what to do to prevent it in the future.

But, like I said before, I have mixed feelings about trying to make the rivers "safe" by removing all the obstacles. Those obstacles tend to be good habitat for river critters, especially fish. And I'd be a bit afraid that if you turned loose private organizations to remove them, they might get a bit overzealous and remove everything in sight.

As for canoe liveries refusing rentals...another sticky problem. At what point do you draw the line? How do you evaluate the skill level and common sense of the renter?

Nope, in my opinion, in the end it's a wild river. Wild rivers aren't inherently safe. You can't MAKE them safe without removing the wildness. Accidents will always happen, horrific as some of them may be. Whoever is assigned the job of removing dangerous obstacles, they have to show restraint and only remove the worst of them, and do it in such a way that it is little noticeable.

[swellcat]

National Safety Council: The odds of dying from...

[Phil Lilley]

Interesting numbers.

More people commit suicide than are murdered.

[Wayne SW/MO]

I'm not trying to lay blame. Its hard to avoid however in trying to make the point that a child who can't help himself has no business on a wild river in the Spring. The rivers in this area are unknowns at this point and they will remain so until the weather quits changing them. Canoe upsets are instantaneous, and there is never time to do more than help yourself at the onset.

Its not a freak accident, canoes upset, rivers change, and skills vary, always have, always will.

I just hope that its the last one I hear about, sadly its not the first.

[soggyfeet]

I agree with Al not everthing needs to be removed. But I do think think there are some areas when the water gets too high that needs some work done on. I know the Niangua the best and there are al least two areas where a S-curve is deep, narrow and very swift and full of stumps. I myself belive I am a good canoe navagitor and these areas are very tricky for me cause of not the river but the congestion and lack of experinced people. I mean there will be 15 boats stacked up going into these curves and then just as you get through another 20 boats watching all the boats flip. Granted there is usually a few guys helping out the upset boats but we all know the condition of these boaters and most will just get in the way of the rest trying to come through. I would think a little clean up in these problem spots wouldnt hurt a bit. It seems every river I go to has these areas. In my opion these areas are more dangerous thean the rope swings that are cut down yearly. I would like to see some numbers on the near drownings between a rope swing and these areas that I mentioned above.

[Ham]

People need to be responsible for themselves and those under their care. I do not believe that most first timers have a clue about how to paddle or control the boat. Should the boat rental places attempt to educate. I kind of think so.

The mid to lower river would be a much safer place for first timers, but bad stuff happens to folks with experience as well.

I hated reading about he loss of that child's life. Just bums me out.