Sad News On The Meramec

[ColdWaterFshr]

No doubt about it, that was bad judgement: 5 small kids to 1 adult in a canoe. As Ness said, there is a perception about float trips, that anybody can do it, just give me a paddle and lets go.

I guess what bothers me most is that I've taken my 3 kids in a canoe (as young as 3 yrs old), along with my wife, many times. If things went sideways, we would be outnumbered, and my wife doesn't consider herself the strongest swimmer.

So . . . I'm not going to cast stones. I don't think its necessarily wrong to float with young kids as long as you're careful. Walk the boat around any approaching hazards, no matter how tame it looks. And obviously it should never be 5:1 This story is about as sad as it gets and that poor woman will carry the burden the rest of her life.

[cwc87]

It is a sad way to start off the summer float season. Got word from a credible source that the canoe that capsized was a privately owned vessel and no outfitters shuttled them. They were on there own with a group of private canoes. Still it is alot of sad news for the float season. My feelings are really with those that were involved with this incident it must have been gut wreching.

[Geoff]

that poor little girl was related my fiance's dads, his cousin's grandchil maybe, i forgot the pathway...him and part of the family were at the wake/funeral the other day

[Snow Fly]

Just a few days before this terrible incident two young men around 21, I think, drowned in the Meramec near the Caverns, gee how many people have drowned in this general area over the years......not a good start to the summer especially with all the rivers running higher than normal.....My prayers to all the families dealing with their losses, and the others involved.

[Wayne SW/MO]

I lived close to the Niangua fora few years and sadly it happens. Irresponsible adults and probably an irresponsible livery. They are lucky they were able to pull 4 out, that doesn't always happen either.

[fishinwrench]

Poor kids

Strainers are the worst thing ever. I'd rather 'round a bend' and be confronted by a dozen hungry crocodiles than to get swept into a wicked strainer in heavy water.

I almost got sucked into one upstream from Bird island on the Niangua, during a solo trip , ,(had a rod in my hand instead of the paddle, at the wrong time),, It shook me up pretty good, caught me off-guard, with no PFD, and one paddle stroke away from certain death.

[Wayne SW/MO]

I would say the the canoe renter who knows how to ferry is a rare paddler.