Kayakers who found themselves in distress during whitewater conditions in the Seymour River last weekend say they were recovered without the help of first responders.
That’s according to Dan McKay, an experienced paddler who was part of the group of six on the North Vancouver waterway on Sunday.
Since an article ran on Monday with an account from North Van RCMP stating that some of the kayakers needed help from rescuers, several members of a local club have reached out to complain that police’s version of events is incorrect.
McKay said he always does a safety assessment with his group before proceeding downstream. On Sunday – after historic rainfall fell in a storm the day before – he likened the Seymour River to a blue run on a ski hill.
Most in his group were competent paddlers, but one may have been punching a bit above her weight, McKay said.
“Again, the river is not overly challenging,” he said. “Imagine somebody who’s done plenty of green runs and a couple of blues, and she’s just going to try an entire blue.”
On the group’s second lap, that paddler flipped behind McKay, but he was able to get her onto the back of his boat and eventually to a safe spot where she got onto the shore, he said.
Meanwhile, another paddler who was assisting the recovery also fell in. McKay chased him downstream, eventually passing under the Dollarton Bridge before they both got out of the water shortly after.
That’s when a “concerned, uninformed” bystander called 911, said Dave Wortly, president of the Vancouver Whitewater Club. Sunday’s paddle wasn’t sanctioned by the group, but some of its members – including McKay – were there.
“No action was required by rescue services as all paddlers were already on the shore and gear was being recovered by the group themselves,” Wortly said.
Police account does damage to reputation of kayaking community, club president says
In any case, RCMP attended the scene in cruisers and with the detachment’s police boat. DNV Fire and Rescue Services and Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue also responded.
Some of the capsized kayakers were recovered with the help of rescuers, said Const. Mansoor Sahak with North Van RCMP.
The Mountie also noted the risky conditions that day.
“I don’t know what was going through their heads, but it was extremely dangerous,” he said in an interview Monday. “The water was so high and so aggressive – this well could have been a fatal incident,” Sahak said.
But Wortly said this account does damage to the reputation of the whitewater kayaking community.
“Everyone there has training and is fully equipped to deal with that situation,” he said. “So yes, there were two people in distress. But that’s a common thing that happens when people are doing sports. You know, people fall off mountain bikes. People eject off skis.”
When incidents like this have happened in the past, Wortly said they typically get statements from police and rescue volunteers “commending the group’s preparedness, commending the fact that this group was geared up correctly.
“That’s where our main disappointment is,” he said.
The whitewater kayaking community struggles to get funding for training and practice facilities, while fighting to access restricted areas with hydro infrastructure, Wortly said.
“Stories that do damage to our communities don’t help us when we do have to deal with access rights.… It’s a cumulative effect,” he said.
