Video shows rafters before fatal ride in Croton, NY

[BeyondGeography]

Got this off the comments page from the article below; it checks out:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SfE3CEVc5eU&feature=youtu.be

CROTON-ON-HUDSON — Police today released the name of the man who was killed Sunday night after the raft carrying him and four other thrillseekers caspized on the Croton River.

Peter Engel, 53, of Cross River died after he and three of his fellow boaters were pulled from the raging river by Croton police divers.

A fifth boater, Brian Dooley, 33, of Yorktown Heights, was rescued by Croton police in a Zodiac boat about 90 seconds after he let go of the trees to which he had clung for two hours.

Dooley was taken to a local hospital. His condition was unknown. Three Croton firefighters who were tossed from their rescue boat when they first tried to reach Dooley are believed to be in good condition, Croton Police Lt. Russel Harper said, as are the other three boaters.

"He was in a very tough position, very hazardous," Harper said of Dooley. "There was some extreme slopes in that location, and the rapids were just too extreme."

The five men entered the Croton River at the Croton Gorge Park, near the foot of the Croton Dam. From there, they rode the 40 mph rapids roughly a mile before the raft overturned around 6 p.m. just south of Silver Lake Park....

http://www.lohud.com/article/20110829/NEWS02/108290313/Police-ID-boaters-fatal-capsize-Croton-River?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|Frontpage

[AngryAmish]

1. If no alcohol was involved then they were too stupid to live

Watch the video and look at that river.

[supernova]

2. These morons come out

after every hurricane or other long strong storm sure to raise water levels. No matter how often officials repeat that you should stay out of flood waters. There was a guy down here at VA beach who died because he tried to go surfing.

I'm sorry for the man's family; it's tragic, but so so preventable.

[adigal]

4. And the people who refuse to evacuate, then call for help

when the storm is at its peak. On Long Beach Island, if you refused to evacuate, they told you that they would not try to rescue you during the storm. I have to agree.

[supernova]

7. that's SOP

around here during hurricanes and other severe weather. The EMS will shut done for a short period while the storm is at its worst. No sense in EMS crews putting themselves or valuable equipment at risk. Then they can't help anyone.

edit: I don't mean to say that they quit during every storm, just that sometimes conditions are too bad even for them.

[Blue_Tires]

8. the sad part is they are old enough to know better

this is the kind of bullshit jackass-type stunt 16-year-olds try to pull off...

[supernova]

10. True

At least the surfer could claim 20 year old stupidity.

The family guy... that's sad on so many levels.

[11 Bravo]

14. And those fucking parasitic, overpaid, public employees (union thugs, probably) ...

risk their lives going in to save them.

[adigal]

3. They looked prepared, but it was still stupid

As the wife of an ex-firefighter, I hate when people do stuff like this because they jeopardize the lives of many others. Dumb and inconsiderate.

[nadinbrzezinski]

5. I know it happens every time, sill

[seabeyond]

6. i dont get this. watching first video of dudes checking it out. beyond weird to me. nt

[phantom power]

9. one of the many dangers of flood-stage paddling...

the shore-line moves up into the trees, where it is difficult or impossible to get at. So, even if/when a paddler decides to bail, there may be no place they can get out. Bad news.

[Eddie Haskell]

19. The entire bank becomes a strainer ... no experienced

boater would risk going into a gorge at flood stage. Once you go in, there's no way out. I take it you're a paddler.

[phantom power]

23. Yes. Or, was once upon a time.

I paddled a flood stage river once. It didn't leave me eager to repeat the experience.

I kinda get why some paddlers go for it. It's not the kind of opportunity that comes along every day, getting to say "I paddled river X at thus-and-such enormous CFS." But, once you're on the tiger, you're on until *it* decides you get off.

Paddling isn't a theme park ride. It's a sport with risk.

[Warren Stupidity]

11. Ah memories of my youth

I grew up there and spent quite a lot of time on the croton river doing many things, many of which were equally foolish. Only one of us ever died - rest in peace Willy F.

[BeyondGeography]

15. It's a beautiful spot

Grew up next door. The Dam was a major hangout.

[closeupready]

16. Is that High Falls? I was there last summer.

Very nice. There's also a nice little funky-artsy cabin/restaurant nearby that was really good.

[closeupready]

12. I sort of feel of them like I do of these mountain climbers

who end up with frostbite or worse. Very selfish behavior, and I find it hard to feel bad for them.

[qanda]

13. The people who rescued them could have been killed

That was a very foolish thing to do. I'm glad that there wasn't more loss of life, especially the lives of those who were just doing their job.

[Amaril]

17. Well, at least they were wearing helmets.

:sarcasm:

[jberryhill]

18. And flotation vests

Not the mental picture I had before clicking on the video link.

[Eddie Haskell]

20. Yep, all equipment looked brand new.

There's no substitute for experience.

[Historic NY]

21. You just can't fix stupid...they not only endangered themselves but the first responders.

[RamboLiberal]

24. That's what pisses me off about fools like this

IMHO the survivors in this case ought to be charged if not criminally then financially for the first responders risking their lives.

[spanone]

22. dumber than a pile of dog shit

[RamboLiberal]

25. Experienced fools who put the First Responders at terrible risk

-----

Engel, a psychiatrist and the father of two adult children, had more than 35 years experience in whitewater rafting around the world, a devastated friend said.

"Somehow we just hit the wrong spot at the wrong angle at the wrong time," said one of the surviving rafters, Michael Wolfert, who managed to swim ashore.

-----

When members of the Croton Fire Department joined the rescue effort, their boat capsized. Three volunteer firefighters were swept about a quarter-mile downstream, reaching the point where the Croton River joins the Hudson River. They were all able to swim ashore safely.

But Dooley was still holding onto the tree for dear life as night fell. About an hour after he was first spotted, he lost his grip on the tree - just as an NYPD air-sea-rescue helicopter zoomed to the scene, Harper and NYPD officials said.

-----

The five men had scouted the river prior to launching their raft, and all had experienced more intense rapids in the past, Wolfert said. Several of them were trained as first responders and been involved in water rescues.

http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2011/08/29/2011-08-29_nypd_helicopter_team_rescues_capsized_rafters_in_hurricane_irene_swelled_westche.html

[WillowTree]

26. It's called natural selection.