The third fatality of the 2009 Gauley River whitewater rafting season was reported Friday, this one claiming the life of an Indiana man, National Park Service officials said.
It is believed to be the first time three people have died in a single Gauley season.
Friday’s victim was a 30-year-old man from Fishers, Ind., the park service said. His identity was being withheld pending family notification.
The accident occurred around noon when one of seven rafts from Oak Hill-based American Canadian Expeditions Ltd. entered Lost Paddle, one of five Class V rapids on the Upper Gauley, the park service said. The victim fell from the raft and became pinned under water.
When the man was pulled from the water, CPR was initiated, the park service said. Responders from the park service, the Ansted Volunteer Fire Department and Jan-Care Ambulance utilized an automatic external defibrillator and assisted in rescue efforts.
The victim was transported by HealthNet helicopter to Summersville Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 1:28 p.m., the park service said.
The park service and the state Division of Natural Resources are conducting the investigation.
Just last Sunday, 32-year-old Eric L. Hampton of Louisville, Ky., also on an American Canadian Expeditions trip, died after the raft he was in caught the corner of a rock and overturned at Pillow Rock, another Class V rapid.
The guide managed to upright the raft and get the passengers back in, but Hampton began to experience breathing difficulty and became unresponsive. He died about 90 minutes later at Summersville Memorial.
On Sept. 12, Eric Clark, 40, of Circleville, Ohio, died while rafting with Adventure West Virginia Resort. Clark, three other rafters and their guide were thrown into the river when their raft struck a large wave in the Class V Insignificant rapid.
Clark was pulled into another raft, but then began exhibiting medical difficulties and apparently went into cardiac arrest. He was pronounced dead at Summersville Memorial.
The 22-day Gauley season began Sept. 11 and ends Oct. 18, Bridge Day weekend.
