rafting accident

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June 30, 2004

Va. teen dies as raft flips on New River

By Dave Gustafson

Staff writer

A Virginia teen died Tuesday after her raft flipped during a commercial rafting outing on a New River rapid nicknamed “The Meat Grinder,” after rescuers tried a perilous technique to pull her from the river.

Morgan Funk, 15, of Staunton, Va., drowned in the accident, WSAZ-TV reported. She had been on her first whitewater trip with her father when the accident occurred, the station reported.

The young woman was in a raft with at least six other people in the section known as Keeney’s Rapids on the lower New River near Winona when it overturned about 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, spilling everyone out, said Lizzie Watts, a park ranger for the New River Gorge National River.

With the teen trapped downstream between rocks, rescue workers attempted to lift her out of the water by her lifejacket with a rope tied to both sides of the river, Watts said.

“It’s a very difficult technique, and it didn’t work in this case,” Watts said. “She didn’t seem to hear when the emergency workers were giving their commands.’’

The first raft on the trip, which was organized by Lansing-based outfitter The Rivermen, went through the rapids without incident, but another raft overturned while entering the second set of rapids, known as the Middle Keeney’s, Watts said.

Keeney’s Rapids are Class Five, the second most powerful on the river, she said. Raft guides generally refer to the Middle Keeney’s as “The Meat Grinder,” a guide with another rafting firm said.

Some of those in the water were pulled into boats. The victim was trapped against a rock downriver from the accident, Watts said. The other guide said the rocks above the Lower Keeney’s Rapids, where the teen was trapped, are one of the most difficult places on the river where a rescue could be set up.

Rivermen staff, other commercial boaters, as well as private boaters and video boaters, who document trips and provide safety support, began the rescue effort immediately following the spill. The Park Service was notified and got assistance from four fire departments, the state Division of Natural Resources, along with Fayette County deputies and emergency rescue workers, Watts said.

The girl’s body was recovered a couple of hours later and taken to the Fayette County coroner, Watts said.

The victim was wearing a lifejacket and helmet, and had attended a river safety course before the trip, Watts said. A guide with more than 70 trips’ experience was in charge of the boat in the accident.

The New River was at a good level for general rafting Tuesday, Watts said. Officials from DNR and the Park Service are still investigating the matter.

A phone number for The Rivermen did not accept messages Tuesday night.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

To contact staff writer Dave Gustafson, use e-mail or call 348-5113.