Columnist on the danger of whitewater
An excerpt:
At least a dozen people have died in accidents on WNC waterfalls since 2001, either by being pulled beneath the surface of the water, or, as has been more often the case, plunging to their dooms after being swept off their feet by the rapids.
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The majority of deaths on WNC’s waterfalls, however, have involved people going into places where really have no business being — clambering up the faces of waterfalls or venturing too close to the edge of a cliff on the water’s edge, only to find that what seemed like a tranquil scene out of a chamber of commerce brochure suddenly has transformed into a nightmare.
Outdoors experts caution that people need to understand that mountain waterways can be risky places, and they advise whitewater rafters, mountain “swimming hole” swimmers and trail hikers to be careful when around rapidly moving water.
Tags: Asheville Citizen Times, Outdoors, Regional, waterfalls, whitewater rafters
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