Tennessee Man Presumed Dead In Chattooga River is what we are working on now
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OP
Update as of Mid-day tuesday
---------- Post Merged at 09:12 PM ---------- Previous Post was at 01:34 PM ----------
Today's Update
OCONEE COUNTY, S.C. -- The body of the rafter who was missing in an Oconee County river has been located.
Rescue and recovery crews were able to find the body of 58-year-old Michael Thomas Dorris of Nasheville with a pole mounted camera in the Chattooga River.
Authorities say his body was found Tuesday morning lodged against a rock below the water.
Dorris was on a commercial raft trip with Wildwater Ltd. in Long Creek Saturday when the raft he was in overturned at Jaw Bone rapid. Eight people went into the water. Dorris was seen wearing his life jacket and helmet floating down the river. Witnesses say he went under water above the Sockem Dog rapid.
The coroner tells 7 On Your Side family members say he never attempted to swim for the shore or towards the rope that was thrown at him for rescue.
Tuesday, a 24 person crew consisting of river guides and rescue technicians floated 90 minutes to the area where Dorris was last seen. There, they set up a system of ropes and used the underwater camera in the rapid and found his body.
Officials say the difficult task of recovering the body will take some time. It’s unsure how long at this point.
The recovery operation attempted Tuesday is the type that hasn't been done in almost two decades on the Chattooga River. Rescuers cannot reach the area by ground. They had to use rafts and kayaks to float their equipment in to the remote search area.
Oconee County Fire Chief Charlie King says, “They’re dealing with the dangers of the level (of the river) and certainly, with the weather we're having, the fluctuating river levels.”
The fast-rising rapids are likely what lead to the recovery operation in the first place.
Mary Ann Dorris spoke to us from Nashville Tuesday. She and her grandson were with her husband, Michael on a raft that capsized on the Chattooga Saturday. Michael died in the accident, and his body is wedged underneath a rock on the river.
Mary Ann Dorris says, “There were eight of us in the raft and why that raft flipped, I have no idea.” She goes on to say, “I heard them (the raft guides) hollering, 'Swim left. Swim left,' and That's when I saw Michael floating down the river head first. And first thing, that's the wrong way to go when you're floating down the river, and he just didn't respond.”
Before Tuesday, crews could not search or try to recover Michael's body. the rapids were just too dangerous.
Around mid-morning Tuesday, they found the body, using a camera mounted on a pole. But it's still too dangerous to send anyone underwater. Emergency officials tell us crews are using ropes and other equipment to try and pull the body out.
Mary Ann says, “That will answer a lot of questions, when we get the autopsy report.”
A similar incident in this same location occurred in April, 1995 when a 30-year-old Atlanta woman’s body was recovered after more than two weeks.
As of Saturday, there have been 38 deaths on the Chattooga River since 1970. The last reported river incident with death was in May of 2003.
This would the first commercial operated incident with a loss of life. The statement from the coroner says guides did everything within their power to rescue Michael Dorris. The other people on the boat were rescued and not injured.
---------- Post Merged on July 18th, 2012 at 12:36 PM ---------- Previous Post was on July 17th, 2012 at 01:34 PM ----------
Recovery made today
---------- Post Merged on July 18th, 2012 at 01:00 PM ---------- Previous Post was on July 17th, 2012 at 01:34 PM ----------
http://www.wyff4.com/news/local-new...ooga/-/9654906/15572222/-/uv7vuy/-/index.html
OCONEE COUNTY, S.C. - An elaborate effort is under way to recover the body of a rafter believed to have drowned in a remote and dangerous area on the Chattooga River, according to Oconee County Fire Department Chief Charlie King.
King said that shortly before daylight Tuesday, Oconee County Emergency Services had a 24-member team begin the initial recovery efforts on the Chattooga River for the body of 58-year-old Michael Dorris.
"It's just so remote that it's just not accessible and easy to reach by untrained and unequipped persons," King said.
The crew, made up of 10 local river guides and 14 rescue technicians, began the 90-minute float to the site just after 6 am.
The crew then established a system of ropes and rigging systems to provide a safe working platform for rescuers to operate a pole camera.
Due to the remote location, the recovery crew has to be prepared to sustain itself for a 12-hour shift.
Just after 10 a.m., officials at the scene said that the body had been located, and now the difficult task of removing the body from the river is under way.
King said Dorris, who was from Nashville, was on a commercially guided raft excursion on Saturday. Investigators said the raft hit a rock and overturned.
"He was unresponsive from the time he hit the water and was just unable to self-rescue or grab a hold of the ropes that were thrown to him," King said.
Two guides and five other passengers -- including Dorris' wife and grandson -- made it to safety. Emergency workers said they were unable to go after Dorris.
Read more: FD Chief: Recovery of drowning victim complicated, dangerous | Oconee/Pickens News - WYFF Home
King said that shortly before daylight Tuesday, Oconee County Emergency Services had a 24-member team begin the initial recovery efforts on the Chattooga River for the body of 58-year-old Michael Dorris.
"It's just so remote that it's just not accessible and easy to reach by untrained and unequipped persons," King said.
The crew, made up of 10 local river guides and 14 rescue technicians, began the 90-minute float to the site just after 6 am.
The crew then established a system of ropes and rigging systems to provide a safe working platform for rescuers to operate a pole camera.
Due to the remote location, the recovery crew has to be prepared to sustain itself for a 12-hour shift.
Just after 10 a.m., officials at the scene said that the body had been located, and now the difficult task of removing the body from the river is under way.
King said Dorris, who was from Nashville, was on a commercially guided raft excursion on Saturday. Investigators said the raft hit a rock and overturned.
"He was unresponsive from the time he hit the water and was just unable to self-rescue or grab a hold of the ropes that were thrown to him," King said.
Two guides and five other passengers -- including Dorris' wife and grandson -- made it to safety. Emergency workers said they were unable to go after Dorris.
Read more: FD Chief: Recovery of drowning victim complicated, dangerous | Oconee/Pickens News - WYFF Home
---------- Post Merged at 09:12 PM ---------- Previous Post was at 01:34 PM ----------
Today's Update
OCONEE COUNTY, S.C. -- The body of the rafter who was missing in an Oconee County river has been located.
Rescue and recovery crews were able to find the body of 58-year-old Michael Thomas Dorris of Nasheville with a pole mounted camera in the Chattooga River.
Authorities say his body was found Tuesday morning lodged against a rock below the water.
Dorris was on a commercial raft trip with Wildwater Ltd. in Long Creek Saturday when the raft he was in overturned at Jaw Bone rapid. Eight people went into the water. Dorris was seen wearing his life jacket and helmet floating down the river. Witnesses say he went under water above the Sockem Dog rapid.
The coroner tells 7 On Your Side family members say he never attempted to swim for the shore or towards the rope that was thrown at him for rescue.
Tuesday, a 24 person crew consisting of river guides and rescue technicians floated 90 minutes to the area where Dorris was last seen. There, they set up a system of ropes and used the underwater camera in the rapid and found his body.
Officials say the difficult task of recovering the body will take some time. It’s unsure how long at this point.
The recovery operation attempted Tuesday is the type that hasn't been done in almost two decades on the Chattooga River. Rescuers cannot reach the area by ground. They had to use rafts and kayaks to float their equipment in to the remote search area.
Oconee County Fire Chief Charlie King says, “They’re dealing with the dangers of the level (of the river) and certainly, with the weather we're having, the fluctuating river levels.”
The fast-rising rapids are likely what lead to the recovery operation in the first place.
Mary Ann Dorris spoke to us from Nashville Tuesday. She and her grandson were with her husband, Michael on a raft that capsized on the Chattooga Saturday. Michael died in the accident, and his body is wedged underneath a rock on the river.
Mary Ann Dorris says, “There were eight of us in the raft and why that raft flipped, I have no idea.” She goes on to say, “I heard them (the raft guides) hollering, 'Swim left. Swim left,' and That's when I saw Michael floating down the river head first. And first thing, that's the wrong way to go when you're floating down the river, and he just didn't respond.”
Before Tuesday, crews could not search or try to recover Michael's body. the rapids were just too dangerous.
Around mid-morning Tuesday, they found the body, using a camera mounted on a pole. But it's still too dangerous to send anyone underwater. Emergency officials tell us crews are using ropes and other equipment to try and pull the body out.
Mary Ann says, “That will answer a lot of questions, when we get the autopsy report.”
A similar incident in this same location occurred in April, 1995 when a 30-year-old Atlanta woman’s body was recovered after more than two weeks.
As of Saturday, there have been 38 deaths on the Chattooga River since 1970. The last reported river incident with death was in May of 2003.
This would the first commercial operated incident with a loss of life. The statement from the coroner says guides did everything within their power to rescue Michael Dorris. The other people on the boat were rescued and not injured.
---------- Post Merged on July 18th, 2012 at 12:36 PM ---------- Previous Post was on July 17th, 2012 at 01:34 PM ----------
Recovery made today
---------- Post Merged on July 18th, 2012 at 01:00 PM ---------- Previous Post was on July 17th, 2012 at 01:34 PM ----------
http://www.wyff4.com/news/local-new...ooga/-/9654906/15572222/-/uv7vuy/-/index.html
Isn't that the same area that Rod Baird got stuck?
OP
Based on a quick internet search of Rod Baired name I read its in the same section of Five Falls Rapids left upstream side of a large flat rock, known as Anvil Rock or Allison’s Rock to us rescuers that work the river, approximately 20 yards downstream of the pool below Jawbone.
Autopsy Report Autopsy explains why rafter could not grab ropes | Oconee/Pickens News - WYFF Home
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.3758055706947.2131856.1143138814&type=1 for on scene photo's
Autopsy Report Autopsy explains why rafter could not grab ropes | Oconee/Pickens News - WYFF Home
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.3758055706947.2131856.1143138814&type=1 for on scene photo's
Thought so. I met Rod when I helped NatGeo with a documentary about him. I've seen the rapids and got to speak with one of the local divers in Clayton, GA. Also got some interesting insights and details from one of the better-known local river guides. Hats off to you guys who do rescues and/or recoveries in big water like that.
Best regards,
DDM
Best regards,
DDM
OP
OP
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OCONEE COUNTY, S.C. - A 58-year-old rafter who died in the Chattooga River did not drown, according to the coroner.
- [h=1]Rafter Dies In Chattooga River Accident[/h]
Coroner Karl Addis said that Michael Thomas Dorris suffered a laceration of his spinal column that left him unable to swim or reach for ropes that had been thrown toward him.
The autopsy was performed by forensic pathologist Dr. Brett Woodard.
Addis said that it did not appear a head injury contributed to Dorris’ death, though he may have suffered a blow to the face when the raft overturned on Saturday.
Oconee Fire Chief Charlie King said, "He was unresponsive from the time he hit the water and was just unable to self-rescue or grab a hold of the ropes that were thrown to him.”
Two guides and five other passengers -- including Dorris' wife and grandson -- made it to safety.
Emergency workers said they were unable to go after Dorris.
Dorris’ body was recovered from the Chattooga on Wednesday after a lengthy and dangerous recovery effort.
Read more: Autopsy explains why rafter could not grab ropes | Oconee/Pickens News - WYFF Home
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