(Flickr/NPS photo by Bryan Petrtyl)
The death of a pack-rafter in Wrangell St. Elias National Park earlier this month, has raised awareness about proper preparation for the increasingly popular sport of floating back country rivers in tiny ultralight inflatable boats.
Aiden Don’s body was located by searchers along the glacially-fed Nizina River on August 2. The 22-year-old Austrian’s body was seven miles downstream from where he and a paddling partner began a planned one-day float. The trip starts with a stretch of class two rapids, and Wrangell St. Elias National Park spokeswoman Margie Stiegerwald says Don was lacking key gear for the Nizina’s rough, icy waters.
”He was not wearing a personal flotation device or a dry suit,” Stiegerwald said.
Steigerwald also points to a lack of training and experience.
”Not recommended to go on unguided trips this year,” Stiegerwald said. “(He was a) novice to pack rafting.”
Don and his paddling partner were flown into the start point of their Nizina River float, but the two pack rafters became separated shortly after setting out on the water. The partner did not know what happened to Don until finding his empty raft. Pack raft safety educator Monica Morin emphasizes the importance of keeping close track of fellow paddlers.
”Never, ever would I allow them to get out of sight,” Morin said.
Morin is lead ranger for the Bureau of Land Management for the lower Deschutes River in Oregon. The former Denali National Park backcountry ranger, says she began doing pack raft specific safety education after moving to Alaska in 2013.
”Sort of a side project because a lot of my friends were telling me stories of near-misses and almost-accidents that they had on the river and felt that there was a need to help catch the pack-rafting community up to speed with the boating community, the river community,” Morin said.
Morin says in the past, most boaters focused on road accessible rivers, but pack rafts have enabled getting to more remote waters, where any trouble can have greater consequences.
”You’re in a completely different realm of risk,” Morin said.
Morin also points to pack rafters focus on pairing gear weight to minimum, which can lead to leaving behind safety essentials, like a personal flotation device, dry suit and helmet. Morin says pack raft trips remote locations can also result in over commitment to floating out.
”Once you’re in pack raft mode, to get out and hike can be really hard mentally,” Morin said.
Morin teaches pack rafters to have bail out options, in case their float doesn’t go as planned. She says that means carrying a map, compass and other emergency gear inside your dry suit, noting rafts can float or blow away.
Dan Bross is a reporter at KUAC in Fairbanks.
