Irish entry for Rider of the Year Award - Carnage!

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Seanie
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Irish entry for Rider of the Year Award - Carnage!

Post by Seanie » Fri Jan 25, 2013 5:11 am

Carnage! Entry - ALAN O'DWYER (IRL) - Stuck in pocket behind waterfall

https://vimeo.com/58057632[/video]
Alan on reddit wrote:That's me in the video. I had run the falls 5 or 6 times by the time this happened, boofing it each time. Then decided to go for a reverse switchwheel. The guy running the falls before me on this particular run said he was going to go for one. I didnt see him, but someone indicated an all clear to me, so I presmed he managed a switchwheel and been okay. It turns out he didnt go for one and just ran it normally. Right on the lip of the falls two things happened. My left backband snapped, and my power stroke went through a sort of mini-chimney on the falls giving me no rotational power or outward momentum. The second my backband snapped I abandoned the attempt to switchwheel in mid-air, and sort of made a last ditch effort to plant my paddle on the right side of the falls. Everything immediately went black and quiet and I knew I was deep for longer than usual, then got the standard beat-down and rolled up expecting to be on the right side of the falls. It took me a second to register that I wasnt. The people on the bank tried everything. Throwing ropes, sending in live bait swimming, live bait jumping into the falls, tying ropes to boats and trying to throw those through, but none of their efforts penetrated through to where I was. I made several attempts to communicate with the outside to indicate I was still in my boat and upright. I did this by trying to stick my paddle through and shouting. They saw or heard none of this. There was a very strong current pushing into the rockface so I realised I had limited energy left to keep fighting it, and saw my only option was to get to the ledge I spotted, climb up the rockface as high as I could, and dive through and try to punch through the tow-back. Getting to that ledge against all the currents and boils while staying upright was exhausting so I take a rest when I get hold of it, and try a bit of shouting again to indicate I'm okay. When I climb up (the hardest pull-up I've ever done...), the people on the right bank see my hand sticking through and try to nail it with ropes. None of these got through properly. I then gave myself a few seconds to get a good lungfull of air incase I got beatdown/recirced (I had seen my paddle come washing back in ages after I threw it out), then I dived outwards as hard as I could and began swimming immediately. The second I came out someone nailed me with a rope and pulled me in. Ambulance was cancelled (one had been called nearly immediately incase I washed out unconscious etc.), and the adrenaline fuelled antics commenced. My boat washed out maybe five mins after me, with the interior pretty f'd (thigh braces ripped out etc.). I was kicking myself after when I remembered my phone was in a aquapac in my BA pocket, and I could have made the oddest phone call of my entire life to someone on the bank to explain the situation. I should have had a whistle. This would have allowed me to signal the outside. I had a rope that day but didnt put it in my boat for the falls as there was bank safety. I think that's everything but if anyone has any questions I'd be glad to answer.

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