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One of the deadliest stretches of whitewater in the eastern U.S. is located in an unlikely location—just outside the nation's capital. An interagency effort is under way to focus attention on the dangers of the Potomac River Gorge and the Great Falls of the Potomac with a very pointed message: "If you enter the river, you will die."
What makes this spot so dangerous…and how well will that message be accepted by the public?
The Gorge is an area that a recent NPS press release describes as "becoming increasingly more popular with kayaking, boating, fishing and hiking enthusiasts." Conditions — and the skills required to use the river through the Gorge — vary widely among different sections of the river, but the water in parts of the area are very risky indeed. The dire warning in the latest safety campaign focuses on the most dangerous section above and through the Great Falls, and statistics unfortunately support the sobering message.
Last year, the Gorge claimed the lives of six drowning victims, and completing a rescue in the area is a daunting — and often dangerous — task for emergency responders. So, where is this stretch of treacherous river, and what's being done to reduce the number of tragedies?
The Potomac River Gorge is 14-mile stretch of the Potomac River, defined by local officials as extending from the Key Bridge in the District of Columbia north to the Great Falls of the Potomac. A NPS website offers the following description of the key problem area from a safety standpoint, the Great Falls: .....
http://www.nationalparkstraveler.com...u-will-die5897
http://www.nps.gov/archive/gwmp/grfa/falls/falls.htm
What makes this spot so dangerous…and how well will that message be accepted by the public?
The Gorge is an area that a recent NPS press release describes as "becoming increasingly more popular with kayaking, boating, fishing and hiking enthusiasts." Conditions — and the skills required to use the river through the Gorge — vary widely among different sections of the river, but the water in parts of the area are very risky indeed. The dire warning in the latest safety campaign focuses on the most dangerous section above and through the Great Falls, and statistics unfortunately support the sobering message.
Last year, the Gorge claimed the lives of six drowning victims, and completing a rescue in the area is a daunting — and often dangerous — task for emergency responders. So, where is this stretch of treacherous river, and what's being done to reduce the number of tragedies?
The Potomac River Gorge is 14-mile stretch of the Potomac River, defined by local officials as extending from the Key Bridge in the District of Columbia north to the Great Falls of the Potomac. A NPS website offers the following description of the key problem area from a safety standpoint, the Great Falls: .....
http://www.nationalparkstraveler.com...u-will-die5897
http://www.nps.gov/archive/gwmp/grfa/falls/falls.htm
I visited there to DC when I was 7. Never even knew! Thanks!
A canvas campateer
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