High water brings rise in James River rescues

Rope-swing accident kills man at river

With temperatures and water levels high, a rash of recent rescues, and the year's first river-related death during the weekend, the Richmond fire department's swift-water rescue team is off to a hectic start this season.

Fire Capt. John Harkness, who leads the team, said the department fields an average of 60 river calls each year. In the past month, he said, the team has responded to 19 and rescued 22 people. He noted that an average of 18 responders are called to each rescue, not including police.

"In the last month, we've pulled more people out of the river than all of last year," Harkness said.

Blame it on the rain.

"That's what makes a busy spring for us -- when you have these constant rains," he said, with more rainfall expected tomorrow. "The majority of the rescues we've had so far is people underestimating the current and not knowing where they are in the river."

An ordinance passed in the early 1980s requires river-goers to wear a life jacket when the water level is above 5 feet and to obtain a permit when the level is 9 feet or higher.

The law allows police to fine violators and can hold them responsible for the cost of a rescue, which deters some but not all.

Recent river incidents have included:

• Three overturned canoeists rescued Monday from Hollywood Rapids near Belle Isle after washing up on rocks. During the rescue, a fire department boat lost its motor.

• Four people were rescued Sunday near the Pony Pasture at the Z dam. One man on an inner tube was caught in the dam's hydraulic current, and the others washed up on an island.

• A 36-year-old man fell into the river Saturday and died after he tried to use a rope swing east of the Huguenot Bridge.

• Three people were plucked from the river without life jackets on Friday. They were cited and fined.

• In April, a man riding a pool lounge chair atop Styrofoam floats with a snow-shovel for a paddle was rescued along with two other swimmers.

River levels yesterday were at 6.2 feet at the Westham gauge. That's within the most dangerous range, said James River Park System manager Ralph White, who notes that because the river can appear safe between 5 feet and 7 feet, people are more likely to hop in and make mistakes.

"The volume of water increases, the speed increases, and areas where you might normally wade thigh-high to get from rock to rock all of a sudden are waist deep and the current is very fast," he said. "You will be blown off your feet."

Harkness noted that normal summertime conditions with lower water levels would see a flow of 2,000 to 3,000 cubic feet per second. At the 6-foot level, the river is flowing at 7,500 cubic feet per second, and at 7 feet, it is 11,000 cubic feet per second.

"It doesn't sound like much more according to the gauge height, but the strength of the current goes up exponentially," he said.

And once caught in the current, the dangers are numerous. Rocks, roots and logs can trap swimmers' feet, and the power of the river can slam a person into larger rocks, which are tough to grip because of their slipperiness.

Contact Wesley P. Hester at (804) 649-6976 or .

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