Very intense video posted by whitewater kayaker Ben Atherton shows the rescue of a kayaker stuck in a river syphon. The video shows footage from the angle of both the trapped kayaker and one of the rescuers. The kayaker notices the syphon before getting pulled in but it’s already too late. He goes under for a period before another kayaker pulls him above water and two rescuers manage to pull him out of his kayak.
Atherton doesn’t detail exactly where this went down other than titling the video “Linville Jailhouse Rescue”. But based on the caption and the setting, it seems likely that this went down in the Linville River in North Carolina. We’re glad this kayaker made it out okay.
“Silly captions aside, thanks Bernie. I’m unsure what would’ve happened if you weren’t with us. This is what hard whitewater can dish out. All that fancy stuff you see on Instagram is disconnected from the reality that this sport can kill you. Just remember: it’s pretty damn hard to drown in a siphon if you just get out and portage. Stay safe out there folks.“