Kayaker Caught in Hydraulic Whirlpool (Original Video)

This is the original video of kayaker Jean-Christophe Cabuy getting caught in a dangerous hydraulic whirlpool while kayaking in Corsica, France. When JC is unable to right himself, friends come to the rescue and avert a near drowning.
For licensing inquiries, please contact [e-mail].

[@trendingtigers]

This clip is now used on many whitewater safety course on what not to do. A case study like this is invaluable

[@alabmourdinson2131]

Yeah man why weren’t they throwing ropes at the swimmer immediately? And homeboy at the end literally gets caught on the rope at the bottom of the drop. These guys are jabronis

[@radfordmcawesome7947]

​@@alabmourdinson2131 i read your comment a few seconds before "homeboy at the end" and nearly fell out of my chair laughing when it happened

[@fizzinsoda]

they all just swam out but they all ended up flipping it was like watching fish flop into boiling water

[@carpo719]

What not to do would be attempt it in the first place

[@VeProducctions]

​@@carpo719When your grandchildren ask you to tell them exciting stories of your childhood they will be disappointed

[@peetsnort]

Bit breathless watching this. I have been held under and it takes huge discipline to keep calm and wait for a break

[@arisaka9963]

Yeah, it’s no fun

[@danmclaughlin1180]

Wait for a break??? What do you mean?

[@elsiem7295]

@@danmclaughlin1180to breathe

[@timberoke]

The guy in the kayak who went to save the man. My hat is off to you. Not many people in the world would do that.

[@dutchpicklevideos]

amen

[@foppo100]

You would you are there to help out never leave your fellow mates.

[@jozinzbazin______8841]

Brave but not smart

[@StaunchCross]

@@jozinzbazin______8841 if you left your paddling buddy stuck in the hydraulic without helping then you are kinda a shitty person. If it’s a random person then yeah might not be extremely smart

[@jozinzbazin______8841]

@@StaunchCross Usually this type of rescue ends with 1 more person who needs to be rescued

[@Johnwillbegone]

This is why I watch KZbin instead of starring on it.

[@J.Kimaar]

ya digg

[@pfftwhut7638]

enjoy that deathbed regret when you realize all your memories are of video games and youtube lol

[@Adam-xv7cd]

​@@pfftwhut7638well said👍🏼

[@dogeft3]

@@pfftwhut7638 and your memories will be typing comments on youtube.. real tough guy with lots of memories right here

[@Rhiorrha]

@@dogeft3 When you don't have life on easy mode, the last thing you do is risk it for recreation. There's a reason minorities don't climb mountains, skydive, or ride rapids.

[@boxhawk5070]

If you have never been in really foamy water you don't know how difficult it is to keep your head above the surface.

[@aarons4996]

doja smk you have no clue what you’re talking about. Foamy water is literally air bubbles at the surface so imagine a large layer of it as seen in the the video and think of trying to float on bubbles you’d literally lose buoyancy and go under tiring yourself out with mere minutes. Foam had a large part in this.

[@aarons4996]

doja smk it does play a role in this obviously. And the guys comment is just on the one subject.

[@elonmust7470]

That's why fuck a life jacket. They keep you suspended instead of letting you roll your ass down the bottom of the hole. My experiences as a kid who loved swimming instead of boats.

[@paulschab8152]

That's a hydraulic jump

[@cryptfire3158]

Had a foaming bubble bath once. It was quite intense/scary. Even got soap in my eyes

[@cdaffern4707]

To the two guys that jumped into the whirlpool after him at different moments, were true heroes. Especially the last guy because he witnessed the rescuer get stuck too.

[@davebritton7648]

I do a bit of kayaking, not on this level but I've done a little white water. This is one the most exciting videos I've seen in a long time. What a bunch of guys. Huge admiration.

[@JohnSmith-et1vx]

so am I the only one who noticed the man who went in after him never came out

[@jeffcallahan6540]

at 1.25 to 1.26 they guy in the brown pops up down river.

[@JohnSmith-et1vx]

+Jeff Callahan OK I see him now

[@TerribleChaos]

+John Smith how does he get out so easy but the other guy stays?

[@TheReydoro]

He panicked, the guy who got out didnt.

[@IssacHunts]

How the hell did you see that!

[@pcm7315]

Never been in a kayak; water didn't look very powerful - absolutely deceptive. I think the same mentality works when people try to drive across flooded roads. A few inches of water moving quickly is a mighty force. Amazing rescue effort.

[@DoNortSleepIn2024]

FYI I was a class V paddler and river guide for 15 years. I was in a similar hydraulic and dove down to the laminar flow - that was how I got out. Several mistakes were made. First mistake - After the first three recycles, the swimmer should have stopped fighting the hydraulic. The boil was too strong. That's when it's time to get momentum and swim into the ledge, dive down and try to catch the laminar flow. You will be under for a bit but you will surface past the boil. Second - The other kayaker who paddled into the hydraulic. All he did was create a situation now with two people in serious trouble. Third - The rope they were using should have had a bright color bag container at the end to make it visible to the swimmer. There was no way he was going to see the rope they was using. They would have had to thrown it right into his hands for any chance of success.

[@k9er233]

You explained this very well. When I was put through Swiftwater Rescue Technician training certification by my employer, they threw us all into a hydraulic just like this one. It was a granite shelf with about a 10-11 foot drop and a very powerful hydraulic. Scary as hell on the first time out, but after you learn the technique it makes sense. Just have to really pay attention to your instructors and not panic when you drop in. After a few reps it gets really fun, but that first one is a real eye opener. I would recommend to anyone that wants to play in whitewater, or is required to work in or near it because of their job, to get the training. My department went with Rescue 3 international. Very professional, and worth the investment. I grew up rafting, kayaking, canoeing, and swimming in swiftwater, so it was mostly like playing to me, but the hydraulic drill, strainer drill, zip line, "drowning person fighting the rescuer" and class 4 rock garden swim were a new experience and were a real test. Lots of rescue rigging and rope work as well, even a Tyrolean rig, so it was a lot of learning packed into a fun but tiring week. At least some basic self rescue should really be on everyone's radar, so tragedies are more likely to be avoided for the first timers and novices on the water. Have fun and be safe!

[@ZorenRanks]

What is the laminar flow????😮

[@DoNortSleepIn2024]

@@ZorenRanks It's a current that always exists and is flowing downhill. This current exists below features like hydraulics and holes and gets you out of the Maytag cycle. It requires a commitment to go deep which can be counter-intuitive but can save your life.

[@ZorenRanks]

@@DoNortSleepIn2024 how long, and how much strength does it take to get down there

[@grd1184]

You dove down? so you took off your life jacket being tossed around like a rag doll or you weren’t wearing one

[@Caver461]

Huge courage by those who threw themselves into the same circumstance in hopes of freeing the guy

[@jacobperry426]

Courage? Stupidity, now instead of having to rescue one they’re is the chance of having to rescue multiples.

[@Lombo1]

Man, most definitely a near drowning.

[@DrewWithington]

I'm not even a kayaker but it's obvious that the current rotates back on itself below the fall and that it's really easy to get stuck in this and drown. I was fishing once in a weirpool with a current like this. A pigeon fell in the water and tried to escape by swimming against the current but kept getting rotated and eventually drowned. Loads of people have been killed in this situation - e.g. in 1975 ten British soldiers were killed when they went over the Cromwell Weir on the Rover Trent in England when a night training exercise went wrong.

[@BugleBoy1990]

Had they been better prepared, they could have avoided most of the danger. Fist off, the kayaker chucks his paddle on this relatively small (15' - 20') drop where there was certainly no need to do that there. Also, It appears that the group didn't have anyone waiting on shore to rescue and they had to first get out of the water to throw him a rope, or the rescuers waited too long to take action. At 0:46, the kayaker in distress has his hands up, feeling for something to grab on to but his friends don't start calling for a rope until 0:55 and a rope finally makes it into the water at 1:00 (albeit, not anywhere close to the kayaker).

[@number1matter587]

k

[@Panic_Pickle]

They were calling for ropes soon as his hands popped up

[@JohnSmith-et1vx]

this is all very true

[@yeahmylo]

How does the water act? I have only been in up to class three water but I have gotten out of huge holes by catching the undercurrent which flows downriver by getting into a cannon ball position and waiting a bit.

[@GlassGenius]

Please...... next time they go can you be there with them...... So this wont happen again.

[@Chompchompyerded]

One thing to try when in a recycler like that one is to try to swim out the bottom. It's kinda counter-intuitive, but it works more often than not. When you hit bottom, swim hard downstream.

[@leemp337]

but isn't that hard to do when you are wearing pfd gear? not being a smart ass. serious question.

[@scottscott3154]

But what if the bottom is 20 meters deep?

[@awboat]

@@leemp337 Sometimes people get rid of their life jacket, yep, pretty rough.

[@michaelcolen2523]

Um nope

[@kosmique]

theres whirlpools and then there is tumbling water like this.... your tip works for whirlpools... not sure about this one tho

[@meta4kl237]

The worst hole I was stuck in...I finally cam out of my boat, held on to the downstream end and pushed my kayak further into the hole, which helped propel me out. For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction

[@alehax27]

The ropes was paying zero attention

[@JoeSmith-nu8oo]

The Ocean almost got my ass one time, never again! I don't even like bathtubs now!!

[@russtheprodigy4624]

Care to tell what happened?

[@JoeSmith-nu8oo]

@@russtheprodigy4624 I was swimming off Miami Beach and the waves were just to high, so I was just about exhausted and gave it my all to get back to shore, it really was the one time I didn't think I was going to make it.

[@primmsysjs2203]

@@JoeSmith-nu8oo bitch made

[@JoeSmith-nu8oo]

@@primmsysjs2203 ????

[@asmodeus20]

@@JoeSmith-nu8oo nevermind that jackass, probably can't even swim! Glad you made it back

[@leviscoolvids2767]

I had some white water training and was told that if there's a washing machine cycle like this, then you should swim down and catch the current of water that is flowing below the whirlpool. It will sweep you down stream away from this. Has anybody else heard this?

[@david-o6g1h]

I've heard that but never done it. The only pause it gives me is...how deep is the whirlpool? I've also heard besides swimming down you can reach your paddle down and let that current catch your paddle blade and pull you out.

[@fanatamon]

I was told to curl up into a ball and it the current rolls you out.

[@7SIETESOUTDOOREXTREMO]

I saved my life in a situation like this, but it was in a bigger waterfall. Went several meters down, to the point I couldnt see the sunlight. But I knew that I was going to go to the surface (thanks to the equipment).,Being calm is the answer to survive in hard scenarios, and also have a solid team that can really rescue lol

[@jpross_1128]

@@david-o6g1hyea if your not an idiot and through it in the air when you go over a waterfall

[@kayak347]

All that experience and NO ropes set up ahead of time

[@MySerpentine]

That's the kind of drowning machine that a lot of professional rescuers won't get near.

[@sulkoma]

i like how they just film him drowning before they start finally helping him

[@AlfaKenyBody]

Similar thing happened to me, but with a 8 person raft. It requires lot of self-control and huge balance to "hide" that thing under hundreds of gallons on top of you. I managed to save all rafters before jumping out... it took a land crew, with ropes, a car to pull the raft out of the whirlpool...scary....

[@oregonxyz]

I have been in two of those types of circulations. Both times I went down and got out near the bottom. The water has to go somewhere because it comes from above. Take a deep breath and go down and swim out that way. Even better if you can push off of something.

[@emilymartin6781]

I got caught like this swimming in a 1mt waterfall, scared the hell out me

[@poly_hexamethyl]

0:20 That waterfall must be making a really strong circulating current. It looks like the water flow on the surface is actually backwards toward the waterfall, or the boat would move off downriver, not stay stuck there. Looks really dangerous!

[@whatthe6532]

Utube hydraulics. That’s how they work. Extremely dangerous.

[@spenceryoung5181]

Backwards flowing water is the nature of a 'hydraulic. The water falling down the waterfall makes a 'hole' in the water which causes the surface water downstream flow backwards to fill it up. This is why people and objects get stuck. They get 'sucked' backwards towards the water fall then get driven under under by the force of the water coming down the water flowing backwards downstream of them keeps them trapped. This is where a life jacket can kill you because the only way out of a strong hydraulic like this is to go down and then swim downstream under the surface water that is flowing backwards and that is damn hard to do when wearing life jacket that wants to lift you up. Was caught in a hydraulic once (not nearly as strong as this one) but it was scary as hell. Got sucked back and under 2-3 times. Luckily the water was not more that 10 feet deep or so ,so on the last time I was able to push off the bottom really hard to force myself downstrream and out. . My kayak was caught in the hydraulic for 5-10 minutes until a kayaker came along and punched it out for me.

[@canofanger]

Intentionally placing yourself in harms way..

[@TheWallsocket]

Also known as living.

[@canofanger]

@@TheWallsocket if that's what it takes to feel alive, all the more power to you.

[@wodenss8149]

I'm here because this happened to me yesterday on a smaller river with my daughter. Thought we were goners. Never been so scared and then exhausted in my life. Stay safe first out their people. I felt that guy's pain at the end

[@TheSighphiguy]

he should have just hit CTRL-ALT-DEL and reload a previous save.

[@BaileySchellDE48FF]

Sigh Phi Guy this comment wins

[@BaileySchellDE48FF]

He survived so it's funny now

[@cryptfire3158]

But if he restarted he would miss the exp. He almost ran out of Health points

[@timc9893]

He could have just pushed a Staples easy button.....but, yeah.

[@prozac1127]

It's ESC dummy

[@fishingstix610]

I got stuck in one of those as a kid while swimming and some crackheads saved me by telling me which way to swim towards

[@Dude-Smellmyhelmet]

Thank Ronald Reagan for crack

[@Dude-Smellmyhelmet]

Collarbone here

[@Newtype93]

Holy shit, crackheads are super heros!!

[@stevengarrad4725]

Spoopy Same here at a water park i couldn't figure out why it only happened to me

[@trucid2]

Steven G Wtf were these waterparks designed by utter morons?

[@psychedeliccarrie5921]

We really underestimate how powerful of a force water is, there is no overestimating it.

[@edd3222]

This is one of the few places a lifejacket could kill you. I dive waterfalls for fun and you find cool things underneath them, best thing to do is dive strait down and then out, pull yourself along using rocks if you can, the guy who went in after him definetly knew that which is why he didn't hesitate to jump in and why he escaped so easily

[@gregbradford2152]

You are the only one here with a brain! A Life jacket is a killer! Get rid of it and dive down, following the water flow out... Everyone her is so retarded saying, "he shouldn't have thrown away the paddle" so stupid that the first thing he should have done, then remove the life jacket, I doubt you even need to remove the jacket, if you follow the flow of the water!

[@AugustHawk]

You are right. I recall as a young kid in scouts, they taught us how to get out of a hydraulic recirculation in low head dams and waterfalls. They taught us how to properly avoid bear and bobcat attacks when encountered in the woods, how to properly treat snake bites, and get out of rip tides. As a kid, I used to wonder why they taught us such extreme survival skills, and thought, "What do they think I'm going to do, go live with Tarzan?" Now as an adult who avidly loves the outdoors, these skills have come to be very useful, and yes, I've used all of them!

[@mattstutzman4488]

@@AugustHawk You've been attacked a bobcat, wow!

[@AugustHawk]

@@mattstutzman4488 No, I've AVOIDED being attacked by a bobcat. lol. Big difference. A small group of us were backpacking the AT when we heard a low "growling-purr" from some thick brush along the trail. To our surprise, a bobcat emerged crouched. We immediately drew in close together to appear larger (and to keep anyone from being singled out) and threw up our hands and trekking poles screaming. Meanwhile, one of our group pulled out the bear spray, but we never had to use it. The cat took off. We hiked as " tight group" about 30+ more yards until we were confident we weren't being stalked.

[@momsmushroomsjodyfoster5786]

My God this is so difficult to witness! The level of sheer panic would be off the charts!

[@ThisHandleFeatureIsStupid]

Yikes, that was intense! 😬 Trying to keep yourself afloat in white water is NO JOKE! Glad to see dude make it out.

[@glueking98]

If ever stuck in this try to swim deep than swim away from the wier

[@jamesdunn7526]

I get why everyone is commending the guy who paddled in after him but this clip from start to end is pretty much everything you shouldn’t do when whitewater kayaking. Remember the most important person in a rescue situation is the one doing the rescuing.

[@lostwanderer8651]

There are emergency scuba tanks that are super small and only have 20 mins of air but it would save these guys if they had one attached to their suits

[@canyontritt4488]

Too heavy for whitewater boating

[@andrewsealey2236]

A pony tank? Trying to get it in your mouth, turn it on and secure it in that situation. Impossible.

[@woodenclocks6531]

Here is a person who was not taught how to kayak properly and how to exit a hydraulic. . When in a hydraulic like that, the first thing you do is swim to the bottom, He did everything opposite and wrong. I kayak guided for almost 2 decades in the Canyons and Gorges, and the first thing you teach in hydraulics is how to get out of one alive and safe. Just because you have a no-hands roll, doesn't mean you know how to kayak. It just means you have learned one aspect of Kayaking.

[@MrMikequinn]

I understand that it's rare to have the 7 P's (proper prior planning prevents piss poor performance) in Kayaking. But, in this situation they obviously knew it was dangerous and had plenty of support around. They just decided to go for the HIWO plan (hope it works out - plan) instead. Large D ring harnessed to mid chest region, attach quickly - rope with carabiner to first members over who remain close for support - i.e. the guy that went in to save - additional members pull him out - that would be a better plan. I understand it's a very dangerous sport - and I love them for doing it - Sorry to be critical. The members that went back in - ABSOLUTE HERO's! The whole group is to blame for lack of 7 P's.

[@annnonomys3132]

Your plan seems rational. But most of white water kayaking is counter intuitive. Every white water death is fully investigated. Over time, much has been learned regarding white water rescue. Those lessons apply to both kayakers and firemen. A primary rule of white water rescue is, don't attach anyone to a rope. Both the rope thrower and the swimmer should hold the rope. Not attach. There are specially designed pfds with quick release harnesses. But even those are extreme high risk. And those areas of recirculating current (called holes) are special cases. It's a disputed area of white water rescue, but many experts recommend against throwing a rope into a hole at all. In an entirely avoidable accident some years ago, two firemen entered a white water river in an attempt to retrieve a body. The firemen meant well. They were trained in underwater search and recovery. They each tied a rope to the shore, and a rope between themselves. They entered the water upstream of the downed tree in which the dead body was trapped. By the time official rescue arrived, many white water kayakers had arrived. Kayakers who understand white water. Many of whom are highly trained in white water rescue. Unfortunately, the firemen did not understand the difference between "search and recovery" and "swift water rescue." The white water kayakers insisted that the firemen NOT implement their plan. The firemen asserted their legal jurisdiction and required that the kayakers back off. The kayakers knew those two firemen were going to die. The question was, which of three traps would it be. The rope between them snagged. From there, the current pushed them to the end of the rope. And then under. With no way of fighting back against the current and no way of floating free, they both drowned. (If the ropes hadn't killed them before they got to the upstream side of the tree, they would have died in the tree the same as the first victim.) Because of ropes, kayakers carry knives. But they are for the rescuer. It's unlikely that anyone in the current could fight against the current to cut the rope. The rule is, do NOT attach a rope to a person in or near swift water.

[@stopthephilosophicalzombie9017]

@@annnonomys3132 Damn, it seems like they should at least have had knives to cut themselves free in case that exact thing happened.

[@k9er233]

@@annnonomys3132 We were taught in Swiftwater Rescue Certification training: Reach - Throw - Row - Go, With Go as an absolute last resort. One of our PFD's is the style with the Solid D-ring in the middle of the upper back with a quick release for a tethered rescue swimmer, but would be used ONLY as an absolute last resort. It is not used during a standard rescue mission, but is stored separate as a final resort piece of gear. We trained with it, but have not had to even attempt its use in a rescue, just recerts. We have always been able to effect rescue with the first three, or with an untethered swimmer. Swimming into an op with a line at your back is such a risk, even with a knife to cut it free, kind of seems like a bit too much "pucker factor" with all that could potentially go wrong. We still train it, but with the understanding that effective use of the first three will really cover all bases when deployed properly. Running a rope line, especially for a body recovery is a very bad idea, just never worth the risk to a rescuer. I remember seeing a film of an attempted rescue (or body recovery) in a boat from downstream into a low head dam situation with a rolled boat. The firefighters were sucked into the hydraulic at the curl, went under and became casualties themselves. A sobering film to watch in class on the first day as a budding rescue trainee. I believe it happened somewhere in the midwest many years ago, and is still used in training today as one of the many things not to do when attempting a swiftwater rescue. What not to do is as important as what to do during an op.

[@Gregorysmall17359]

Only people that have actually tried slalom know how scared the was

[@waterdragon4950]

“Everything happens for a reason. Sometimes the reason is we’re stupid and make bad decisions.”

[@dustman96]

*Most of the time.

[@hankisdank1]

The guy in the other kayak ignored the first rule of rescue which is to not make yourself a victim

[@gnelson1990]

Intense video. Glad the boater made it out alive. Decades ago got caught in a hydraulic on the Menominee River in Wisconsin. Quite a bit higher volume and a wider river. Got knocked over a few times while trying to work my way out. Realized I wasn't going to be able to get out sitting in my kayak, so intentionally bailed the next time I was knocked over. Got recirculated a couple of times, but on one of the trips around took a big gulp of air and pushed myself deeper into the downriver current near river bottom. Still remember the weird feeling of being pushed down by the water, then being pushed downriver at which point I also started to worry about hooking a foot on a rock crevice or getting caught in a strainer near the bottom. Rode the downriver current probably a bit farther than was necessary, but didn't want to risk coming back up too soon and get recirculated back into hole. I was happy to see my boat without me in it and my paddle had made it out of the hole on their own and were floating nearby. Some great memories of the years spent running whitewater around the US. No regrets in that department.

[@c0d3x5]

where did the guy in the brown go? that came over to him in the red kayak?

[@HashtagSpace3]

+c0d3x5 He went deep and you can barely see his head pop up on the right of the screen at about time stamp: 1:24

[@taylorparrish7638]

Robert Bibb nice catch

[@jasongriffin1940]

Why on earth would you throw your paddle? He had a few opportunities to get out of it but he didn’t have a paddle. That’s rule number one in white water kayaking …don’t lost your paddle.

[@thomasfoster0327]

Lol glad he survived but one thing I've learned is eventually if you keep testing Mother Nature she will take you out

[@woofna1948]

That's a real nasty one. It's not appreciably different to the "drowning machine" hydraulic on a low-head dam, and we know how damn lethal those can be.

[@hermanisaher1839]

I've surfed cold big waves for almost 30 years, I've had long hold downs over Rocky reefs and paddled a half mile back to shore from a sea mount Wave where a great White thrashed the surface not more than 50 ft from us. Won't do Rivers tho

[@SquarebobSpongepants]

man, these dark souls bosses are getting out of hand

[@azdigbee]

Our friend Tex Stainforth drowned in front of us in exactly the same situation. 😥

[@wordreet]

Scary stuff! The stopper wave recirculates everything, and the white water, being possibly 60% air has no effective buoyancy. Even the canoe, with it's closed cell foam is held under at times!

[@fgfg633]

So no one clears the bottom before giving the okay for the next one to go over? What idiots are running this particular event?

[@1111111111202]

Can u stop in middle of running water? Ur the fucking idiot never having done it

[@smitajky]

@@1111111111202 When spacing boats you are supposed to take account of this very possibility. In other words the second boat should not have entered a "can't stop" zone until the first is clear. That alone shows a cavalier attitude to safety in what was already a thrill seeking activity.

[@Mike-hn4uu]

This dude is so lucky better men than him were willing to risk his life to save someone weaker. It's times like this that remind you how poorly trained you are.

[@SongwritingJoe]

Thought my man on the left was rocking a little electric guitar for dramatic purposes

[@masonhancock4117]

I'm not arguing anything. I think this is a very informative video. I am simply curious why he chucked the paddle on that drop? That is all.

[@harrylangton3206]

On the really big drops they chuck it away from them to stop it smashing into their faces - no need here really though so it was probably a bad decision (I'm no expert though).

[@awboat]

He was showing off for the cameras. Instead of having safety where the one camera guy was, the were filming. At least the camera dude tried throwing what was left of his rappel rope. If there was a safety guy set up in the same place a couple of easy throws the drowning dude would have been pulled out.

[@chopsjazz1]

Never, EVER, grab a drowning person.

[@phoenixamaranth]

If he hadn't thrown his paddle away, he likely would have been fine and able to pull himself out before he got fully rolled. Nothing he did here was helpful to his situation.

[@dutchpicklevideos]

I am not an experienced kayaker but was curious about as well . What is the reason for that? (throwing away the paddle)

[@screwytb]

@@dutchpicklevideos I assumed it was like with surfing...you don't want the board to hit you in the head or the fin to slice you up when you start getting tossed around like a ragdoll. Maybe trying to toss it away from where he'd be.

[@marciaewell2661]

I used to live to paddle and have run waterfalls up to 50 ft. These guys were throwing their paddles to show off for camera. I taught river safety and kayak instruction. These guys made every mistake in book and were way above their skill and common sense level. People do crazy things when they know their is a camera running.

[@dutchpicklevideos]

@@marciaewell2661 it did seem to me it would be very tough to control your kayak without the paddle - the show boating for the camera solves that puzzle

[@cheskybaba4864]

throwing your paddle for something like that was asking for trouble. Glad he got out ok.

[@LukeSkywalker-io2bh]

His friend saved his life by leaving the kayak there to grab.

[@ryanstewart1521]

Longest 2:30 seconds of his life

[@alexrobinson7814]

Holes like this are the worst coz they don’t look nearly as bad as a big holes but you can’t even get your head out the water. Don’t do this stuff until you’re ready as a group.

[@chicklechives]

No paddle, caught in a hydraulic and still hangs on for the roll. That's some hardcore ironlungs.

[@jeffjeannette9364]

This must have been terrifying. Hat's off to hero.

[@bundyrivera7162]

😂😂😂 not gonna feel bad for idiots kayaking on a waterfall

[@vodkarage8227]

My sister got caught in something similar, a small waterfall with a hollowed-out area under it. We were going in and out of it, but she lost her balance, and it started tumbling her. She got so disoriented and panicked that she couldn't get out of it. My dad saw her but bob into the air for a second and he reached in and pulled her out by her swim trunks lol. She was a bit shaken but okay. Water is one hell of a powerful force.

[@thedolphin5428]

Hmmm, nearly two for the price of one. I was shouting at the first rescuer -- "Noooooo, you'll only get caught too!" And nobody thought to stop the queue coming down. And didn't the OH&S Officer foresee the potential whirlpool trap ?

[@laurenleroy6632]

How terrifying! Glad it had a happy ending. Do river kayakers ever have a little pony tank of air strapped to them to buy a little more time if they get stuck in a hydraulic like this?

[@MegaKerzo]

Kayaks should have emergency airbags that blast you out the water

[@CanoehoundAdventures]

Thank God everyone came out of this alright... Never Take For Granted

[@cjod33]

I'm a big wave surfer and used to long hold downs , in fact I find them quite fun. White water kayaking on the other hand, that gives me the Willys.

[@IntenseLlama]

God damn these guys need some swift water training. That was a joke of a rescue attempt. Hopefully nobody died.

[@berrycrawford5579]

What would you have done differently ?

[@chrishasser2618]

@@berrycrawford5579 To anyone experienced reading water, and with good judgement, that was a very dangerous water feature with a likelihood of trapping someone. Best option is to carry your boat around it. Only a super experienced person with the skill to avoid getting trapped and the skill to self rescue (like balling up and getting flushed out) should do it. And there are way more people who *think* they are that good than there are people who are *actually* that good. And if anyone did it, I'd have a safety setup with at least three specially trained rescuers, one rigged as "live bait" connected to a quick-release rope held by at least two rescuers on shore. Honestly, though, when I think about putting a live bait rescuer in for something you could have walked around, it seems like on that same stretch of river that day there must have been other fun and exciting things they could have done with less risk. One approach is to take a less dangerous feature and challenge yourself to do more difficult feats of boat control on it.

[@chris74ify]

Absolutely insane! Hope it's all worth it!

[@KingDominusBeats]

For anyone wondering the about the guy who went in he pops up and shoots out to the right of the screen at 1:29

[@carpo719]

Taking silly risks has consequences I guess people want the adrenaline rush but it's hard to have sympathy

[@Nico-sl5uy]

At 0:04 he throws the paddle way and at 1:16 again. He should stop doing this. With the paddle he would have easily escaped.

[@AugustHawk]

Thanks, I didn't notice that at first.

[@atcred3]

NEVER...EVER....THROW YOUR PADDLE!!!!!

[@markschuette3770]

what happened to that 2nd guy??? all kayaker should see this.

[@ooweesaler]

What was the rescue plan? Ooops we didn't have one. PPP.

[@Pomelu]

i almost thought it was a pneumatic whirlpool

[@glizzygoblin-nl2uh]

Fun fact when your panicking take a breath and use that panic you feel and put it towards strength

[@microsoftword213]

Why even risk putting your life and others in so much danger... there are plenty of thrilling runs that do not potentially lead to drowning

[@sibrilliant]

These people were not prepared for something that they absolutely should’ve been prepared for, absolutely awful

[@edvinlaine]

What we see here is risking life for fun. Great times? Their rescue plan/skills are ridiculous.

[@CallMeMrX]

I mean if you're intentionally going into this kind of thing, tragedy is bound to happen sooner or later. I feel more compassion toward the kids and their rescuers who die needlessly in low head dams.

[@gregb8824]

Me: What did you do over the weekend? Him: Went kayaking. Me: How was it? Him: To die for!

[@vivitar45]

why did he toss his paddle away was stupid now cant paddle out of it

[@josephsaeteurn9158]

vivitar45 My thoughts exactly. why did he rid the paddle?

[@christianrodrigue9623]

+Joseph Saeteurn Its called a wet exit and it is when you pull your skirt off so you can get out of the kayak. You need both hands to do it

[@josephsaeteurn9158]

+Christian Rodrigue don't you just use 1 hand to pull the spray skirt off? also the other person kept his paddle and was fine. do you even kayak?

[@fishmanfairclough7530]

+Joseph Saeteurn Yep I've known people us a paddle outside of a kayak to escape from things, nothing like though. People release they're paddle in panic.

[@christianrodrigue9623]

+Joseph Saeteurn Yup I do...frequently actually. What I was trying to say was when your being whipped around a hydro and you need to get out of your kayak it is much easier with two hands. I know from first hand experience. Just my two sense no need to start making accusations

[@a1mbient]

Why would you kayak in this location? I assume these were amateurs who have never heard of the dangers of hydraulic effects of low-head dams. Truly stupid and dangerous thing to do, glad they were all lucky enough to survive.

[@jfk5402]

A bunch of crazies that did not even have a rescue plan

[@lukeskywalker2116]

I got caught in a very small hydraulic one time and it scared the begezzus out of me. I’m guessing that guy will have nervous shakes for a few hours.

[@chitownbangin]

That guy that parked his kayak on top of his head and then flipped it really, really, REALLY did the situation no good.

[@Will-zc8tz]

That guy is lucky he has friends willing to risk their lives for him. REALLY risk....

[@rod2seb]

Le stress de ne pas pouvoir en sortir...

[@suuujuuus]

Yeah, those things are vicious. You gotta dive down into the below current to get carried out, but your swim vest prevents that.

[@williamturkewitschturkewit1549]

Water ain't no joke dude..you never know ......especially in fast-moving rivers like that..

[@Chris-mt9th]

Was thinking "what the hell is a hydraulic whirlpool?" Well, now I know, damm nature, you scary!

[@tiffanyr6631]

that was a human caused whirlpool I think.

[@Zyserk]

Why is that guy on the rock there? He's just looking up and smiling while dude behind him is drowining, takes almost a full minute to throw the rope

[@raypabs5374]

He should have activated his epirb or distress signal and the whole coast guard would have showed up in 2 seconds

[@charleslavoie5402]

You think they told him …. It’s ok bro just swim it off.

[@432hzjamz9]

It’s almost like it’s a stupid decision kayaking down a waterfall

[@DeeDee-pw9pm]

I believe the trick is to make yourself into a ball, sink to the bottom, and float away with the undercurrent.

[@freddiesandoval5047]

😂 he rolled his balls alright"BUT THEY DIDN'T FLOAT THEY WERE DEFLATED 😂