LITTLE ROCK — A friend of mine who grew up in Yell County was a regular visitor of the creeks that zig-zag through the Ozark and Ouachita mountains. One of his favorite fishing, swimming and paddling spots was Big Piney Creek in Pope County.
Big Piney’s Long Pool Recreation Area is popular among folks who canoe and kayak, and this young man knew well the 5-mile run down to Twin Bridges.
Big Piney can be a beast when its narrow watershed is raging after a downpour, although it wasn’t particularly rowdy that spring day. After my friend began his paddle at Long Pool, he dropped through a fast chute, was turned sideways and his canoe wrapped around a rock he had paddled by many times before. His boat – weighted down by the stream – trapped him underwater, within sight of people on the bank. By the time they were able to reach him, he had drowned in less than 4 feet of water before his 30th birthday.Paddlers with wide ranges of skill levels drown for various reasons every year in Arkansas’s lakes, rivers and streams; a few have lost their lives this spring. The rapid rise in sales of recreational paddle boats, especially kayaks, means it’s likely more people with little experience are on the water. Experienced paddlers carry no guarantee of safety but their inexperienced colleagues certainly stand less chance of survival when trouble suddenly appears.
With a little forethought, preparation and practice, some of those disasters can be avoided.
Above all, wear a well-fitting, U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket with the proper amount of buoyancy. It’s no guarantee, but no matter a paddler’s skill level, this is the best way to avoid drowning.
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