Canoes in the News
November 2017
A selection of paddling-related news stories.
"The river is a monster' (Houston, TX)
"Sharon Galavitz knew the moment she drove up to the house that she had to have it. Here, 40 miles west of Houston, she could hear the birds and see the stars. She could own a horse. She didn't care that the Brazos River would take her home piece by piece — first the driveway, then the fence, then whole sections of her yard..."
"German tourists are ill-equipped for Hayes River, paddler says" (Canada)
"A Saskatchewan paddler who came across a canoe abandoned on the Hayes River by a pair of German tourists says they were neither prepared nor properly equipped to paddle the rocky northern Manitoba waterway. Wolf Wagner and John Hoentsch were forced to walk and wade their way across about 115 kilometres of muskeg after they damaged their canoe in a rapid on the Hayes..."
"Hogwarts Express rescues stranded family" (Scotland)
"As if by magic, the Hogwarts Express has come to the rescue of a stranded family in Scotland. The train that took Harry Potter to school was played onscreen by the Jacobite steam train , which runs on a remote and scenic route through the Scottish Highlands. On Friday, it made an unscheduled stop to pick up a family of six that was stranded when a storm washed away their canoe...."
"Canoe carving brings tribal traditions to life" (Idaho)
"Wood chips were flying as fourth- and fifth-grade Lapwai Elementary students helped carve a traditional canoe. Nez Perce Tribe member Julian Matthews organized the evening carving session to instill a sense of culture in the youngsters. About 30 kids helped bite out chunks of the canoe's interior with shaped axes or shaved off lumber for future paddles..."
"1 of oldest Native American birch-bark canoes now on display" (Maine)
"One of the oldest-known examples of a Native American birch-bark canoe is on display at a museum in Maine, where indigenous tribes have used them for thousands of years. The canoe put on display dates to the mid-1700s, members of the Pejepscot Historical Society said. It's an example of the type of canoe that was critically important to the history and culture of the Wabanaki..."
"Teen kayaker says shark attack was like everything in 'Jaws'" (Australia)
" A massive great white shark was thrashing in the water on top of an upended kayak. But an Australian dad couldn't see his daughter. In a matter of seconds, 15-year-old Sarah Williams surfaced and was rescued by her father and brother from the shark attack she says was "everything you picture in the 'Jaws' movie." The 15-foot shark struck from beneath the kayak, tossing Sarah into the water..."
"No foul play suspected in kayaker's death" (Texas)
"The Conroe man found dead in the Neches River last week died from accidental drowning, Hardin County Sheriff Mark Davis said. Davis said that preliminary reports indicate that it will be ruled an accidental death by drowning. Addison had been on a two-week camping trip in Big Thicket National Preserve and was supposed to be picked up by family members on Wednesday, but he never arrived..."
"Study proposes removing White Oak Bayou's concrete" (Houston)
"The concrete lining of White Oak Bayou near downtown Houston can be removed, and the resulting natural channel can be connected to nearby parks and open land to create an area similar to Buffalo Bayou Park, according to a study commissioned by the Harris County Flood Control District..."
"Drinking in a canoe is illegal in Canada, but that could soon change" (Canada)
"Throughout Canada, it's currently illegal to drink and boat. If you're found to be under the influence while in a canoe, kayak, raft, or other recreational water vessel, it's like being caught drinking and driving a car. That may change with a bill to decriminalize drunken boating that's up for vote..."
"ACA becomes the new U.S. Governing Body for Olympic Paddlesports"
"Yesterday, the American Canoe Association announced that their members voted to become the new National Governing Body for Olympic, Paralympic and World Championship paddlesports. The decision is the culmination of years of partnership between the Fredericksburg, Va.-based nonprofit and USA Canoe/Kayak, which had acted as paddlesports’ National Governing Body..."
"Man treads water, drifts for 17 hours after kayak sinks" (New York)
" A man who spent 17 hours treading water and drifting, trying desperately to stay afloat after his kayak sank in Long Island Sound was saved in dramatic fashion. Diaz says he was "wondering how long do I have, how long can I be in here? In Long Island Sound, you can't swim to shore; the tide brings you back out..."