VERMONT PAIR FINDS TROUBLE ON OTTER CREEK
Otter Creek near Burlington, VT: April 30, 1994
DESCRIPTION: This small stream, not listed in any guidebooks, was flowing high due to recent rains. The victim, Eric Kemp, 24, drowned on April 30, 1994 after the 14 foot raft he was paddling with a friend capsized just below Beldon Falls. Neither was wearing a life vest. The friend managed to swim to shore, but Kemp disappeared. State Police divers were forced to call off the search due to rising water.
SOURCE: Burlington Free Press; Chip Morgan
ANALYSIS: High, icy water demands good equipment and plenty of experience. This pair had neither, and paid a heavy price for their ignorance.
