Ecuador's Papallacta River is a small (300 cfs), steep (175 fpm) Class IV+ creek run. Jay Kenney reported that on November 1st a three-person group encountered a narrow Class III+ drop located 2/3 of the way down the run. Stephen Korinchak, 28, ran first and pinned his kayak on a hidden log that spanned the drop. Initially his head was above the water. His boat never folded, but the log passed across his cockpit and made escape impossible. His two companions struggled heroically for several minutes before Korinchak's boat shifted and pulled him under water. His friends persisted, freeing the boat about five minutes later. They grabbed Mr. Korinchak, and swam him to shore. The pair then performed CPR for 75 minutes without success.
