Tuomas showed me this link and even though it is on another forum (sorry Jeroen) I thought it would be valid to discuss it here. The link is at the bottom. Read through the story and have a good look at the pictures... Pretty close call if you ask me.

www.boof.com/forums/showthread.php?p=11465#post11465

scary stuff for sure. might as well repeat the original forum text and links here. saves a couple of clicks:

From: thehedonist
Location: truckee, ca
Subject: vertical pin in Piece of Risa on Tobin run

After surviving my biggest scare in kayaking, I feel the need to make people aware of this hole so that the same thing or worse doesn't happen to somebody else. On the last rapid of the Tobin section, Piece of Risa, at a flow of 1000 cfs, I ran the rapid on river right. Unsuspectingly, my boat pinned vertically in a nasty hole that the river has bored in to a boulder. This hole can not be seen at released flows. I had no idea it was there until I landed in it. I was pinned for about 10 minutes until I was able to free myself from the boat. I was not able to get out of the boat because my skirt was pinned between the kayak and the rock with the flow pushing against the back of the boat. Had it not been for the aid of my fellow kayakers, all of whom where knowledgeable in swiftwater rescue, I feel that I would not be here writing about this experience. Four people were able to get on the rock next to me and hand a rope down to me. As I tried to get out of my boat, I realized that I was stuck in the boat. My sprayskirt was holding me in the boat and would not release. At this point, I realized that I would have to cut the skirt off to get out of the boat. My biggest problem and lesson learned here was that I did not have a knife on me. I broke one of the cardinal rules that I learned in swiftwater rescue class. Always have a knife! Luckily one of my buddies on the rock above me had one and was able to attach it to the rope and pass it to me. It was very difficult with the force of the water pushing against me to cut through a brand new kevlar skirt. After about 10 minutes of time I was able to finally cut through the skirt and remove myself from the boat. The four people who were still on the rock above the boat tried dislodging the boat from the pin unsuccessfully. I drove back the following day to remove the boat myself after the flow had been shut off. What I saw scared the shit out of me. The boat was pinned in a perfect tube through a granite boulder. Big hole at the top, small exit hole at the bottom. A perfect sieve. Had my kayak gone in at any different angle, the situation would have been much worse. Fortunately, I was able to easily hold my head above water as the bottom of the boat deflected the current to either side of my head. The other thing I noticed was that the boat had started to fold slightly as evidenced by the large dents on either side of my boat. This was my biggest fear during the pin. The reason why I am writing about this experience is so that:

1) People who don't know about this hole don't end up here. It is not visible at higher levels. The AW website says this about the rapid. \"The last drop on this section before the Rock Crest Bridge (the private one-land bridge) is Piece of Risa. You want to start in the main current towards the left and then move your way over to the right before you get to the big undercut boulder at the bottom. Just don't go right too early or you'll find yourself in the nasty bit midway down the drop on the right.\"

2) If you are going to run whitewater, especially hard whitewater, take a swiftwater rescue course. The knowledge I took out of the course and especially the people who assisted me saved my ass.

3) Carry a knife! I learned this in swiftwater class, but never got around to buying one. Had I been in the middle of the river, especially something as wide as the Tobin section, this situation would have been a lot worse. Luckily it happened close to the side of the river and people were able to get close enough to hand a rope and a knife to me.

Last, I want to thank everyone who helped my ass out. Todd, Kevin, Trent, Grant, Sam and the rest who chipped in, you guys rule. I owe you all a beer or two or three or, .....

Here's some links to pictures of the incident before and after.
www.flickr.com/photos/92776479@N00/
www.flickr.com/photos/77403227@N00/

He was lucky he had an experianced team. Can I point out that the boat was starting to fold in at the cockpit, Pyranha boats have little indents behind the cockpit so in the event it does fold the boat it folds behind you so you've still got chance to get out!?

Ash

Ashley wrote:

He was lucky he had an experianced team. Can I point out that the boat was starting to fold in at the cockpit, Pyranha boats have little indents behind the cockpit so in the event it does fold the boat it folds behind you so you've still got chance to get out!?

Ash

Thats not their purpose. Those indents are to shed water

red_vex wrote:

Ashley wrote:

He was lucky he had an experianced team. Can I point out that the boat was starting to fold in at the cockpit, Pyranha boats have little indents behind the cockpit so in the event it does fold the boat it folds behind you so you've still got chance to get out!?

Ash

Thats not their purpose. Those indents are to shed water

Oh sorry, I was taught on my Canoe Safety they were for when the boat folds, it doesn't fold you in half.

Nevermind though,

Ash.

Reading through this, and EVERYONE should... makes me ask something...
How many of you (us!) have taken or are planning to take an SRT course??
Slower paddling season now, good time for these things...

Practice, train, act...

I know this has been discussed before, but really, safety courses should be taken and bragged about like 'hey man, I've got my CPR!' - just as cool as 'hey man, I can do a helix backwards without a paddle'...

Really - CPR, Wilderness First Aid, First Responder, Hypothermia, transportation, SRT, knot courses, swim lessons, anything and everything!

thats scary stuff man, makes you think and respect how incredibly powerfull the force of water can be. paddle safely people.

Those pictures are REALLY scary. I thought it was a smallish rock until I saw the picture of it with the boat in!

Lucky he got out safely. Respect to the team.

I think if you ever end up being vertically pinned without a chance to escape on your own a competent bank support from your fellow paddlers is a blessing.

I think a few training sessions is in order with our usual group...

One thing the story mentioned was that he wasn't carrying a knife. Do many other people boat without knives? it's always been one of the first things think of taking.

scannon wrote:

One thing the story mentioned was that he wasn't carrying a knife. Do many other people boat without knives? it's always been one of the first things think of taking.

For sure, I never paddle without a knife. I would recommend making the tip blunt so if you need to cut your deck off or cut a person free who is entangled in a rope, including yourself, then at least you don't have this sharp tip being waved around that could do almost as much harm as good. A slice on your thigh in the heat of the moment could spell disaster

HOLY SH*T ...this pin is nasty.
In future this guy can make 2 birthday partys.
My respekt to the rescueteam !

I´am alway have a knife attched to my lifevest, but i hope i must never use it.