Respect the Turbines!

[rsimms]

I watched a scary scene unfold Sunday, fortunately with a happy ending.

I don't know these folks names. I have no idea if they are CFF'ers or not. I've obscured the boat because I don't care if anyone else does know them or not. My intent is not to embarrass anyone... only to let others know to take heed of those "Dangerous Waters" signs at any TVA Dam. I fish around the turbines all the time. I feel I am always careful and very respectful of their power. But sometimes, maybe with a momentary lapse in concentration, the worst can happen to any of us.

Just as we were about to leave the area Sunday, I looked up and saw a bass boat navigating near the one running turbine get swept sideways, hard and fast!

The boat slammed into the concrete and a gentleman standing on the bow tried in vain to stay aboard, but failed. He hit the churning water and was instantly swept inside one of the turbine holes. He very wisely took a few hard strokes and swam to the metal gate tracks where he was able to climb up and hang on. We stood by, ready to give aid as needed and watched as it took several minutes before his partners could figure out how to safely navigate back to him for the rescue.

It was scary to watch, and I know MUCH scarier for the folks in that boat. Thankfully, they were all wearing their required PFD's.

Again, there is no intent here to embarrass anyone... and I hope no one else will either. It is one of those, "There but for the grace of God go I," scenarios.

But if you fish the tailwaters of any TVA Dam... respect the turbines. If you're not sure how to navigate around them, stay far, far away. And if I do go anywhere near them, me and my passengers are always on the main floor (not a deck) of my Deep-V G3, and sitting down. Respect the turbines!

 

[EricM]

It happens in only seconds!!! Please be extremely careful there (as I, too, have learned - thankfully, without the swimming part).

 

[derek81]

Wow. I bet that dude made a mess in his pants! That's one of those scenarios you don't always walk away from. Glad he was ok.

 

[takenoprisoners]

Thanks for the tip. Scary stuff!

 

[RobN]

Thanks for posting and sharing - the post made me tense up just reading it - it is a true blessing that the individual made it back to the boat.

 

[fischnrod]

That's why I don't go near the dams any where!!!!!

 

[TubbyTN]

Scary real lucky to get out of that

 

[Luketrician]

So he went overboard and was pulled under by the currents? Praise be to God that his life was spared. WOW!

 

[SpurHunter]

Luketrician - 4/12/2016 4:10 AM

So he went overboard and was pulled under by the currents? Praise be to God that his life was spared. WOW!

He was not pulled under, but certainly lucky to be wearing a PFD to avoid that scenario.

 

[rsimms]

Generally speaking... turbine outflows won't "pull you under." Just don't panic, go with the flow and you should be OK. But I still wouldn't want to "test them."

Flood gates (or spill gates) on the other hand, DEFINITELY create huge hydraulics that will push you under and keep you there... PFD or not. A hydraulic is basically a horizontal whirlpool that is constantly pushing you down under water. Whenever you hear of rafters drowning on the Ocoee River .... that's generally what happened. They got pushed under and exhausted themselves trying to swim up out of the horizontal whirlpool.

If the flood gates are open at Chickamauga, you will NEVER find me upstream of the railroad bridge. In the overwhelming majority of dam boat accidents and fatalities, flood gates are open... someone's outboard decides not to start, and their boat is actually pulled upstream beneath the spill gates and into the massive hydraulics there.

The best way to escape a hydraulic is to swim DOWNWARD where the force of the whirlpool turns horizontally downstream. Get caught in a hydraulic... swim down and out, not up.

<img src=http://www.paddling.net/guidelines/Images/art566hazard2.jpg>

 

[Luketrician]

thanks for the great replies everyone.

Been 10 plus years ago..I was working at Watts Bar Dam, and we were spilling..had 4-5 gates open. We came back to work monday I think it was to find out a man and his son had drowned.

They were 2-300 yds below the damn, and their motor quit..and what you said happened Richard. Their boat drifted back up stream (I am guessing by a rip current) and were pulled right into the massive spill flow coming over the spill gates.

I will never forget being back at work that next week, and looking downstream at the boats dragging to find their bodies.

 

[Etoncathunter]

It can be a scary thing that's for sure. My parents had the same thing happen to them when I was a kid. They were in their bass boat below Ft Louden dam and got slammed back into the dam wall by the turbines current. Luckily they were both in the lower seats of the boat and didn't go overboard, but it took a chunk out of the boat hull (thankfully in railing/above water line) about the size of a basketball. I think it was over a year before they ever went back, and they never got that close to the turbines again that I know of.

 

[davisjeremy1981]

Its no joke below the dam. My dad had to pull someone out of the water down there when I was in high school. He and my grand father were anchored about half way between the turbine outflow and the railroad bridge when another boat pulled up to the turbines and began a drift. The drifting boat was not paying attention to his surroundings and in less then a minute the current had him out of control and he slammed his boat into my dad's. The impact threw both people from the drifting boat. Neither of them were wearing life jackets nor could they swim. They're both still alive cause dad was quick enough to see it coming and was already starting his outboard when they hit. He was able to get them both out of the river before the undertows pulled them under.

 

[tennfisher]

Great post Richard and all contributors, a genuine public service.

Tennfisher

 

[Creekrunner6]

very lucky indeed