A Grand Mess
It's at least the second most popular rapid on the Grand Canyon. On Friday, August 20, however, a Western River Adventures (WRA) motor rig found itself stuck in the Crystal Rapid rock garden, making some passengers wish they’d never seen it before. The accident occurred when the second of two WRA rafts dropped into Crystal, midway through day three of a six-day motor trip. As the boatman negotiated the rapid's left side, a passenger sitting in front appeared to go in the water. Following protocol, the guide cut the motor, consequently losing control of the raft. The rig was swept sideways and, after narrowly missing a midstream boulder known as "Big Red," came to a stop 20 yards downstream, wedged in the middle of the river. Then the waiting began (along with thunder, lightning and rain). "It was pretty hellish," said WRA guide Evan Tea. "The weather alone was pretty scary." As the crew searched for a way off and attempted to calm the passengers, other rafts arrived on the scene. The crew of a WRA boat, which was running a deadhead trip (without passengers), eddied out to offer assistance. The fiasco was then spotted by a scenic tour flight and within an hour, NPS had two helicopters on the scene. As the weather worsened, helicopters were temporarily grounded on nearby beaches. For the next two hours, NPS crews sat inside their helicopters while guides kept the beaches wet with river water in case the helicopters had an opportunity to take off. "It was like we were in Fantasia," Tea recalls. "They had us hauling buckets of water like we were putting out a fire." When the weather cleared, NPS determined that the stuck rafters would be "short-hauled" (using a cable dangling below one of the rescue choppers) from the raft to a small beach. Harnessed together two at a time, the passengers were plucked from the stranded J-Rig and dangled below a helicopter a hundred feet above the raging Crystal rapid. Fourteen of the passengers found space on a WRA trip, which continued downriver. The flotilla set up camp at Tuna Creek, where a rain-soaked "Alive Below Crystal" party ensued. A day later, all 14 decided they had had enough of the Grand Canyon and demanded to be flown out, citing safety issues. They were flown to the South Rim and received meals and lodging, courtesy of WRA. "They were just fed up with everything," Tea says. "The weather, the waiting, everything." The abandoned J-rig, meanwhile, remained firmly grounded for 48 hours until the proper rescue gear and personnel could be gathered. At 3 p.m. Saturday, a large WRA "S" rig departed Lees Ferry to assist in river salvage, recovery and safety operations. On Sunday, approximately 15 NPS Rangers flew in via helicopters to extract personal property and by noon, the rescue rig arrived. Unfortunately, during the removal, the stuck motor rig was struck by a passing cataraft, whose lone operator was ejected by the impact and rescued by NPS Rangers. At 1:35 in the afternoon, the motor rig was finally removed and continued downriver.
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