| USA. Executive Director of America Outdoors refutes CNN's report on whitewater rafting |
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| Wednesday, 06 September 2006 | |
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Association news: David Brown, Executive Director of America Outdoors, an international association representing many whitewater rafting operators, said that a CNN report posted on the Internet on September 5, 2006 inaccurately reported statistics and fatalities related to the highly popular recreational sport of guided whitewater rafting. "We acknowledge that every accident is tragic, and as an industry of professionals we work to create standards that will eliminate as much risk as possible," said Brown. "Approximately 4 million Americans safely enjoy commercially guided whitewater trips each year. However, as in any outdoor recreational adventure activity, there is a certain amount of inherent risk in whitewater rafting. What concerns us about the CNN report is that some of the data that was used was inaccurately reported and taken out of context. The report omitted the fact that most of the fatalities referred to within the report occurred when individuals were not part of a guided commercial raft trip." "CNN reported 50 deaths from whitewater accidents and inferred that they were on commercial whitewater raft trips. Ten fatalities have been reported on guided whitewater raft trips this year," said Brown. "In addition, none of the fatalities on commercially guided trips were the result of a customer not wearing a life jacket. Of the eight fatalities cited in Oregon, none were on a commercially guided trip." Charlie Walbridge, who manages the data for American Whitewater, the source for CNN's data for the story, said that CNN had mixed the commercial and private accidents in a way that was confusing. Brown added, "As an industry we are consistently working to improve the safety of the sport and there are already many regulations in place. It is important that people understand that the vast majority of whitewater rafting companies are regulated by federal agencies including the Bureau of Land Management, the USDA Forest Service and the National Park Service or by state agencies. These agencies mandate that customers wear life jackets. Wearing life jackets on whitewater rafting trips is already the industry standard. This point was not clearly elaborated in the CNN piece." America Outdoors firmly believes that everyone engaged in whitewater sports, whether on a commercial trip or an individual excursion, should wear a life jacket. In addition, people considering a whitewater rafting trip, or any kind of adventure vacation, are encouraged to visit America Outdoors at www.adventurevacation.com where they can find information on how to select a guide or tour company. The site includes a list of questions that everyone should ask a potential tour guide such as: the degree of difficulty of the trip, safety precautions provided by the operator, a trip's appropriateness for children or adults, and a recommendation to always ask a tour operator for references. |
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| Last Updated ( Wednesday, 06 September 2006 ) |
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