Deadliest year on the Arkansas belies safety record

Buena Vista – This year has been the deadliest on record since Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area began tracking boating-related fatalities in 1990.
Seven people have died in boating-related accidents. Four were private parties. Three were on commercial rafting trips. There have been additional fatalities, including a man who drowned this week after disembarking from his inflatable kayak.

After 2 years without a single boating-related death, the recent string of victims serves as a grim reminder of the Arkansas River’s inherent risks.

“‘Safe’ is a word we do not use,” Echo Canyon River Expeditions owner Andy Neinas said. “I cannot guarantee your safety – all I can do is provide you with the best service possible, the best guides possible and the best information possible, which is of paramount importance.”

Fatalities do happen, and AHRA records indicate the number of ...more