Posts Tagged ‘Safety’

Who Picks Up the BASE Jumpers That Make a Splash Landing? A History of the Pick-Up Boats

Friday, September 30th, 2011

One of the most dangerous parts about parachuting off the New River Gorge Bridge is the landing.

Bridge Day Pick Up Boats

Jumpers may end up hung up in the trees, or a busted “something or other” from crashing into the rocks wouldn’t be very nice either. But the scariest of all landings could be the water. Well, it would be, if it weren’t for the rescue boats that pluck the unlucky jumpers out of the drink each Bridge Day. Some may recall our post last year about, the famed “Pick Up Guys“.

These boats are filled with professional rescuers who have a combination of boating skills, swiftwater rescue training and advanced first aid knowledge.

Here’s a short history of how this necessary Bridge Day service came about, and here is a quick video of them in action on Bridge Day.

The Team
The Dragan family is this area’s first family of whitewater.

Brother’s Jon, Tom and Chris started Wildwater Unlimited in Thurmond in 1968 and were the first to take people rafting on the New and Gauley Rivers.

Because of this extensive knowledge of the New River, they became the official rescue boaters of Bridge Day. But their first event with a boat in the water was completely different than it is today. The way the rescue boats are run now, it is a team effort between the Dragan’s company, Dragan Diversified Inc. and the National Park Service. It is still very much a family affair, with a Dragan family member in almost every boat.

The Task
The very first year the Dragan’s participated as a rescue boat for jumpers was 1981 and they were approached by a jumper to have a raft down in the water as a “target” more so than for safety.

In fact there was a year where safety wasn’t provided for the jumpers. The unfortunate death of a jumper who drowned after his chute drug him down through the next rapid established the need to have a safety presence in the water.

Now they have 8 boats on the water and the boats they use are very specialized to the task at hand. The jumpers aren’t signaled they can jump until the boats are in certain staging points after cleaning up any prior issues.

The Crafts
They use 2 different water craft as rescue boats and each one is used for its unique abilityOne boat they depend on is an aluminum hulled jet boat. There are two of these and they are used for their speed and maneuverability. These boats allow them to get to jumpers in the pool area of the river very quickly.

A Jumper's View

The other boat they employ is an inflatable pontoon boat with a motor called a mini-snout rig. These boats are used because they can navigate the rapid areas safely and work better around the rocky banks.

The park service also employs their snout rigs above and below the rapids on each end of the landing pool as additional safety and to alert and control any river rafting traffic in the event of an emergency. They too, have a boat designated to take medical personnel to jumpers who may need immediate medical attention.

The New River, which flows under the bridge, has two Class III+ rapids on each end of the pool where a majority of the jumpers end up landing. Swimming in the New River without a PFD is definitely not advised, but the addition of the gear a BASE jumper will have on makes it extremely dangerous. It must be rather comforting to the jumpers to know that they have rescuers with over 40 years experience ON THIS RIVER in the boats waiting below.

Have you ever seen a jumper land in a precarious spot?

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Posted in Bridge Day History | 1 Comment »

Cool Things You’ve Asked About Bridge Day:  And the REAL Answers

Tuesday, April 12th, 2011

Bridge Day is one of those events that takes a village to get ready for.  And in the midst of all our chatting with you – either at the Visitors Center, the CVB, on our Facebook page or on the Bridge- you’ve asked some pretty interesting questions.  Some of which we honestly had no idea the answer.

But now that we’ve got some time – we decided to dig a little deeper into our backstory and give you the complete 411.  So here goes…

Q:  So how many volunteers does it take to pull off Bridge Day?

The Bridge

A:  A lot.  Typically on Bridge Day we have in excess of 70 volunteers on the ground – from the pickup crew in water, to the Boy Scouts on recycling, and the activity volunteers in-between.

Q:  Will the event ever be extended beyond 5 p.m.?
A:  Tough call really.  Since the event is centered around rerouting traffic from along a very busy roadway, it’s doubtful. But who knows.  We learn to never say never.

Q:  Can I drive down Fayette Station Road?
A:  You can drive down into the gorge 364 days a year – the exception being during Bridge Day when it is closed to our event traffic only.  The road is one-way and is best traveled  in good weather.   The Canyon Rim Visitors Center at the top of the gorge also offers a neat audio tour that interprets the area as you drive.

Have any other burning questions?  Send them our way.

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Why Is Bridge Day Awesome For First Time BASE Jumpers?

Wednesday, October 14th, 2009

Why Is Bridge Day Awesome For First Time BASE Jumpers?

‘Cause it’s in West Virginia?

Nice to know they're down there

Nice to know they're down there

Well, sure, there’s some hometown pride there, but there are other reasons, too.  I thought it would be interesting to look at some of the things that get a person ready for their 1st BASE jump, and why so many people come to Bridge Day in the New River Gorge to do it…

First off, there are two first-timer intro courses offered at the event itself.   Both courses are offered right here in Fayette County by instructors from the Snake River BASE Academy.

One is a four day long workshop that covers Bridge Day from A to Z.  The other is a specialized 6 to 8 hour run-down of all the essential training necessary for a great 1st jump.

Taking one of the courses is a requirement for first time jumpers at Bridge Day, unless they’ve been trained by an approved mentor.  Mentors have to have over 100 BASE jumps as well as previous Bridge Day experience.

All that speaks to just how in touch and safety oriented the BASE jumping community surrounding Bridge Day is.  With only 6 hours each year for bridge based jumps, the participants are very keyed-in to what makes a great event greater.  And that’s safety.

Bridge Day jump coordinators Vertical Visions have mapped out all the requirements for first timers in a FAQ that has pretty much everything you could want to know if you’re considering a jump.

First timers can’t register for Bridge Day without having at least 100 other parachute jumps (skydive or BASE).  That’s a good start to the experience needed to jump off the bridge.

And do you need to have gone skydiving before BASE jumping?  Well, let’s just say that it’s a really, really, very, extremely good idea.  Why?  Because BASE jumping without knowing how to skydive first is stupid :-)

I think we can all agree with the logic there.

There’s one more great reason for first time BASE jumpers to chose Bridge Day:  The New River.  The gorge is lined with trees and boulders, and the actual landing zone is room enough for seasoned veterans, but a river landing for a first timer is a great option.

Why?  Because the water is soft, and, as far as being a target, it’s easy to hit.  Oh, and the river is full of what might be the most experienced river rescue team in the world.  It’s said that the folks in the boats below the bridge on Bridge Day can get a jumper from the water before their head gets wet.

I’m sure there’s some truth to that, in most cases.  But what it really means goes back to the whole reason Bridge Day is good for first timers in the first place:  Safety.

Anyone out there going for their 1st jump at Bridge Day?  Share your thoughts with us in the comments…

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Posted in BASE Jumping | No Comments »