Crescent Falls

[keeks]

Anyone hear anything about people lost over the edge of Crescent Falls? Terrible tragedy if true. This is the kind of thing that will get the backcountry closed?

[bubba 96]

Only thing I found was this..

https://www.lacombeonline.com/local/...d-located-safe

[FCLightning]

Seems like it happens at least once every year.

[hehalta]

Found this.https://edmonton.ctvnews.ca/3-adults...fall-1.5061861

[Albertadiver]

Horrible... three children watched yelling for help.

https://www.canadapolicereport.ca/20...FALkaLxfG-mn-0

so sad.

[Grizzly Adams]

Originally Posted by Albertadiver

Horrible... three children watched yelling for help.

https://www.canadapolicereport.ca/20...FALkaLxfG-mn-0

so sad.

Tragic, another one of those notorious places that keeps claiming lives.

Grizz

[Bigwoodsman]

Was there at the end of June it was crazy. Couldn’t believe the number of people beyond the barriers. All to get a selfie! Then at the base the people trying to get near the falls. Stupid people doing stupid things and now 3 children are left behind.


BW

[kmacisaac]

I swear a guy could hand out Darwin Awards all day at that place and many other scenic areas in Alberta. People with poor footwear, too close to the edge, slippery surfaces and usually there's some sort of a fence to navigate around to get there...all for that perfect picture to post on facebook.
I was out there last summer and my wife an I kept our stay short. I just didn't want to be around when something goes wrong. It's a shame that this happens so often for no good reason.

[Jigsalot]

My god I just saw the news. I’m going to Nordegg tomorrow and I sure feel for those kids. Sad

[sillyak]

Do big waterfalls suck you in at the bottom?

I've swam under small waterfalls in the jungle, they always seemed to push you down and then out. Sad story for those children!

[sewerrat]

Seems like more people drowned this year than covid deaths.

[Grizzly Adams]

Originally Posted by sewerrat

Seems like more people drowned this year than covid deaths.

Seems like a disproportionate number of " New Canadians" are paying the price. Can't swim well and over confidant.

Grizz

[ak77]

Heard a piece of news soon the radio just now (Thursday morning). Looks like the first guy was an accidental, and other 2 went in trying to save over in front of them. It's like H2S at the bottom of the manhole. People don't realize the danger and jump in without thinking.

[rens27]

Originally Posted by sillyak

Do big waterfalls suck you in at the bottom?

I've swam under small waterfalls in the jungle, they always seemed to push you down and then out. Sad story for those children!

Yes. The current reverses at the surface as the large waterfall draws water back into it because of the force being generated as it falls from the cliff above. It's very strong and even an accomplished swimmer won't be able to fight it. Eventually the person gets sucked right into the waterfall and pounded into the bottom. Sometimes it will shoot the body out at the bottom right away but often it just keeps pounding them into the rocks or the body gets hung up on rocks or other debris. Sadly that sounds exactly like what happened at Crescent Falls. The first two were pushed out after they had already drowned and the third was hung up for awhile.

[Albertadiver]

Originally Posted by rens27

Yes. The current reverses at the surface as the large waterfall draws water back into it because of the force being generated as it falls from the cliff above. It's very strong and even an accomplished swimmer won't be able to fight it. Eventually the person gets sucked right into the waterfall and pounded into the bottom. Sometimes it will shoot the body out at the bottom right away but often it just keeps pounding them into the rocks or the body gets hung up on rocks or other debris. Sadly that sounds exactly like what happened at Crescent Falls. The first two were pushed out after they had already drowned and the third was hung up for awhile.

I was rag-dolled diving in Costa Rica up against a pinnacle island. It was literally like being in a washing machine and zero control over anything. All i could do is physically hold my regulator in my mouth and keep my mask pushed on my face. I've dove in currents before and felt upwellings and the like that that was just nuts. Only by chance my tank took the impact on the rocks and not my head. Nobody should underestimate the power of water.

Condolences for all involved....

[fishinhogdaddy]

Originally Posted by Grizzly Adams

Seems like a disproportionate number of " New Canadians" are paying the price. Can't swim well and over confidant.

Grizz

Ya think?
I was at Upper K on Sunday watching obviously "uneducated people" (Politically correct, as above) with a $19.99 "boat" from Canadian Tire trying to inflate it with a bike pump all the while the four children they were going to take into it were running around all excited. Yup, 51 degree F water in a piece of thin plastic yet the quote from one acquaintance of the three dead people said that there should be signs warning of danger and they wouldn't have lost their lives. Sorry, but I also watched 3 uneducated men walk to a spot that only minutes before had a griz and her cub eating berries at.
BUT they all had brand new Home Depot buckets, prepared to load em up with probably as many fish as they could catch!
I went there to enjoy the day away from all the stupid BS I see on a daily basis and was left with more than I wanted. On the packed highway on the way home, we got behind a little Micro with six people in it that was going 70k on the highway and got a glimpse of what could possibly be a New Canadian woman who looked scared stiff to be driving when we went by.
THESE are the times I really admire those living "off the grid" away from the idiocy that goes on around us everyday.
Guess I am getting more easily ****ed and cranky in my latter years.
BUT, holy cow people!
Always someone else's fault for ones own actions. Always.
FHD

[fishinhogdaddy]

Originally Posted by Grizzly Adams

Seems like a disproportionate number of " New Canadians" are paying the price. Can't swim well and over confidant.

Grizz

Ya think?
I was at Upper K on Sunday watching obviously "uneducated people" (Politically correct, as above) with a $19.99 "boat" from Canadian Tire trying to inflate it with a bike pump all the while the four children they were going to take into it were running around all excited. Yup, 51 degree F water in a piece of thin plastic yet the quote from one acquaintance of the three dead people said that there should be signs warning of danger and they wouldn't have lost their lives. Sorry, but I also watched 3 uneducated men walk to a spot that only minutes before had a griz and her cub eating berries at.
BUT they all had brand new Home Depot buckets, prepared to load em up with probably as many fish as they could catch!
I went there to enjoy the day away from all the stupid BS I see on a daily basis and was left with more than I wanted. On the packed highway on the way home, we got behind a little Micro with six people in it that was going 70k on the highway and got a glimpse of what could possibly be a New Canadian woman who looked scared stiff to be driving when we went by.
THESE are the times I really admire those living "off the grid" away from the idiocy that goes on around us everyday.
Guess I am getting more easily ****ed and cranky in my latter years.
BUT, holy cow people!
Always someone else's fault for ones own actions. Always.
Sorry if I derailed the thread.
FHD

[bezzola]

My buddy sells atv’s and he says its going to get worse. Thats all i am saying

[NCC]

Go Fund Me page says the nephew went in and didn’t come out, uncle went in to save him and didn’t come out, then the aunt went in. I admire their bravery but it’s tragic that the kids had to witness it.

I know most will think they were fools for jumping in. Although I’ve been trained to not put myself at risk to rescue another, I would have likely done the same if my wife or nephew was drowning. Living with the guilt of standing on shore watching them drown wouldn’t be easy. Several people have drowned this year trying to rescue their dogs.

[Bigwoodsman]

Originally Posted by Grizzly Adams

Seems like a disproportionate number of " New Canadians" are paying the price. Can't swim well and over confidant.

Grizz

All those pretty places, killing people! How can a pretty so picturesque place be dangerous? Why are the fences there? Hey I found a way to get around the fence...take my picture!

Why doesn't the guberment do something, if only they had put up a sign...

BW

[Albertadiver]

Originally Posted by Bigwoodsman

All those pretty places, killing people! How can a pretty so picturesque place be dangerous? Why are the fences there? Hey I found a way to get around the fence...take my picture!

Why doesn't the guberment do something, if only they had put up a sign...

BW

There is definitely an 'instagram' culture these days. I see on Facebook hiking pages all of these photos of people doing cheesy poses in dangerous areas. Kinda like these potential Darwin award winners in this link.

https://calgary.ctvnews.ca/dangerous...edia-1.5042571

Reading some more on the crescent falls incident, sadly it appears the nephew was in shallow water to take a photo, took a step back and slid into the current and that was that.

Those kids seeing their parents die in front of them will be so traumatizing. One of them was a doctor i understand.

[Spidey]

Originally Posted by fishinhogdaddy

Ya think?
I was at Upper K on Sunday watching obviously "uneducated people" (Politically correct, as above) with a $19.99 "boat" from Canadian Tire trying to inflate it with a bike pump all the while the four children they were going to take into it were running around all excited. Yup, 51 degree F water in a piece of thin plastic yet the quote from one acquaintance of the three dead people said that there should be signs warning of danger and they wouldn't have lost their lives. Sorry, but I also watched 3 uneducated men walk to a spot that only minutes before had a griz and her cub eating berries at.
BUT they all had brand new Home Depot buckets, prepared to load em up with probably as many fish as they could catch!
I went there to enjoy the day away from all the stupid BS I see on a daily basis and was left with more than I wanted. On the packed highway on the way home, we got behind a little Micro with six people in it that was going 70k on the highway and got a glimpse of what could possibly be a New Canadian woman who looked scared stiff to be driving when we went by.
THESE are the times I really admire those living "off the grid" away from the idiocy that goes on around us everyday.
Guess I am getting more easily ****ed and cranky in my latter years.
BUT, holy cow people!
Always someone else's fault for ones own actions. Always.
FHD

No offence, but your first mistake was going to Upper K (or anywhere in front-country of K country) on a Sunday (or any day) this summer. I'm not trying to be critical, but more so that I completely share in your frustration and observations. We live in Canmore and it has been an absolute beast of a summer this year just trying to go from point A to point B in town, let alone finding a near-by trail that isn't completely clogged. It's literally driven us to looking at early retirement and land in the BC interior.

I went to the weekly outdoor market in Canmore today and couldn't get within 5 blocks to park with all the trailers and RV's. Before long, I'm going to turn into one of those "git off my lawn!!!" old farts...

[Greatwest]

Originally Posted by Bigwoodsman

Was there at the end of June it was crazy. Couldn’t believe the number of people beyond the barriers. All to get a selfie! Then at the base the people trying to get near the falls. Stupid people doing stupid things and now 3 children are left behind.


BW

What do u mean people aren’t supposed to stand 6 feet away from the cliff on the wet slippery rocks with their 3 or 4 year old kid in their arms for a selfie. Someone should maybe mention that to these people if you see them at the falls again. We were there at start of July and I just remembered I took a short video of the falls and low and behold there were some random tourists doing just that. Took a screen shot of the video.

Such a sad and tragic story for the family involved in the recent drowning incident. Some people don’t realize the power and force that some parts of Mother Nature has behind her. Falling and fast flowing water is one of her many powers.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Runewolf1973]

So sad. I really feel bad for those kids and what they have to live with now.😥

[Grizzly Adams]

Originally Posted by Runewolf1973

So sad. I really feel bad for those kids and what they have to live with now.😥

I always claim, Sorry don't feed my kids. Seems stupid that these kind of things keep recurring, but other than building 8 ft. chain link fences and guards around all the "dangerous" places we have in our beautiful country, there is no way to prevent this and it would destroy the allure of such places.

Grizz

[CaberTosser]

I’ve never been there, but assume these falls have a similar effect like the drowning machine at our old weir on the Bow here in Calgary?

This video has great explanation of the dangers of weirs and similar hydraulic effects such as at these falls.

In addition to the currents already described by Rens27, there is also the fact that the air entrained into the water reduces buoyancy, even Olympic level swimmers would be lucky to get out alive.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVDpqphHhAE

[Grizzly Adams]

Originally Posted by CaberTosser

I’ve never been there, but assume these falls have a similar effect like the drowning machine at our old weir on the Bow here in Calgary?

This video has great explanation of the dangers of weirs and similar hydraulic effects such as at these falls.

In addition to the currents already described by Rens27, there is also the fact that the air entrained into the water reduces buoyancy, even Olympic level swimmers would be lucky to get out alive.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVDpqphHhAE

Yup, there's a bowl at the bottom and once you're in, you get recirculated like a washing machine, before it spits you out.

Grizz

[Bigwoodsman]

Originally Posted by CaberTosser

I’ve never been there, but assume these falls have a similar effect like the drowning machine at our old weir on the Bow here in Calgary?

This video has great explanation of the dangers of weirs and similar hydraulic effects such as at these falls.

In addition to the currents already described by Rens27, there is also the fact that the air entrained into the water reduces buoyancy, even Olympic level swimmers would be lucky to get out alive.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVDpqphHhAE

I lost a cousin to that weir in 1978. 24 years old married two years 1 year old son. Again thinking what can happen on the Bow in the middle of Calgary.

BW