Accident Report for SSV - Confluence to Picnic Grounds

SOURCE -- http://www.mountainbuzz.com/forums/f11/destroyed-in-60-seconds-37253.html

So.........yesterday. SSV. 8.5. Ian and I put on and paddle over one of the two logs in the flatwater. We had wanted to remove them, but felt it was too big a task for just the two of us. They could move with rising water, so, heads up on that. We eddy behind the logs, splash our faces, take some deep breaths and peel out with Ian in the lead. As we approach the first drop, I realize that I'm too far center and I start driving hard left to make the left entrance. I'm not sure if I overdrove it or if I was deflected further left by a rock, but my bow caught a rock off of the left shore and my stern swung around and caught a rock on the right. The boat slams to a stop and spins about 80 degrees cockpit side to the current. I was pinned at the top of a fast shallow rapid. I lean over the right side of the boat, head just above water, and yell, ''HELP!'' to Ian down below. As he starts to cross back to river left and work his way back to help, I'm struggling with the surges and the boat begins flipping over. I countered the spin by twisting further right, as I didn't want to be pinned underwater, and my left knee came out of the thigh brace. I think it then let in water from the side of the boat because I felt like my skirt had blown, so I let go of my paddle as the boat was flipping and washing loose. Thinking that my skirt is off, I try kicking out of the boat only to find that I'm still attached! With the blows coming in rapid succession, I find the grabloop and franticly exit the boat maybe halfway down and take a brutal swim down the rest. I see a rock in the middle of the river and sramble up on it. But, my left leg isn't working right. I feel my knee through the drysuit and it feels foreign, totally wrong. It's shattered. I tell Ian that my knee is fucked and he asks if I want extra help to get back to shore. Yeah, I say looking at the mank below. He flags down a motorist and as they position themselves, I start to move around the rock to get ready and put too much weight on my bent left leg which just gives out and I fall into the creek! ''ROPE!'' I yell and Ian fires a bullseye like he's Drew Brees and I'm spared more trauma. Then we pull a pendulum move and the good samaritan motorist catches me in the eddy. Longmont drycleaners? Thanks. Ian then gets my paddle from the opposite shore and we drive downriver and find my boat which had just been pulled from the creek by some cool folks who were just hanging out. Ian brings the boat to my truck, loads it and we head off and get some ice and ibuprofren. I let Ian know that I'm cool to drive and cruise to the hospital where the x-rays confirm a broken kneecap requiring surgery.