Frank and I were paddling a tree filled shallow forest river today. After having to portage three times due to log jams we came upon a rec kayak with new shoes, a fishing pole, a clear case with fishing gear, and a phone in a waterproof case. It was wedge in against a log in the river. We pulled it across to a sand bar and tied it to a tree near the top of the bank. When I tried to power it up it came on with a Low Battery message and turned back off. There was a broken twig in the seat on top of the personal items. the bow paint wasn’t tied to the log. there was no name or contact info with the boat.
It rained at my house overnight but not at Frank’s in Clemson two hours away the river is about an hour north of me. There was no water in the boat but some dried mud and a dead leaf in the seat, with some dried mud on the phone. We think this is a recent event.
Our conclusion on what to do was to leave everything in the boat but put the phone and shoes in a hatch. If we had been separated from our boat with an expensive phone in the seat, we would be back to look for it. Therefore, leave it to be found and not drift down river. I will go back after the weekend and check to see if the boat has been found by the owner. Probably contact the county sheriff and see if it has been reported missing, I have GPs location I can share.
The gear in the seat suggests to us that that boat floated away from the owner in the near past, and that the owner didn’t capsize. It couldn’t have made it past the portages. So probably had to put in down river and paddled up stream before being separated from the owner. there is a bridge about a mile downstream and a house just before the bridge. I don’t know of any easy access otherwise. However, the owner could have put in upriver and become separated after the last of the portages.
What Would You Have Done? Any advice on what I should do if the boat is still there after the weekend.
Saw a couple of eagles in the distance on a dead tree. Can you spot them?
This is the view I usually get.
Log jam and newly fallen trees. There were numerous new green trees down in the river from heavy rains earlier in the year. The log jams always are full of trash.
Partly cloudy with a fairly steady wind made for a comfortable day on the water. The high of 91 made for sweaty portages.
There is only one house on the Enoree and one on the Broad River. Here is the one on the Broad.
Cliff swallows under the bridge near the take out.
