September 7, 2012

Kayaker rescued from Carrabassett whitewater

By Doug Harlow dharlow@mainetoday.com
Staff Writer

NORTH ANSON -- A kayaker from Brunswick was rescued Wednesday evening from the whitewater rapids of the Carrabassett River.

Simon Labbe, 20, had been paddling the river with two other kayakers when he was dumped from his boat and stranded on the ledges, upstream from the bridge on U.S. Route 201A, according to Sgt. Scott Thrasher of the Maine Warden Service.

Thrasher said a resident saw Labbe was in trouble and called 911. The two other kayakers were fine, he said.

He said members of the Madison and Anson fire departments were sent to the scene with an ambulance at about 5:45 p.m. Firefighters threw Labbe a floating rope bag and brought him to shore.

No one was injured.

The North Anson Gorge, the area of the Carrabassett River above Savage Island, is rocky and not commonly used by whitewater enthusiasts, Thrasher said.

He said the three kayakers put into the river just above the rapids.

"It's quite a set of rapids," he said. "Probably class 4."

According to www.americanwhitewater.org., class 4 is "advanced," with class 5, the highest class, being "expert." Class 4 rapids are described on the site as having "intense, powerful, but predictable rapids" that require "precise boat handling in turbulent water."

Doug Harlow -- 612-2367

dharlow@centralmaine.com

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