I am reposting my previous report about the rescue on Rock Lake because of the recent accident at Rock Lake. A young Gonzaga student died in a tragic kayak accident. Weather and the ability to get to land due to the shear rock cliffs around the lake played an critical part in this accident. The rescuer had to go over a mile to reach the 3 kayakers. Please view the article in 4/2 issue of the Spokesman Review or on KREM.com.
I am still trying to get any volunteer program, perhaps and Eagle Scout progect, to help with constuction of a warning sign at the launch area. I have found some funding for a volunteer program to help with the construction of a sign to warn boaters of the danger of the unpredictable weather and the submerged rocks lying just below the surface of the lake. Please consider the weather whenever you go on this lake, it cost a young man his life.

Went fishing to Rock lake yesterday, fishing was good but saving two young mens lifes,off the chart! God bless I was there fishing, I had made plans to go to the Snake river to go for steelhead, but the last two times out we've been skunked, so we went to Rock lake. The lake is, to those who know it, very dangerous and unpredictable. With the people I take out to the lake I showed them the rock towers that shoot up from 200 ft. to 300 ft. down up to 1 ft under the waters surface . We had seen these two boys go down the north side of the lake to the far end to the incoming creek. We were on the south side trolling. I still was showing Don the spots to look out for when we heard the small boat coming back on the south side of the lake where we had been trowling. I had just been telling Don about the two boys that had died on the lake several years ago. Don and I were now trowling on the north side of the lake when we heard load hollering from the south side of the lake where we had last seen the boys. I looked through my binoculars and saw no boat only debris. We started the boat up and headed to help the boys as fast as we could. We pulled both boys into our boat as their boat had already sunk. They were both suffering from hypothermia. The boat had hit one of the under water towers of rock and they had to swim 100 yards fully clothed to shore, which if you know Rock Lake you can't climb the cliffs out and swiming in 28 degree water to get out isn't going to happen. It was the boys first time in the boat and it was way over its weight limit, the first time in Rock Lake and they didn't tell anybody they were there and we were the only other boat there. The boys could have died, the moral of the story is to research the lake and its trouble spots, know your boat and its limits, weather is unpredictable,

afk

4/3/2012 6:59:00 AM

Bone chilling reality! Thanks

Anglinarcher

4/3/2012 12:24:00 PM

I have almost stopped giving reports on Rock, just to stop people from going down there.

I have warned people and warned people and drug people of that lake several times myself.

All of the boating classes in the world will not teach common sense or provide sufficient experience to save your life if you don't take responsibility for yourself. Rock is not the only lake with hidden dangers, but unlike Sprague, you can't just climb out of the water.

Anglinarcher

4/3/2012 12:40:00 PM

dave, I have tried to send you a PM, but I am not sure if you are a member.

Nik

4/3/2012 4:54:00 PM

Just out of curiosity what in God's name possesses people to go out in the middle of nowhere and kayak when the water is a few degrees above freezing? I imagine you could die pretty much anywhere doing that, much less at one of the most dangerous, not to mention remote, lakes in the state. A truly tragic story where being uninformed cost someone their life.

charlies2369

4/4/2012 12:30:00 PM

I agree, I was floored when I heard the news report. A guide from spokane Parks and Rec. decided to go ahead with the trip. Even with the wind advisory in affect. This tells us that there needs to be more awareness of the unpredictible dangers presented by this specific lake. at the very least we need warning signs at the launch. Dave, thanks for helping with that movement. Stay safe out there and state government please take some responsibility in informing the public of dangers (ie. just a small investement in a warning sign might help)).

Hoss509

4/6/2012 10:50:00 AM

Where are the underwater pillars you speak of?

FlyGers

4/15/2012 11:12:00 AM

What would the planned content of the sign be? I.E. what do we want it to say? I feel like we can create a sign that expresses the danger without indicating that it will be safe if you dodge certain portions of the lake. The fact of the matter is that it is a dangerous lake that deserves the respect from all who visit the lake. I was thinking if there was a sign similar to ones placed on dangerous highways which indicate the number of fatalities occurred and boats sank per year. it could read "In the event of high winds, don't drown turn around". The person who died earlier this month was named Christopher and it was a true tragedy. I think we owe it to his memory and that of others to educated people of the dangers of the lake.

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