Tue, July 5, 2005

Alcohol 'a factor' in canoe accident Missing daredevil is presumed dead By CARY CASTAGNA, POLICE REPORTER

A daredevil canoeist who is missing and presumed drowned may have been drunk when he went overboard Sunday morning in the Red River near St. Norbert.

"Alcohol was a factor," Winnipeg police spokeswoman Const. Monica Stothers confirmed yesterday.

DANGEROUS WATERS

Kelvin Millen, a 20-year-old Fort Garry resident, is believed to have died after his canoe capsized in the dangerous waters near Turnbull Drive and the Courchaine Bridge.

Millen, whose body hadn't been located by press time last night, was one of three men who took to the water in a canoe shortly before 8 a.m. in an apparent attempt to shoot the rapids.

The two other men, who couldn't be reached for comment, made it safely out of the water and were treated in hospital.

Members of the Winnipeg police dive unit were dispatched to the scene but they didn't go into the water because it was deemed too dangerous.

"We'd be putting the divers at risk," Stothers said, citing high water levels, debris and turbulence.

Instead, members of the Winnipeg police river patrol unit searched downstream in the vicinity of the floodway gates by boat.

Witnesses said the trio weren't wearing lifejackets and didn't have paddles when they boarded the canoe.

"They weren't properly equipped," Stothers confirmed.

Millen's father, who was reached yesterday at his Fort Garry home, declined to comment on behalf of his grieving family.

Meanwhile, police issued a warning yesterday to boaters concerning the city's unsafe river conditions.

Submitted on 07/05/2005

Submitted by: j. malcovi
Reference: Winnipeg Sun, Tues. July 5, 20

Copyright © 2005 DarwinAwards.com

Jack said:
Definitely Keep: Darwin Award
Alcohol involved? Check! Shooting "floodway gate" rapids in a canoe without wearing lifejackets? Check! Not bothering to take paddles? Check! It's DA time...

Kelly said:
Definitely Keep: Darwin Award
I wouldn't vote for this if they'd taken the paddles. Drowning deaths when under the influance of alcohol are very common. However the fact that they didn't take paddles gives it a somewhat unique twist.

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